How Global Health Rotations Can Enhance Your Medical Education

For today’s medical students, global health electives are a chance to see how other parts of the world approach healthcare. Students venture outside of their familiar healthcare systems to build a broader understanding of the challenges faced in underserved regions across the globe. As the world grows increasingly interconnected, so does the need for culturally competent physicians to create a healthier world. 

What Is a Global Health Elective in Medical School? 

A global health elective in medical school is an oftentimes optional rotation that allows students to gain hands-on clinical experience in an international or cross-cultural healthcare setting. This experience can shed light on the unique medical challenges different patient populations face and the different ways healthcare is approached outside of the student’s home country.  

Some global health electives could provide broad clinical experience, allowing you to gain experience in multiple medical specialties. Others may focus on the specialty aligned with your career plans, offering invaluable systemic and cultural insights from training in international settings. 

Although the exact list of where students interested in global health electives can travel may vary by school, students at Ross University School of Medicine (Ross Med) have completed global health rotations in Uganda, the Dominican Republic, and India.  

But if global health is something you’re truly passionate about, you don’t have to wait until the clinical portion of your studies. You can seek out global health-related opportunities in Years 1 and 2 by: 

• Asking if your Doctor of Medicine (MD) program offers a global health track. Ross Med offers coursework in community medicine and global health as part of its pre-clinical curriculum.
• Conducting independent research projects related to an underserved population in the U.S. or a population outside of the U.S.
• Getting involved with global health-related student organizations. 
• Asking mentors about upcoming global health research projects or service projects you could take part in. 

Why Is Global Health Important? 

Global health electives help students develop a more comprehensive and culturally sensitive approach to patient care. This can help them foster environments in which traditionally unserved populations feel less hesitant to visit a doctor.  

Not every patient approaches preventive medicine, illnesses, and treatments in the same way due to their own personal or cultural beliefs. Being able to provide care that respects diverse beliefs, backgrounds, and needs can make underserved populations feel heard, respected, and understood. This, in turn, helps build trust within those communities and can increase positive patient outcomes by encouraging them to maintain their long-term relationships with their healthcare provider. 

How Do Global Health Initiatives Positively Impact People’s Health? 

Global health initiatives aim to drive better health outcomes across a wide variety of population groups by expanding their access to care, overcoming resource gaps, providing culturally relevant care, and improving collaboration across borders. Participating in these initiatives through global health electives, international or away rotations, public health partnerships, or community partnerships can offer students valuable perspectives on how healthcare can be adapted to meet different needs. 

These initiatives can focus on early intervention, preventive care, and patient education to help patients make informed healthcare decisions, improving their chances of having better outcomes in the future.  

In addition, the communities being served can benefit from increased access to medical services. Global health initiatives offer an easily accessible, and ideally sustainable, solution to health challenges faced by communities.

Can Global Health Opportunities Lead to an Increase in Primary Care Physicians? 

While global health opportunities are associated with increased interest in primary care, they won’t necessarily lead to an increase in primary care physicians (PCPs).  

The entire point of global health is to offer better health outcomes for vulnerable communities across the globe by exposing medical students to the importance of preventive medicine. PCPs are often the first line of defense in this fight, but global health opportunities can also expose students to settings with limited resources, conditions that commonly impact underserved communities, and crisis management while caring for various patient populations. These are skills that can be incredibly useful across most medical specialties. 

Being able to provide quality care with the tools at their disposal can strengthen a medical student’s clinical judgement, adaptability, and comfort in making the best possible split-second decisions to improve patient outcomes. 

How to Prepare for Global Health Rotations 

If you’re starting a global health rotation, make sure you’re current on the vaccinations needed for where you’re traveling and bring a copy of your updated health record in case your host institution requests it. If you haven’t already, make sure your passport, visa, and rotation paperwork are all submitted in advance to avoid delays in your departure. 

Next, spend time researching the healthcare system you’ll immerse yourself into to ensure you’re as prepared as possible. Be sure to look into community demographics, common health challenges the patient population faces, and whether you’ll be working in a rural or urban setting. This can help you manage your expectations and better anticipate your role and responsibilities once you arrive. 

Learning basic phrases in the local language before your trip can go a long way in building trust and rapport with patients and colleagues. Brush up on cultural norms and research health beliefs and practices specific to that region. 

Remember to pack personal essentials that may be difficult to find where you’re traveling, and to go into the experience with an open mind. The purpose of these rotations is to expand your existing knowledge base and find ways to address unexpected challenges that come with global healthcare. The more willing you are to adapt and learn as you go, the more beneficial this experience will be in the long run.

Global Health Opportunities at Ross University School of Medicine 

For Rossies from the U.S. or Canada, global health opportunities begin the moment they step foot on our campus in Barbados. You’ll learn about local and global healthcare systems, work alongside peers from all walks of life, and learn from instructors from varied backgrounds, all while gaining hands-on experience serving local communities.  

While most of our clinical rotations take place in the U.S., students may also participate in a six-week Global Health elective that allows them to care for patients in the Dominican Republic, India, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, or Zimbabwe. 

Ross Med is also proud to host a chapter of Global Brigades, a movement of students and medical professionals who work to implement sustainable healthcare systems in under-resourced communities within Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, and Ghana. 

Weaving global health foundations into the core of our curriculum helps ensure graduates can provide appropriate patient-centered care wherever they choose to work. For more information on our global health opportunities, reach out today!