SIGHT 1st Year Summer Opportunities
Useful Websites
University of Pennsylvania - this is a very helpful website. They have listed a number of medical, language, research, and public health programs all over the world.
Columbia University – offers an excellent database with global health opportunities around the world, including feedback from previous participants.
Programs with Multiple Locations
Foundation for Sustainable Development - opportunities to intern or volunteer with a grassroots development organization in Latin America, East Africa, or India. Since 1995, FSD has provided technical training, funding, and human resources to over 200 non-governmental and grassroots organizations in eight countries throughout the developing world. Programs are available in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Kenya, Uganda, and India.
http://www.fsdinternational.org/
Child Family Health International – a well-established organization recognized by the TMC. CFHI offers a variety of organized programs all over the world. An application is required and each program has a cost. Go to the website and click on International programs to see what programs are currently offered.
http://www.cfhi.org/
CMDA – short-term medical mission trips with a Christian organization.
http://www.cmdahome.org/index.cgi?CONTEXT=cat&cat=80&BISKIT=3531263924
ISL – International Service Learning
ISL provides educational opportunities for students in Central America, Mexico, and Africa. Students work in teams and set up clinics in rural areas, and should be flexible with the schedule. We’ve had a couple students go on these trips with ISL and all have had a great experience.
South and Central America
CACHA - A language school with medical Spanish emphasis combined with a clinical immersion program. Has a cost, but someone will do all the organizing for you, and as the years go on the program always seems to improve.
http://www.cachamsi.com/
Costa Rica - The University Of Nebraska has a clinical service project in Costa Rica.
http://www.unmc.edu/isp/newstudyabroad/SAGH2006MedicalTrips.pdf
Contact Sara Pirtle at sepirtle@unmc.edu for additional information.
Cultural and language immersion in Antigua, Guatemala - There are about 40 schools in the town, plenty of culture, safe, and much to do. Should you go to Antigua, you can volunteer at the Catholic Hospital for the mentally and physically disabled and terminally ill Hospital Obres Sociales de Hermano Pedro.
Foundation Human Nature (Ecuador) – Go to the website and click on volunteer for more info. They may require a long term commitment. They seem to offer to pay room and board.
http://fhnusa.org/index.htm
Faith in Practice – short-term surgical mission trips to Guatemala with a Christian organization.
http://www.faithinpractice.org/
Lago Atitlan, Guatemala - This is a program through University of Nebraska SOM. It includes language school and clinical visits to small villages surrounding a town's clinic in San Lucas Toliman.
University of Nebraska Program Director - Sara Pirtle sepirtle@unmc.edu
Guatemalan Doctor on site - Dr. Jose Alfredo Garcia jagarciaster@gmail.com
http://www.unmc.edu/isp/studyabroad/medicalspanishcourse.htm
http://www.sanlucasmission.com/
Dr. Okhuysen’s trip to Cuernevaca, Mexico –Dr. Okhuysen is a UT Infectious Disease doctor, who conducts research in Cuernevaca in the summer. You may also apply for one of his paid research positions. They usually only take 1-2 pre-clinical students.
Contact pablo.c.okhuysen@uth.tmc.edu for more information.
Dr. Dupont's trip to Guadalajara, Mexico - a brochure is attached. The program is set up for 4th years, but he takes two 1st years each year. The program is approximately 1 month long. The first years will receive a stipend and most all the accommodations. The research is on traveler's diarrhea. With Dr. Dupont, it is also a tutorial on clinical research, epidemiology, infectious disease, and health care for the poor. This is one of the few school-sponsored abroad programs. An application required. Should you not be one of the 1st years accepted, he is willing to make arrangements for other 1st years to join without the stipend.
Contact herbert.l.dupont@uth.tmc.edu for more information or with an application
Roatan, Honduras - La Clinica Esperanza - Our SIGHT Spring Break Trip just returned from volunteering here with remarkable Health care personnel. We highly recommend volunteering here. There are research, clinical, ministry, and public health opportunities. http://www.missionroatan.org/PeggyHome.htm.
Talk to any 1st or 2nd year student who went on the trip for additional information.
Hospital Cayetano Heredia Lima, Peru - Work with epidemiologists doing translational research on tropical diseases amongst the poor in the shanty towns of Lima. Contact Scott.w.tolan@uth.tmc.edu for more information.
Mulukuku, Nicaragua - this is a clinic sponsored by UTMB and a very sweet lady named Dorothy Granada. They take volunteers ALL the time. Their focus is on women's health. Feel free to write and let them know the Global Health club at UT-H sent you.
http://www.peacehost.net/Dorothy/
Health Empowering Humanity (Haiti) - Geoff Preidis is a 3rd year student at Baylor, who began a public health initiative to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in a small town in rural Haiti. He travels down there 4-5 times a year and seems to enjoy taking folks passionate about serving the poor with him. Speaking Creole/French would be a BIG plus, but may or may not be necessary. http://heh.org/
Contact preidis@post.harvard.edu or geoff@heh.org for additional information.
Hospice St. Joseph - a clinic in Port au Prince. It is a hostel for travelers (mostly humanitarian workers), but also for Haitian patients who travel from the Central plateau who can't afford to travel twice during the day to return home after being treated. Four UT-H students went here during spring break of 2006 and had a great experience. Speaking Creole/French would be valuable, but is not required. http://hospicesaintjoseph.org/
Contact Scott.W.Tolan@uth.tmc.edu for additional information.
Shoulder to Shoulder (Honduras) - a clinic run by Baylor and a number of other universities. Each seems to have their own clinic and facilitate 4th years and residents. However an eager 1st year could likely convince their way into volunteering.
http://www.shouldertoshoulder.org/
Baylor 's Shoulder to Shoulder -http://www.bcm.edu/familymed/international/s2smission.htm
Contact Scott.W.Tolan@uth.tmc.edu for additional information.
Guatemala - A clinic begun by a UTMB med student years ago that is now sustainable by local Guatemalan health workers. They are advocates in public health for the local poor community. http://www.primerospasos.org/
Corinto, Honduras - The
Honduras Medical Mission has been going to Corinto, Honduras for many
years. They take very large amounts of medical supplies to leave
there, clothing and food. The doctors screen almost everyone that comes
in, although there are many conditions that we cannot do much about,
unfortunately. The group not only has doctors, but dentists,
veterinarians, nurses, and general helpers, so there is always a lot to do. The
trip is about 8 days and the cost around $900, including
airfare, food and hotel in San Pedro Sula going and coming. The trip is
held in the beginning of June yearly. Contact Reid Westmoreland reidw56@yahoo.com or George Ferry gdferry@texaschildrens.org
Africa
Family AIDS Care and Education Services (FACES) - an HIV/AIDS care and treatment program in Western Kenya and Nairobi. FACES is a collaboration between the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the University of California, San Francisco. They offer clinical electives and research opportunities for medical students. http://www.faces-kenya.org/index.php
Contact Melissa.C.Morgan@uth.tmc.edu for more information.
The Valley Trust – Non-profit organization located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa that offers health services, education, employment training, and youth leadership classes to members of the local community. The website has information about all of their programs and provides contact information. http://www.thevalleytrust.org.za/
Contact Melissa.C.Morgan@uth.tmc.edu for additional information.
Public Health in Tanzania - offers short or long term public health programs; recognized by the TMC. http://www.globalservicecorps.org/
CAPRISA – an internationally-known center for HIV/AIDS research in South Africa. CAPRISA is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The three main goals of CAPRISA are the research, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS, building research infrastructure and capacity, and training more researchers in South Africa. They will most likely expect a long term commitment. http://www.caprisa.org/
Ghana: Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi - programs are supported by peer reviewed grants and are focused on infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, other parasitic diseases, and Buruli ulcer. http://www.who.int/buruli/research/institutions/kccr/en/index.html
Ghana: Noguchi Memorial Institute, University of Ghana, Accra – biomedical research programs, including studies of HIV/AIDS, poliomyelitis, and yellow fever. The Institute will accept students who are prepared to commit a minimum of six weeks to an ongoing project in one of their laboratories. http://www.noguchimedres.org/
Ghana: Sickle-Cell Anemia Project - the Institute trains graduate students in research and is a medical research center with specialized laboratories and services focused on Ghana’s needs. http://www.noguchimedres.org/
Foundation Human Nature (Ghana) – Go to the website and click on volunteer for more info. They may require a long term commitment. They seem to offer to pay room and board. http://fhnusa.org/index.htm
Zambia Medical Mission - We found this site through UTMB's Global Health program. We don't know anything about it other than it appears to be a Mission/Christian based program, but because it is endorsed by UTMB we are willing to pass it on. http://www.zambiamission.org/
Asia
Japan - Dr. Anil Kulkarni has set up a program with a teaching hospital in Japan. This is a week-two internship-like program.
Contact Dr. Kulkarni at anil.d.kulkarni@uth.tmc.edu for more information.
Himalayan Health Exchange - organized medical/dental camps in the remote regions of north India and Indo-Tibetan Borderlands. Participation is open to: physicians/residents, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and medical, dental, nursing and public health students. Each trip is designed to provide care to approximately 1,500 underserved patients and an opportunity for international health exposure to participants. Students and residents participation is limited to 30 on each trip.
www.himalayanhealth.com
Public Health in Thailand - offers short or long term public health programs; recognized by the TMC.
http://www.globalservicecorps.org/
AVSAR (India) - a US-based nonprofit organization offering structured volunteer and internship service opportunities in Mumbai, India. AVSAR connects volunteers to grassroots nonprofit organizations working to provide healthcare and other services in the slums and underprivileged areas of Mumbai and Delhi (often with street children, child-laborers, sweatshop employees, etc.). The experience is structured, rewarding, and provides excellent support at minimal cost. AVSAR recruits year-round. There are opportunities in public health and medicine.
http://www.avsarindia.org/new/Avsar%20India.htm
Miscellaneous
Global Health Fellows Program – Geneva, Switzerland
Contact: Joy Rankin – Program Coordinator, 919-613-9214, geneva@duke.edu
Website: http://www.pubpol.duke.edu/graduate/mpp/geneva/health.php
Overview: In the summer of 2008, Duke University’s Sanford Institute of Public Policy will bring the fourth cohort of Global Health Fellows to Geneva. Designed to equip students to join in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other pressing health challenges, the Global Health Fellows Program will provide students with both an academic and experiential perspective on how inter-governmental institutions, public-private partnerships, and non-governmental organizations shape global health policy. By combining internships and an intensive course on global health issues, the program is a unique opportunity to learn how global health policy is formulated and implemented. This past year, fourteen graduate students drawn nationally from schools of public policy, public health, law and medicine participated in the summer experience.
Program Structure: The Global Health Fellows Program requires a minimum commitment of *eight weeks*, including attendance in the “Health Policy in a Globalizing World” course. Program components include a required five-day intensive course on “Health Policy in a Globalizing World” run in association with WHO, placement in a health policy-related internship, and importantly, shared experiences with a cohort of Fellows with diverse backgrounds, but a common interest in global health. With program assistance, Global Health Fellows have the opportunity to plan and organize lunch or evening events and to develop a professional network of colleagues working in global health.
Alberta Wang – MS I – will be participating this summer 2008.
The AAF Max Kade Clinical Clerkships in AUSTRIA
Purpose: To expose American medical students to medical practices in Austria by rotating through a specific department at the University Hospital of Vienna and/or the Salzburg General Hospital. The AAF provides travel stipend and accommodation.
http://www.aaf-online.org/max_kade.htm
United Nations Development Programme – UNDP China Internship Programme
The UNDP China Internship Programme offers a small group of outstanding university students and graduates the opportunity to acquire experience working as interns in the United Nations system.
http://www.undp.org.cn/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=28&order=0&thold=0
The Programme provides a compact understanding of UNDP's development policies, thematic priorities, and technical cooperation activities. Interns specialize in the areas of democratic governance, sustainable environmental policies, poverty reduction, and other activities related to sustainable human development. Interns acquire practical experience in various aspects of project management in an international working environment. Under the programme, interns will work in UNDP Office and/or UNDP project office assisting in e.g. programme management, organization of workshop/seminar and preparation of briefing and information materials paper on development subjects. Assignments may vary in length, according to availability and academic requirements as well as the need of the Office of UNDP-China.
Duration: Normally for more than 1 month up to 6 months,
part-time or full-time (8 hours/day, 5 days/week) Qualified female candidates
are encouraged to apply.
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