Students Improving Global Health in Texas

Mission Statement

Students Improving Global Health in Texas (SIGHT) aims to further awareness of global health issues among medical students and advocate long-term, sustainable relationships with medically underserved populations both locally and internationally, by encouraging students to engage in global health efforts through clinical medicine, public health, and research.

History and Background

In November 2006, SIGHT began as a new student interest group at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. The student body’s increasing demand for a global health organization catalyzed its creation, and the founders modeled the group after the original chapter of SIGHT at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. SIGHT works to encourage and empower future physicians to first be aware of the global health community and its needs, then to respond appropriately with available resources. Global health distinguishes itself from international health by not differentiating patients by nationalities or borders. Global health is less concerned with the location of the patient or community and primarily concerned with a particular population that lacks access to health resources because of financial, social, political, or environmental causes. Therefore, while many of SIGHT’s goals have an international focus, a major objective of the group recognizes the global community living as neighbors in the Houston area.

Founding Goals

1. Increase awareness of global health issues among medical students.
2. Encourage medical students to become involved in global health efforts both locally and internationally.
3. Establish a long-term, sustainable relationship with a clinic in a medically underserved area where UT-Houston students and faculty can volunteer their time to help those in need.
4. Form collaborations with other global health organizations, including the Houston Initiative for Global Health Education and Research (HIGHER), Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas School of Public Health, and the other Texas Medical School Global Health groups.
5. Establish and maintain a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to medical students engaging in Global Health endeavors.
6. Establish a Global Health Department at UT-Houston Medical School with a global health curriculum for medical students.

Global Health Initiative

The Global Health Initiative (GHI) at UT Medical School is an initiative developed to further the goal of SIGHT, to develop a global health curriculum for the students of UT Houston Medical School. The Global Health Initiative also aims to develop a consortium between multiple schools and multiple disciplines in an effort to further global health.