The University of Vermont College of Medicine, in alliance with Global Health Program partner Danbury Hospital/Western Connecticut Health Network, has been accepted as a member of the Washington, D.C.-based Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH). The organization’s members include more than 130 academic institutions and other organizations from around the world engaged in addressing global health challenges.

Established in 2008 with generous funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation, CUGH aims to build interdisciplinary collaborations between universities and other sectors to facilitate the sharing and implementation of knowledge to address global health challenges. Working across education, research, and service, CUGH is dedicated to creating equity and reducing health disparities, particularly in low-income settings. The organization promotes mutually beneficial partnerships between universities other sectors in developed and developing countries to strengthen human capital and institutional capabilities and is committed to translating knowledge into action.

Since 2012, the UVM College of Medicine has partnered in the Global Health Program with clinical teaching affiliate Danbury Hospital and Western Connecticut Health Network (WCHN). The program has grown to include seven programs in five countries where College of Medicine students, residents and faculty serve global health rotations, plus more than a dozen collaborative research and medical education projects. To showcase their clinical, educational and research experiences, UVM faculty and students presented five posters at the 2014 Annual CUGH Conference and are preparing for the March 2015 conference in Boston. Several participants have also documented their experiences in the College’s online blog, Global Health Diaries, including Drs. Majid Sadigh and Margaret Tandoh who spent several months in Liberia fighting Ebola.

“Ideally, a global health program is a true partnership where both American and international doctors gain heightened cultural sensitivity, a broader perspective of global health issues, and a stronger humanitarian drive,” said Majid Sadigh, M.D., UVM associate professor of medicine and director of the UVM/WCHN Global Health Program. “The result is better physicians — and better care — on both sides of the world.”

The Global Health Program provides a variety of educational and service opportunities for medical and health sciences students, residents, physicians, and health care professionals to become involved in the world of global health care. With each experience, participants become more culturally competent and equipped to provide the best care to the incredibly diverse patient populations at home and abroad.

This year, ten first year medical students and ten fourth year medical students will spend a 6-week elective at one of the partner institutions, travelling with residents and faculty from several departments to provide supervisory support and education to the partner institutions, which include: 

•Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia
•Advanced Medical Technology Education Center, Kazan, Russia
•Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
•Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda
•Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
•University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe
•Hospital Programa de Asistencia a Paraiso, Paraiso, Dominican Republic
 
Each global health rotation consists of two central components: clinical and sociocultural & language. First year medical students fulfill their clinical component by carrying out research projects, while senior medical students and residents complete a clinical rotation in addition to optional research. Students are given a rich cultural experience through a variety of historical and language seminars, field trips, and the host family program.

A Global Health Student Interest Group comprises about 20 first year medical students, along with UVM nursing and undergraduate students. The group, spearheaded by 10 student leaders and faculty mentors, organizes weekly workshops and seminars which discuss topics in global health and brainstorm global health electives and policies. In addition, the Global Health Program features a monthly lecture series at both the Vermont and Connecticut campuses, which is open to University and community members.