Mentor Resources
Global Health Experiences: Key Information for LC Mentors
Background
- In March 2014, a new process for any global health experience was announced to all UMass Chan students.
- The new process was developed jointly by the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education (OUME), Office of Student Affairs (OSA), and the Office of Global Health (OGH).
- The new process has been developed to both improve the quality of global health experiences for UMass Chan students, and to address new UMass Chan travel policies and procedures.
The purpose of this document: is to provide Learning Community (LC) Mentors with a key pieces of information to help them to advise students who are interested in doing a global health experience.
What is a "global health experience"?
A "global health experience" includes clinical, research, public health, community service, cultural, and language training electives in the area of global health. This includes global health experiences for students in the summer between the 1st and 2nd year of medical school, 3rd year Flexible Clinical Experiences (FCEs) that may take place outside the U.S., or 4th or 5th year electives in global health.
What is required from the student in order to travel - and to receive credit for that travel?
a) Complete a Global Health Experience Request (GHER) Form at least 3 months prior to the start of a global health experience.
- Because the GHER Form is due at least 3 months prior to starting a global health experience, students should start the process of getting a global health experience approved at least four months in advance of intended travel time.
- Note that in addition to the GHER, there may be additional forms that the student must complete, depending on the exact type of global health experience, and depending on where the student is traveling to.
b) Identify a UMass Chan faculty member to be a UMass Chan Elective Advisor for the global health experience.
Note that LC mentors may serve as a student's UMass Chan Elective Advisor.
c) Identify a Supervisor at the Host Institution who will supervise the student at the Host Institution where the global health experience will be done.
Where should LC mentors and students go to find out more about the necessary steps to get approval for a global health experience?
Go to the International Medical Education Program's website (within the OUME website) to find:
- all necessary forms
- a PDF document that provides an Overview of the process for getting global health experience approved
- a PDF document that provides Detailed Steps for the process
Where should LC Mentors go if they have any questions?
Visit the OUME website. http://umassmed.edu/oume/International-Medical-Education/.
Email the IMEP team via IMEP-GHP@umassmed.edu.
Or, of course, please feel free to contact us with specific questions!
- Colleen Burnham MBA | IMEP-GHP Program Manager
- Carly Eressy | GHP Support
- Michael Chin, MD | IMEP Program Director