Study Abroad
A Message from the Education Abroad Team at IGH
Education Abroad Throughout the Pandemic and beyond
The Institute for Global Health Education Abroad programs began running a decade ago with four programs, each in a separate country, at different times of the year. The programs have grown, developed and changed over the years for various reasons, including new collaborations and partnerships, thriving relationships, natural disasters, safety and security issues, and interest levels. The programs continue to increase in number and occurrence. Nothing, however, prepared IGH for the pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic brought all programs at Michigan State University to a complete standstill – some students were abroad and had to immediately return to the United States, while others who had just returned from international travel had to quarantine, and others still had to cancel their travel plans and find alternate methods of receiving the education they had expected to receive abroad.
While the travel itself was put on hold, the IGH Education Abroad team continued to strategize, communicate, devise and prepare for upcoming programs to be executed as quickly as the travel ban lifted, continuously adjusting, as guidelines and restrictions constantly changed. There was no way to know that the restrictions would last for a year, and that some countries would still be prohibited for travel even longer. The Institute for Global Health Education Abroad programs were canceled from March 2020 through April 2021. In May of 2021, IGH ran the first pandemic Education Abroad program to the Dominican Republic with a small cohort of faculty and only 6 students. In August of 2021, two programs ran in Merida, Mexico back-to-back totaling 16 students. This was just the beginning of the revival of the programs. Between January 2022 and August 2022, IGH has successfully run seven programs in four countries, with a total of 89 student participants. Now that students are back in classrooms and borders across the world are reopen under precautionary measures we have send over 150 students abroad in the past 12 months of 2023. Global Health Care Education continues to be at the core of the training of the next generation of health care sciences professionals. IGH Education Abroad programs continue to deliver global health clinical experiences and proving once again, Spartans Will.
Browse Our Programs
Undergraduate Students
Pre-Clinical Observation, Culture and Medicine is a 3-credit hour course that provides students with an opportunity to actively engage in patient-based, learning experiences under the guidance of a clinician preceptor in collaboration, as appropriate, with interns, residents and/or fellows.
This program is designed to provide MSU undergraduate students exposure to clinical medicine and health issues related to careers in medicine, public health, or other health professions. It offers learners a basic understanding of clinical practice in a foreign setting while focusing on seven core disciplines: clinical shadowing, culture (two lessons), the history of medicine, introduction to public health, introduction to infectious diseases, cultural competency in healthcare delivery, and introduction to HIV care.
This program combines hospital shadowing with community healthcare and offers students a view of Mayan culture. Students also are given opportunities to: interact with Mexican healthcare professionals, observe common and uncommon pathology, and work in rural healthcare clinics. Clinical shadowing experience includes: pediatric oncology, emergency medicine, OB/GYN, community medicine, and hyperbaric medicine. There will also be limited opportunities available for general surgeries.
Participate in the first One Health program that addresses the three (3) components this approach presents: human health, animal health and environmental health.
Pre-Clinical Observation, Culture and Medicine is a 3-credit hour course that provides students with an opportunity to shadow clinicians in Spain around the areas of physical therapy, peds, ER, OR and more. The program has a component of migrant health and travelers health as well.
Medical Students & Veterinary Students
Clinical Observation, Culture and Medicine is a 3-credit hour course that provides students with an opportunity to actively engage in patient-based, community outreach, learning experiences under the guidance of a clinician preceptor in collaboration, as appropriate, with interns, residents and/or fellows.
The primary goal of this course is to introduce students to the health care delivery model in Cuba while experiencing the country’s rich culture. During the first week students will explore the public health and community medicine model by on site observation and the delivery of community health clinics, maternal health, pediatric and geriatric care. The second week will consist of students rotating through the departments of three main teaching hospitals in Havana. There will be lectures and presentations by Cuban health care officials and clinicians and opportunities for students to closely observe and participate in the care of patients while learning about Cuba’s history and culture
This program offers exposure to clinical medicine and health issues related to careers in medicine, public health, or other health professions. It offers five (5) days of clinical practice in the Bateyes (Sugar canes) in San Pedro de Macoris (75 km away from the capital of Santo Domingo) plus a cultural lesson focus on the understanding of the Haitian migration to Dominican Republic, and 1 day of a cultural experience.
The Guatemala Global Outreach Elective is designed to help students grow personally and professionally by immersing them in another culture, allowing them to experience the healthcare system and delivery of medical services in a developing country, to deepen their understanding of self and the global community. Students will learn about common diseases in Central America; enhance their clinical skills and the use of medical Spanish; develop problem solving skills; broaden knowledge of public health issues and experience the practice of medicine beyond the core curriculum.
Currently on hold, participate in this clinical course in Cap Haiten to assist local underserved communities and expand your understanding of cultural hospitality, public health and emergency medicine response.
Expected to be launched in Summer 2024, this program will be available for OMS I and OMS II medical students. The patient population will expose students to both Israeli and Palestinian patients. This will enable our students to see how medicine can accommodate the social and cultural dimensions of health care.
Spend nearly a TWO WEEKS exploring Korea for an enriching cultural and medical experience. Understanding healthcare in Korea is vital dear to their rapidly emerging economy and population. Korea has tropical regions that are heavily impacted by global warming and other widespread public health issues such as smoking and IV use. This allows Korea to be a unique place to study. This particular 2 weeks program has also a special focus on surgery.
This program combines hospital shadowing with community healthcare and offers students a view of Mayan culture. Students also are given opportunities to: interact with Mexican healthcare professionals, observe common and uncommon pathology, and work in rural healthcare clinics. Clinical shadowing experience includes: pediatric oncology, emergency medicine, OB/GYN, community medicine, and hyperbaric medicine. There will also be limited opportunities available for general surgeries.
Participate in the first One Health program that addresses the three (3) components this approach presents: human health, animal health and environmental health. Open for health sciences college students and abroad campus to work under an interdisciplinary framework for over 2 weeks.
One of IGH’s most popular programs. Peru medical service course is a 3 credit course that explores public health in Peru. A stop in Lima to later see over 100 patients a day in Iquitos city.
Exclusively for MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine students only (OMS IV): International Clerkship Rotation is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to actively engage in patient-based, learning experiences in a country outside the United States under the guidance of a clinician preceptor in collaboration, as appropriate, with interns, residents and/or fellows.
Nursing Students
The primary goal of this course is to introduce students to the health care delivery model in Cuba while experiencing the country’s rich culture. During the first week students will explore the public health and community medicine model by on site observation and the delivery of community health clinics, maternal health, pediatric and geriatric care. The second week will consist of students rotating through the departments of three main teaching hospitals in Havana. There will be lectures and presentations by Cuban health care officials and clinicians and opportunities for students to closely observe and participate in the care of patients while learning about Cuba’s history and culture.
This program offers exposure to clinical medicine and health issues related to careers in medicine, public health, or other health professions. It offers five (5) days of clinical practice in the Bateyes (Sugar canes) in San Pedro de Macoris (75 km away from the capital of Santo Domingo) plus a cultural lesson focus on the understanding of the Haitian migration to Dominican Republic, and 1 day of a cultural experience.
Spend nearly a TWO WEEKS exploring Korea for an enriching cultural and medical experience. Understanding healthcare in Korea is vital dear to their rapidly emerging economy and population. Korea has tropical regions that are heavily impacted by global warming and other widespread public health issues such as smoking and IV use. This allows Korea to be a unique place to study. This particular 2 weeks program has also a special focus on surgery.
This program combines hospital shadowing with community healthcare and offers students a view of Mayan culture. Students also are given opportunities to: interact with Mexican healthcare professionals, observe common and uncommon pathology, and work in rural healthcare clinics. Clinical shadowing experience includes: pediatric oncology, emergency medicine, OB/GYN, community medicine, and hyperbaric medicine. There will also be limited opportunities available for general surgeries.
Participate in the first One Health program that addresses the three (3) components this approach presents: human health, animal health and environmental health.
Pre-Clinical Observation, Culture and Medicine is a 3-credit hour course that provides students with an opportunity to shadow clinicians in Spain around the areas of physical therapy, peds, ER, OR and more. The program has a component of migrant health and travelers health as well.
Doctors/Medical Students from Abroad
The Institute for Global Health is proud to provide opportunities for foreign medical students to come observe the workings of the health care system in the United States. Find a list of affiliated hospitals here.
The primary goal of this course is to introduce students to the health care delivery model in Cuba while experiencing the country’s rich culture. During the first week students will explore the public health and community medicine model by on site observation and the delivery of community health clinics, maternal health, pediatric and geriatric care. The second week will consist of students rotating through the departments of three main teaching hospitals in Havana. There will be lectures and presentations by Cuban health care officials and clinicians and opportunities for students to closely observe and participate in the care of patients while learning about Cuba’s history and culture.
Physician Assistant Students
This program combines hospital shadowing with community healthcare and offers students a view of Mayan culture. Students also are given opportunities to: interact with Mexican healthcare professionals, observe common and uncommon pathology. Clinical shadowing experience is focus on: emergency medicine, OB/GYN and general surgery. It is a 6-credit hour course (3 weeks) that provides students with an opportunity to actively engage in patient-based, learning experiences under the guidance of a clinician preceptor.
This program will run for the first time in April 2024.
Interest in participating? Send us an email to igh@msu.edu
Pre-Clinical Observation, Culture and Medicine is a 6-credit hour course (3 weeks) that provides students with an opportunity to actively engage in patient-based, learning experiences under the guidance of a clinician preceptor in collaboration, as appropriate, with interns, residents and/or fellows.
Interest in the program? Please send us an email to igh@msu.edu for more details and dates.
Pre-Clinical Observation, Culture and Medicine is a 3-credit hour course that provides students with an opportunity to shadow clinicians in Spain around the areas of physical therapy, peds, ER, OR and more. The program has a component of migrant health and travelers health as well.
