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Save the Date! 6th Annual Western Regional International Health Conference
The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University invite you to Vancouver in May for the 6th annual Western Regional International Health Conference, May 23rd-25th, 2008 on the Campus of Simon Fraser University in beautiful Greater Vancouver, British Columbia
This multidisciplinary, student-driven conference brings students, faculty and community members to learn, collaborate and contribute to the global health community in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
Come join us for:
- 5 conference tracks covering diverse global health issues
- A noted Canadian keynote speaker
- Great networking opportunities
- The student poster session
- An Opportunities Fair
The SFU-UBC Collaborative organizing team is working hard to bring you a great conference this year. Be sure to save May 23-25th, 2008 for the Western Regional International Health Conference. Information on registration, speakers and accommodation coming ASAP!
Contact WRIHC2008@gmail.com for more information.
Benjamin H. Kean Traveling Fellowship in Tropical Medicine
Who: Medical students interested in tropical medicine
What: Financial support for clinical and research electives in tropical medicine
When: Application deadline - April 15, 2008
For more information please visit http://www.astmh.org and view this pdf for the entire fellowship summary: http://astmh.org/funding/BKeanGuidelines.pdf
GHEC (Global Health Education Consortium) survey
UTMB is a pilot campus for this study. Please take 5-7 minutes to fill it out! Thanks!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0pwW_2bsQEC4burkkIp8wDzg_3d_3d
Pediatric Health preceptorship in La Paz, Bolivia
Last minute spaces available for Pediatric Health preceptorship in La Paz, Bolivia through Child Family Health International! Primarily for 1st year students.
Unite for Sight: Save Eyes and Lives. Every Eye, A Life.
Unite For Sight Volunteer Abroad Opportunities: As Featured Weekly On CNN
Currently accepting applications for February 2008 through April 2009. Rolling application deadline - the first qualified applicants are accepted. Apply today!
Volunteer Abroad in Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring: http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer
Save Eyes and Lives. Every Eye, A Life.
Those who are blind in Africa have a four times higher mortality rate
60-80% of children who become blind die within 1-2 years
80% of blindness is curable or preventable
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF VOLUNTEERS LIKE YOU, UNITE FOR SIGHT HAS RESTORED SIGHT TO 10,062 PATIENTS AND PROVIDED EYE CARE TO 300,000 IN 2006 AND 2007
How Do I Apply? The application as well as complete details about Unite For Sight's international opportunities are available at http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer
What is Unite For Sight's Mission? Unite For Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness.
Unite For Sight's work to prevent blindness and restore sight is featured weekly on CNN INTERNATIONAL from September 2007-August 2008
Unite For Sight Volunteers Speak on CNN:
2-Minute CNN Video By Chiwing "Jessica" Qu About Volunteering in India
2-Minute CNN Video By Michael Nedelman About His Special Project With Unite For Sight
What Do Volunteers Do? Volunteers receive hands-on clinical experience while assisting doctors in remote, rural villages. Volunteers learn about international health and eye care, learn clinical skills while working with patients and doctors, and, in one program location, have an opportunity to practice cataract surgery on a goat's eye.
The goal of Unite For Sight and its partner eye clinics and communities is to create eye disease-free communities. Unite For Sight.s volunteers (local and visiting) work with partner eye clinics to provide eye care in communities without previous access. The eye clinic.s eye doctors and Unite For Sight volunteers jointly provide community-based screening programs in rural villages. The clinic.s eye doctors diagnose and treat eye disease in the field, and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery. Patients receive free surgery funded by Unite For Sight so that no patient remains blind due to lack of funds. Volunteers immediately see the joy on patients' faces when their sight is restored after years of blindness. These memories last a lifetime.
While helping the community, volunteers are in a position to witness and draw their own conclusions about the failures and inequities of global health systems. It broadens their view of what works, and what role they can have to insure a health system that works for everyone and that leaves no person blind in the future.
Who Is Eligible to Participate? The Unite For Sight internship is open to individuals 18 years and older, and there is no upper age limit. Volunteers range from undergraduate students to medical students, public health students and professionals, nurses, educators, optometrists and ophthalmologists.
What Do Volunteers Say?
"I can honestly say that everything I learned in 3 years of medical school paled in comparison to the 3 week experience I had in Accra (Ghana) in October 2007 as part of Unite For Sight. The program provides volunteers with a unique and hands-on involvement . being able to help out to the level of your training and comfort. My experience taught me that Ghanaian people are the friendliest people I have interacted with anywhere in the world, that ordinary people involved with Unite For Sight are making extraordinary differences, and that sitting in a classroom receiving a world-class education cannot match real life experiences while volunteering." -Varun Verma, UMDNJ Medical Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Accra, Ghana
"During my volunteering experience, I realized that Unite for Sight.s service is a campaign for the salvation of humanity that allows the light of compassion to shine through each of us. I believe it is this display of altruism and commitment that makes the organization.s service so virtuous and treasured by both volunteers and patients. After all, making a difference in the world is not so difficult if only one would care enough to sacrifice a part of oneself in order to change the world for the better. My experience as a Unite for Sight volunteer has inspired me to dedicate my future career to serving underprivileged communities around the world." -Chiwing "Jessica" Qu, Yale University Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in India 2007
Altruism or Tourism: Hidden Ethics of Overseas Electives
This article is from AMSA's The New Physician titled "Altruism or Tourism: Hidden Ethics of Overseas Electives" that we mentioned during the January meeting
Community Service Opportunity with the Children's Center!
Come join us on Friday, November 30 at 5:00-6:00 as we paint and decorate posterboards to post photos from our dance party earlier this month.
Saturday, December 1 from 11:00-2:00 we will have a day outdoors playing soccer and flying kites. We'll wrap it up with a fajita picnic!
The Children's Center is an affiliate of the Galveston Multicultural Institute with children ages 12-18. Come help us get the kids' minds off of life and help them remember that they are children! Email dgpino@utmb.edu for more info.
Medical Spanish Monthly
From Mayan Medical Aid:
Our foundation primarily focuses on nutrition for pregnant women, aiding children at risk, and providing medical and dental care to those in need. But also, we have a strong interest in Medical Spanish.
I think you'll agree that knowledge of Medical Spanish is no longer an option for health care - it's a necessity. Whether health care professionals treat patients in the US or in an international setting, the need to speak Spanish is becoming more acute.
To help students, nurses, residents, physicians, dentists, and other health care workers deal with this problem, we have started a free, electronic newsletter, called Medical Spanish Monthly. Each issue will contain language pearls, international medicine articles, front-line experiences, and cultural tips.
For a free subscription, click here.
New 3rd or 4th Year Elective - INMED HIV Training in Papau New Guinea, Uganda or South Africa
INTRODUCING INMED'S HIV LEADERSHIP DIPLOMA
Help Against HIV In Papua New Guinea
Visit INMED - the Institute for International Medicine - http://inmed.us
Global attention is riveted on the HIV/AIDS crisis, and rightly so, for:
* 35-45 percent of HIV-infected pregnant women will transmit the virus to their newborn babies at or soon after delivery (Resource-Poor Guidelines: WHO, 2004).
* HIV claimed 3.1 million lives in 2005 alone (UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2006)
* The number of AIDS orphans in developing nations has grown to 15 million, including 12 million in sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS, 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic)
* 4.9 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2005
* The number of people living with HIV continues to grow - from 35 million in 2001 to 38 million (including 2.3 million children) world-wide in 2005
Growing Disparity
Substantial progress against HIV has been achieved in wealthier nations. However, 95 percent of people infected with HIV live in developing countries (UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2006) where the resources to combat HIV are comparatively minute.
Timely Innovation: The INMED HIV Leadership Diploma
Growing numbers of health professionals want to make an impact against the HIV epidemic. To aid in the relief effort, INMED is introducing the HIV Leadership Diploma. This distinctive, educational program is designed to equip health professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to combat HIV in low-resource communities. The Diploma is comprised of:
* HIV Leadership Course, covering HIV epidemiology, sociology, prevention, and treatment, including AntiRetroviral Therapy (ART) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT)
* HIV Service Learning, consisting of four to eight weeks of on-site work at a state-of-the-art center for HIV care where students serve alongside experienced INMED faculty
INMED has developed HIV Leadership Training Sites in cooperation with state-of-the-art medical facilities that provide HIV care in developing nations, including:
* Mseleni Hospital, South Africa
* Kudjip Nazarene Hospital, Papua New Guinea
* Kiwoko Hospital, Uganda
Your Opportunity To Learn & Serve
INMED is now accepting applications to the HIV Leadership Diploma program. HIV care in low-resource communities requires a unique set of professional skills. HIV Leadership Diploma graduates will be capable of caring for people in the very greatest of need while also inspiring others to join the fight against HIV.
Visit INMED - the Institute for International Medicine
Nicholas Comninellis, MD, MPH, INMED President
Institute for International Medicine is a Missouri registered, 501c(3) recognized, non-profit corporation.
INMED is a registered trademark of the Institute for International Medicine.
All INMED content is copyrighted 2007. All rights reserved.
Medicine in Sierra Leone
Dr Dan Bausch, a physician on the faculty at Tulane Medical School, is to visit UTMB next Monday and has been asked to give a brief seminar on Monday afternoon. His talk will be of interest to students targeting international health.
Dan worked with us (Dr. LeDuc) at CDC, and has been the lead person in re-establishing the Lassa field station in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Dan's program arranges clinical experiences for students wishing to spend time there. We will be working with him and the hospital staff to establish a permanent telemedicine linkage between UTMB and the Kenema hospital.
Dr. Baush will be giving his presentation on Oct. 15th from 2:00 - 3:00pm in 2.212 Basic Science Auditorium.
International Education Week
This year will mark the 4th annual UTMB celebration of the nationally designated International Education Week (IEW.) Established by the US Department of Education and Department of State, International Education Week was created to celebrate and promote the benefits of the reciprocal exchange of students and scholars among the nations of the world. The primary theme of UTMB International Education Week events is .Addressing Global Health Issues, Here and Abroad.. Event co-sponsors include: the WHO Center for Training in International Health, Office of Diversity and International Affairs, UTMB Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health Science, and the Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, Students Improving Global Health Together (SIGHT,) the International Students Organization (ISO,) and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA.)
The 2007 IEW events include:
* Global Health Poster Competition
* Panel Discussion on Immigration, and Migrant Worker Issues
* International Fair and Cultural Display
* Film on Migrant Workers and Access to Health Care
At this time we are issuing a call for poster abstracts. We have also made available an on-line registration form to reserve a booth for the International Fair and Cultural Display. You can access more details, instructions, an on-line poster abstract submission form, and an on-line International Fair table registration form at: http://intranet.utmb.edu/international/events/default.htm
PAG/AMSA co-meeting: Patents or Patients
AMSA Global Health Action Committee and the Pharmaceutical Awareness Group present "Patents or Patients: Do pharmaceutical patents undermine the public health of the developing world"
October 4, 2007
Old Red Auditorium at noon
SIGHT Community Service: The Children's Center
The Children's Center houses ~46 immigrant children/teens that must stay on the premises until they are either deported or sent to live with family here in the US. In the mornings they attend class and then have free time in the afternoons. We have two goals:
1) To provide some form of a mentor/tutor program
2) Organize recreational events (monthly, bimonthly?) (This would be arts a crafts, sports, etc.)
Our hope is to be a consistent presence for the kids. We are still in the process of organizing everything and could use help in doing that. If you are interested in helping be a part of organizing (a.k.a. if you have some ideas that you think might be fun for the kids or you know that you could be helpful in overseeing some of the events) please e-mail me and we can began putting this together.
Daniel (dgpino@utmb.edu)
Dock Rock Fundraiser
If you want to help out with this year's Dock Rock fundraiser, email Katie Kucera klkucera@utmb.edu
SAHS, GSBS, SON Representatives
SAHS, GSBS, and SON students who want to be a SIGHT representative for their respective schools please contact us. Responsibilities include keeping your respective schools informed of all SIGHT activities, and representing their interests in SIGHT officer meetings.
Marianne Trainer's New Office Hours
Every Tuesday, she will be in Graves 4.210 from 10am-2:30pm. Go by and sign up for the Global Health Track (1st-4th year med students can apply!) or talk to her about elective oppurtunities abroad!
"Public Health is Global Health" Grand Rounds
Email sight_utmb@gmail.com if you are interested in watching the live broadcast from the CDC on September 27th, from 2-3 PM.
Student/Faculty Global Health Mixer
Come join us at Chico's Paradise (500 Seawall - across from Chili's) on September 25th from 6-8 PM. All SIGHT members are welcome. Meet global health faculty and grab some free food!
Doctors for Global Health
2007 General Assembly Registration
October 25-31, 2007
San Salvador, El Salvador
Community to Community: Collaborating for Healthy, Peaceful and Just Societies
DGH will hold its 2007 General Assembly in the country that gave birth to it: El Salvador. Join us for DGH's first GA outside the US on Oct. 26-28, 2007 and for visits to DGH projects in rural El Salvador before and/or after the conference.
For more information visit http://www.dghonline.org/genasreg07.html
Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC)
Sessions and Posters Abstracts will be accepted through October 5, 2007!
17th Annual GHEC Conference presented by: UC Davis Health System, Office of Continuing Medical Education & GHEC
Topic: Global Health Ethics and Human Rights: Practical Applications to Multicultural Health Issues at Home and Abroad
Date: April 3-5, 2008
Location: Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, California
Come join us in Sacramento April 3-5, 2007. Bring with you your questions, experiences and observations - and be prepared to share them with 400 other students, residents, faculty members and practitioners who are active in global health .. more
Special note: CTIH will provide travel funds to attend the conference for up to 2 students who have posters accepted for the conference. Also, students are encouraged to submit their posters to UTMB's International Education Week contest in November .. more
Disease in Control of Africa: Implications for Global Health
Professor Oyewale Tomori, DVM, PhD is Vice Chancellor of Redeemer's University in Ogun State, Nigeria. He is a researcher and laboratory specialist who served as Regional Laboratory Coordinator for the World Health Organization (Africa Region) from 1994-2004. Dr. Tomori was instrumental in polio eradication in Africa and played a pivotal role in the prevention and control of exotic emerging diseases (Lassa fever, yellow fever, Ebola, etc.) in several African countries.
The PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Training in International Health and the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity will present Dr. Tomori as part of the Global Health Lecture Series. All interested persons are invited to join this world class leader in the field of virology, disease prevention and control, national capacity building and development in the African region. "Disease in Control of Africa: Implications for Global Health" will be presented on Friday, September 21 from 12:15-1 in Levin Hall South Auditorium.
If you are interested in having lunch with Dr. Tomori and 20 other students before his talk from 11-12, please email sight_utmb@gmail.com to RSVP and let us know you are interested.
Interhealth South American Elective
Interhealth South America
When: February 3 - March 1, 2008
Where: Ecuador, South America
Who: For beginning or advanced spanish speakers
Study tour and service program in international health and medical spanish for 4th year medical students and resident physicians.
The Interhealth South America Rural Track beginning speakers' program is a study tour introduction to Ecuadorian and South American primary and community health care .. more
A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City
A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City
Where: Fish Plaza, Wortham Center, 500 Block of Texas Ave. (between Smith and Bagby), Houston
When: October 4-7, 2007, 9am.5:30pm
Please allow 40-60 minutes for the tour.
Reservations are recommended for groups of 15 or more.
Related Events:
On The Medical Frontlines: A Conversation with Doctors Without Borders
KHOU-TV's Greg Hurst takes the stage with Doctors Without Borders aid workers to discuss their work in conflict zones around the world .. more
Tropical Medicine Elective
Attention third and fourth year students: Enrollment is beginning for the intensive tropical medicine elective beginning in February 2008. Email Marianne Trainer for more information.
UTMB Global health Track for Medical Students
As borders between countries and continents become less distinct and international travel becomes more accessible, it is important that medical professionals be competent to work in this new and changing environment.
All students enrolled in UTMB's School of Medicine are eligible to apply for the Global Health Track. Students should demonstrate a strong interest in global health issues, and be able to participate in all the required activities, including overseas electives.
For more information follow this link for course description and application.
Global Health Scholars Program
The 2007-2008 Global Health Scholars Program - Confronting the needs of children around the world
What is the Global Health Scholars Program?
This comprehensive 8-month long program is designed to allow promising, motivated health professional students to develop advanced advocacy, communication, and critical thinking skills with which to effect change in global health. The praxis-oriented curriculum will assist the Scholars in developing sophisticated ethical frameworks to comprehend global health priorities such that they can apply this framework to influence policy and create solutions addressing today's global health needs. The Scholars will be guided through critical analyses of existing literature and policies on global health and human rights through structured readings and discussions with international leaders in the field. The Scholars will be given the opportunity to apply these frameworks to create meaningful, pragmatic solutions to a pertinent issue perpetuating global health disparities, and will be encouraged to apply advocacy and communication skills to fully develop their solutions.
This year's topic: Pediatric Global Health
For More Information, please contact:
José S. Lozada
Education & Networking Coordinator
E-mail: ghac.enc@gmail.com
To apply, please email ghac.enc@gmail.com to request an application.
Applications are due October 1, 2007
AMSA AIDS Advocacy Network
American Medical Student Association AIDS Advocacy Network Leadership Institute
HIV is a treatable and preventable disease, yet AIDS is killing 8,000 people a day. Worldwide, over 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. In the United States, 1 out of 300 Americans is living with the virus. In Sub-Saharan Africa the pandemic is decimating communities. The world has not committed enough to stopping the scourge of HIV. The pandemic is not slowing.
What can YOU do to help?
We are looking for motivated students who have a passion to improve the lives of others. We seek activists who are enthusiastic about social justice, are committed to reducing global inequality, have a strong interest in global health, and are ready to participate in direct action. Selected students are expected to take the lead as part of the AIDS Advocacy Network (AAN), and to be active in the planning and implementation of strategies that address the inequalities that are driving the AIDS pandemic.
For more info on how to apply for any of these programs please contact Katrina Leonard, krleonar@utmb.edu
Christmas In India
Dr. Abdul Moosa is a family physician practicing in LaPorte, Texas. In the past he has taken groups of students on a medical delegation to northern India. He is organizing another
delegation this year. The trip is three weeks long beginning around December 18. If you are interested, please email Dr. Moosa directly at kutchidoc@yahoo.com.
Unite For Sight Fifth Annual International Health Conference
April 12-13, 2008
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008
Join 2,000 conference attendees and 130 speakers for a stimulating conference. Keynote Addresses By: Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Dr. Sonia Sachs, Dr. Susan Blumenthal, and Dr. Jim Yong Kim Plus More Than 130 Featured Speakers.
Call For Abstracts - DEADLINE JULY 15, 2007 -
Register For Conference - EARLY BIRD RATE ($45 Students, $70 All Others) http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008
REGISTER BY JULY 15th TO SECURE LOWEST RATE
Who should attend? Anyone interested in international health, public health, international development, medicine, social entrepreneurship, eye care, nonprofits, philanthropy, microfinance, bioethics, anthropology, health policy, advocacy, and public service.
New Global Health Elective: "Maternal and Child Health in Pune, India"
Child Family Health International's most recent addition to their global health rotations for health science students (undergraduate and graduate) and residents, is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Maternal and Child Health, as well as the vibrant Marathi culture, in the fascinating city of Pune, India.
Participants in this program will be exposed to the healthcare system in India that caters to the needs of women and children. They will experience antenatal care, intranatal care and postnatal care facilities and will learn about newborn care, immunization schedules and pediatric care up to age five. Participants can also rotate in family planning clinics, and will have the opportunity to work in clinics that manage sexually transmitted infections and disease.
For more information, please click here.
Opportunity for 3rd and 4th year rotations on Indian Reservations throughout the US!
Interested in serving the oldest minority in the US? There are opportunities for 3rd and 4th year rotations through Indian reservations around the
country. All 10 districts within the US have been contacted and an information booklet has been formed. Contact Katrina Leonard, MS II at
krleonar@utmb.edu for more info.
New
Save the Date! 6th Annual Western Regional International Health Conference
The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University invite you to Vancouver in May for the 6th annual Western Regional International Health Conference, May 23rd-25th, 2008 on the Campus of Simon Fraser University in beautiful Greater Vancouver, British Columbia
This multidisciplinary, student-driven conference brings students, faculty and community members to learn, collaborate and contribute to the global health community in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
Come join us for:
- 5 conference tracks covering diverse global health issues
- A noted Canadian keynote speaker
- Great networking opportunities
- The student poster session
- An Opportunities Fair
The SFU-UBC Collaborative organizing team is working hard to bring you a great conference this year. Be sure to save May 23-25th, 2008 for the Western Regional International Health Conference. Information on registration, speakers and accommodation coming ASAP!
Contact WRIHC2008@gmail.com for more information.
Benjamin H. Kean Traveling Fellowship in Tropical Medicine
Who: Medical students interested in tropical medicine
What: Financial support for clinical and research electives in tropical medicine
When: Application deadline - April 15, 2008
For more information please visit http://www.astmh.org and view this pdf for the entire fellowship summary: http://astmh.org/funding/BKeanGuidelines.pdf
GHEC (Global Health Education Consortium) survey
UTMB is a pilot campus for this study. Please take 5-7 minutes to fill it out! Thanks!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0pwW_2bsQEC4burkkIp8wDzg_3d_3d
Pediatric Health preceptorship in La Paz, Bolivia
Last minute spaces available for Pediatric Health preceptorship in La Paz, Bolivia through Child Family Health International! Primarily for 1st year students.
Unite for Sight: Save Eyes and Lives. Every Eye, A Life.
Unite For Sight Volunteer Abroad Opportunities: As Featured Weekly On CNN
Currently accepting applications for February 2008 through April 2009. Rolling application deadline - the first qualified applicants are accepted. Apply today!
Volunteer Abroad in Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring: http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer
Save Eyes and Lives. Every Eye, A Life.
Those who are blind in Africa have a four times higher mortality rate
60-80% of children who become blind die within 1-2 years
80% of blindness is curable or preventable
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF VOLUNTEERS LIKE YOU, UNITE FOR SIGHT HAS RESTORED SIGHT TO 10,062 PATIENTS AND PROVIDED EYE CARE TO 300,000 IN 2006 AND 2007
How Do I Apply? The application as well as complete details about Unite For Sight's international opportunities are available at http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer
What is Unite For Sight's Mission? Unite For Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness.
Unite For Sight's work to prevent blindness and restore sight is featured weekly on CNN INTERNATIONAL from September 2007-August 2008
Unite For Sight Volunteers Speak on CNN:
2-Minute CNN Video By Chiwing "Jessica" Qu About Volunteering in India
2-Minute CNN Video By Michael Nedelman About His Special Project With Unite For Sight
What Do Volunteers Do? Volunteers receive hands-on clinical experience while assisting doctors in remote, rural villages. Volunteers learn about international health and eye care, learn clinical skills while working with patients and doctors, and, in one program location, have an opportunity to practice cataract surgery on a goat's eye.
The goal of Unite For Sight and its partner eye clinics and communities is to create eye disease-free communities. Unite For Sight.s volunteers (local and visiting) work with partner eye clinics to provide eye care in communities without previous access. The eye clinic.s eye doctors and Unite For Sight volunteers jointly provide community-based screening programs in rural villages. The clinic.s eye doctors diagnose and treat eye disease in the field, and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery. Patients receive free surgery funded by Unite For Sight so that no patient remains blind due to lack of funds. Volunteers immediately see the joy on patients' faces when their sight is restored after years of blindness. These memories last a lifetime.
While helping the community, volunteers are in a position to witness and draw their own conclusions about the failures and inequities of global health systems. It broadens their view of what works, and what role they can have to insure a health system that works for everyone and that leaves no person blind in the future.
Who Is Eligible to Participate? The Unite For Sight internship is open to individuals 18 years and older, and there is no upper age limit. Volunteers range from undergraduate students to medical students, public health students and professionals, nurses, educators, optometrists and ophthalmologists.
What Do Volunteers Say?
"I can honestly say that everything I learned in 3 years of medical school paled in comparison to the 3 week experience I had in Accra (Ghana) in October 2007 as part of Unite For Sight. The program provides volunteers with a unique and hands-on involvement . being able to help out to the level of your training and comfort. My experience taught me that Ghanaian people are the friendliest people I have interacted with anywhere in the world, that ordinary people involved with Unite For Sight are making extraordinary differences, and that sitting in a classroom receiving a world-class education cannot match real life experiences while volunteering." -Varun Verma, UMDNJ Medical Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in Accra, Ghana
"During my volunteering experience, I realized that Unite for Sight.s service is a campaign for the salvation of humanity that allows the light of compassion to shine through each of us. I believe it is this display of altruism and commitment that makes the organization.s service so virtuous and treasured by both volunteers and patients. After all, making a difference in the world is not so difficult if only one would care enough to sacrifice a part of oneself in order to change the world for the better. My experience as a Unite for Sight volunteer has inspired me to dedicate my future career to serving underprivileged communities around the world." -Chiwing "Jessica" Qu, Yale University Student, Unite For Sight Volunteer in India 2007
Altruism or Tourism: Hidden Ethics of Overseas Electives
This article is from AMSA's The New Physician titled "Altruism or Tourism: Hidden Ethics of Overseas Electives" that we mentioned during the January meeting
Community Service Opportunity with the Children's Center!
Come join us on Friday, November 30 at 5:00-6:00 as we paint and decorate posterboards to post photos from our dance party earlier this month.
Saturday, December 1 from 11:00-2:00 we will have a day outdoors playing soccer and flying kites. We'll wrap it up with a fajita picnic!
The Children's Center is an affiliate of the Galveston Multicultural Institute with children ages 12-18. Come help us get the kids' minds off of life and help them remember that they are children! Email dgpino@utmb.edu for more info.
Medical Spanish Monthly
From Mayan Medical Aid:
Our foundation primarily focuses on nutrition for pregnant women, aiding children at risk, and providing medical and dental care to those in need. But also, we have a strong interest in Medical Spanish.
I think you'll agree that knowledge of Medical Spanish is no longer an option for health care - it's a necessity. Whether health care professionals treat patients in the US or in an international setting, the need to speak Spanish is becoming more acute.
To help students, nurses, residents, physicians, dentists, and other health care workers deal with this problem, we have started a free, electronic newsletter, called Medical Spanish Monthly. Each issue will contain language pearls, international medicine articles, front-line experiences, and cultural tips.
For a free subscription, click here.
New 3rd or 4th Year Elective - INMED HIV Training in Papau New Guinea, Uganda or South Africa
INTRODUCING INMED'S HIV LEADERSHIP DIPLOMA
Help Against HIV In Papua New Guinea
Visit INMED - the Institute for International Medicine - http://inmed.us
Global attention is riveted on the HIV/AIDS crisis, and rightly so, for:
* 35-45 percent of HIV-infected pregnant women will transmit the virus to their newborn babies at or soon after delivery (Resource-Poor Guidelines: WHO, 2004).
* HIV claimed 3.1 million lives in 2005 alone (UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2006)
* The number of AIDS orphans in developing nations has grown to 15 million, including 12 million in sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS, 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic)
* 4.9 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2005
* The number of people living with HIV continues to grow - from 35 million in 2001 to 38 million (including 2.3 million children) world-wide in 2005
Growing Disparity
Substantial progress against HIV has been achieved in wealthier nations. However, 95 percent of people infected with HIV live in developing countries (UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2006) where the resources to combat HIV are comparatively minute.
Timely Innovation: The INMED HIV Leadership Diploma
Growing numbers of health professionals want to make an impact against the HIV epidemic. To aid in the relief effort, INMED is introducing the HIV Leadership Diploma. This distinctive, educational program is designed to equip health professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to combat HIV in low-resource communities. The Diploma is comprised of:
* HIV Leadership Course, covering HIV epidemiology, sociology, prevention, and treatment, including AntiRetroviral Therapy (ART) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT)
* Mseleni Hospital, South Africa
Your Opportunity To Learn & Serve
INMED is now accepting applications to the HIV Leadership Diploma program. HIV care in low-resource communities requires a unique set of professional skills. HIV Leadership Diploma graduates will be capable of caring for people in the very greatest of need while also inspiring others to join the fight against HIV.
Visit INMED - the Institute for International Medicine
Nicholas Comninellis, MD, MPH, INMED President
Institute for International Medicine is a Missouri registered, 501c(3) recognized, non-profit corporation.
* HIV Service Learning, consisting of four to eight weeks of on-site work at a state-of-the-art center for HIV care where students serve alongside experienced INMED faculty
* Kudjip Nazarene Hospital, Papua New Guinea
* Kiwoko Hospital, Uganda
INMED is a registered trademark of the Institute for International Medicine.
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Medicine in Sierra Leone
Dr Dan Bausch, a physician on the faculty at Tulane Medical School, is to visit UTMB next Monday and has been asked to give a brief seminar on Monday afternoon. His talk will be of interest to students targeting international health.
Dan worked with us (Dr. LeDuc) at CDC, and has been the lead person in re-establishing the Lassa field station in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Dan's program arranges clinical experiences for students wishing to spend time there. We will be working with him and the hospital staff to establish a permanent telemedicine linkage between UTMB and the Kenema hospital.
Dr. Baush will be giving his presentation on Oct. 15th from 2:00 - 3:00pm in 2.212 Basic Science Auditorium.
International Education Week
This year will mark the 4th annual UTMB celebration of the nationally designated International Education Week (IEW.) Established by the US Department of Education and Department of State, International Education Week was created to celebrate and promote the benefits of the reciprocal exchange of students and scholars among the nations of the world. The primary theme of UTMB International Education Week events is .Addressing Global Health Issues, Here and Abroad.. Event co-sponsors include: the WHO Center for Training in International Health, Office of Diversity and International Affairs, UTMB Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health Science, and the Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, Students Improving Global Health Together (SIGHT,) the International Students Organization (ISO,) and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA.)
The 2007 IEW events include:
* Global Health Poster Competition
* Panel Discussion on Immigration, and Migrant Worker Issues
* International Fair and Cultural Display
* Film on Migrant Workers and Access to Health Care
At this time we are issuing a call for poster abstracts. We have also made available an on-line registration form to reserve a booth for the International Fair and Cultural Display. You can access more details, instructions, an on-line poster abstract submission form, and an on-line International Fair table registration form at: http://intranet.utmb.edu/international/events/default.htm
PAG/AMSA co-meeting: Patents or Patients
AMSA Global Health Action Committee and the Pharmaceutical Awareness Group present "Patents or Patients: Do pharmaceutical patents undermine the public health of the developing world"
October 4, 2007
Old Red Auditorium at noon
SIGHT Community Service: The Children's Center
The Children's Center houses ~46 immigrant children/teens that must stay on the premises until they are either deported or sent to live with family here in the US. In the mornings they attend class and then have free time in the afternoons. We have two goals:
1) To provide some form of a mentor/tutor program
2) Organize recreational events (monthly, bimonthly?) (This would be arts a crafts, sports, etc.)
Our hope is to be a consistent presence for the kids. We are still in the process of organizing everything and could use help in doing that. If you are interested in helping be a part of organizing (a.k.a. if you have some ideas that you think might be fun for the kids or you know that you could be helpful in overseeing some of the events) please e-mail me and we can began putting this together.
Daniel (dgpino@utmb.edu)
Dock Rock Fundraiser
If you want to help out with this year's Dock Rock fundraiser, email Katie Kucera klkucera@utmb.edu
SAHS, GSBS, SON Representatives
SAHS, GSBS, and SON students who want to be a SIGHT representative for their respective schools please contact us. Responsibilities include keeping your respective schools informed of all SIGHT activities, and representing their interests in SIGHT officer meetings.
Marianne Trainer's New Office Hours
Every Tuesday, she will be in Graves 4.210 from 10am-2:30pm. Go by and sign up for the Global Health Track (1st-4th year med students can apply!) or talk to her about elective oppurtunities abroad!
"Public Health is Global Health" Grand Rounds
Email sight_utmb@gmail.com if you are interested in watching the live broadcast from the CDC on September 27th, from 2-3 PM.
Student/Faculty Global Health Mixer
Come join us at Chico's Paradise (500 Seawall - across from Chili's) on September 25th from 6-8 PM. All SIGHT members are welcome. Meet global health faculty and grab some free food!
Doctors for Global Health
2007 General Assembly Registration
October 25-31, 2007
San Salvador, El Salvador
Community to Community: Collaborating for Healthy, Peaceful and Just Societies
DGH will hold its 2007 General Assembly in the country that gave birth to it: El Salvador. Join us for DGH's first GA outside the US on Oct. 26-28, 2007 and for visits to DGH projects in rural El Salvador before and/or after the conference.
For more information visit http://www.dghonline.org/genasreg07.html
Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC)
Sessions and Posters Abstracts will be accepted through October 5, 2007!
17th Annual GHEC Conference presented by: UC Davis Health System, Office of Continuing Medical Education & GHEC
Topic: Global Health Ethics and Human Rights: Practical Applications to Multicultural Health Issues at Home and Abroad
Date: April 3-5, 2008
Location: Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, California
Come join us in Sacramento April 3-5, 2007. Bring with you your questions, experiences and observations - and be prepared to share them with 400 other students, residents, faculty members and practitioners who are active in global health .. more
Special note: CTIH will provide travel funds to attend the conference for up to 2 students who have posters accepted for the conference. Also, students are encouraged to submit their posters to UTMB's International Education Week contest in November .. more
Disease in Control of Africa: Implications for Global Health
Professor Oyewale Tomori, DVM, PhD is Vice Chancellor of Redeemer's University in Ogun State, Nigeria. He is a researcher and laboratory specialist who served as Regional Laboratory Coordinator for the World Health Organization (Africa Region) from 1994-2004. Dr. Tomori was instrumental in polio eradication in Africa and played a pivotal role in the prevention and control of exotic emerging diseases (Lassa fever, yellow fever, Ebola, etc.) in several African countries.
The PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Training in International Health and the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity will present Dr. Tomori as part of the Global Health Lecture Series. All interested persons are invited to join this world class leader in the field of virology, disease prevention and control, national capacity building and development in the African region. "Disease in Control of Africa: Implications for Global Health" will be presented on Friday, September 21 from 12:15-1 in Levin Hall South Auditorium.
If you are interested in having lunch with Dr. Tomori and 20 other students before his talk from 11-12, please email sight_utmb@gmail.com to RSVP and let us know you are interested.
Interhealth South American Elective
Interhealth South America
When: February 3 - March 1, 2008
Where: Ecuador, South America
Who: For beginning or advanced spanish speakers
Study tour and service program in international health and medical spanish for 4th year medical students and resident physicians.
The Interhealth South America Rural Track beginning speakers' program is a study tour introduction to Ecuadorian and South American primary and community health care .. more
A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City
A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City
Where: Fish Plaza, Wortham Center, 500 Block of Texas Ave. (between Smith and Bagby), Houston
When: October 4-7, 2007, 9am.5:30pm
Please allow 40-60 minutes for the tour.
Reservations are recommended for groups of 15 or more.
Related Events:
On The Medical Frontlines: A Conversation with Doctors Without Borders
KHOU-TV's Greg Hurst takes the stage with Doctors Without Borders aid workers to discuss their work in conflict zones around the world .. more
Tropical Medicine Elective
Attention third and fourth year students: Enrollment is beginning for the intensive tropical medicine elective beginning in February 2008. Email Marianne Trainer for more information.
UTMB Global health Track for Medical Students
As borders between countries and continents become less distinct and international travel becomes more accessible, it is important that medical professionals be competent to work in this new and changing environment.
All students enrolled in UTMB's School of Medicine are eligible to apply for the Global Health Track. Students should demonstrate a strong interest in global health issues, and be able to participate in all the required activities, including overseas electives.
For more information follow this link for course description and application.
Global Health Scholars Program
The 2007-2008 Global Health Scholars Program - Confronting the needs of children around the world
What is the Global Health Scholars Program?
This comprehensive 8-month long program is designed to allow promising, motivated health professional students to develop advanced advocacy, communication, and critical thinking skills with which to effect change in global health. The praxis-oriented curriculum will assist the Scholars in developing sophisticated ethical frameworks to comprehend global health priorities such that they can apply this framework to influence policy and create solutions addressing today's global health needs. The Scholars will be guided through critical analyses of existing literature and policies on global health and human rights through structured readings and discussions with international leaders in the field. The Scholars will be given the opportunity to apply these frameworks to create meaningful, pragmatic solutions to a pertinent issue perpetuating global health disparities, and will be encouraged to apply advocacy and communication skills to fully develop their solutions.
This year's topic: Pediatric Global Health
For More Information, please contact:
José S. Lozada
Education & Networking Coordinator
E-mail: ghac.enc@gmail.com
To apply, please email ghac.enc@gmail.com to request an application.
Applications are due October 1, 2007
AMSA AIDS Advocacy Network
American Medical Student Association AIDS Advocacy Network Leadership Institute
HIV is a treatable and preventable disease, yet AIDS is killing 8,000 people a day. Worldwide, over 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. In the United States, 1 out of 300 Americans is living with the virus. In Sub-Saharan Africa the pandemic is decimating communities. The world has not committed enough to stopping the scourge of HIV. The pandemic is not slowing.
What can YOU do to help?
We are looking for motivated students who have a passion to improve the lives of others. We seek activists who are enthusiastic about social justice, are committed to reducing global inequality, have a strong interest in global health, and are ready to participate in direct action. Selected students are expected to take the lead as part of the AIDS Advocacy Network (AAN), and to be active in the planning and implementation of strategies that address the inequalities that are driving the AIDS pandemic.
For more info on how to apply for any of these programs please contact Katrina Leonard, krleonar@utmb.edu
Christmas In India
Dr. Abdul Moosa is a family physician practicing in LaPorte, Texas. In the past he has taken groups of students on a medical delegation to northern India. He is organizing another delegation this year. The trip is three weeks long beginning around December 18. If you are interested, please email Dr. Moosa directly at kutchidoc@yahoo.com.
Unite For Sight Fifth Annual International Health Conference
April 12-13, 2008
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008
Join 2,000 conference attendees and 130 speakers for a stimulating conference. Keynote Addresses By: Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Dr. Sonia Sachs, Dr. Susan Blumenthal, and Dr. Jim Yong Kim Plus More Than 130 Featured Speakers.
Call For Abstracts - DEADLINE JULY 15, 2007 -
Register For Conference - EARLY BIRD RATE ($45 Students, $70 All Others) http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008
Who should attend? Anyone interested in international health, public health, international development, medicine, social entrepreneurship, eye care, nonprofits, philanthropy, microfinance, bioethics, anthropology, health policy, advocacy, and public service.
REGISTER BY JULY 15th TO SECURE LOWEST RATE
New Global Health Elective: "Maternal and Child Health in Pune, India"
Child Family Health International's most recent addition to their global health rotations for health science students (undergraduate and graduate) and residents, is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Maternal and Child Health, as well as the vibrant Marathi culture, in the fascinating city of Pune, India.
Participants in this program will be exposed to the healthcare system in India that caters to the needs of women and children. They will experience antenatal care, intranatal care and postnatal care facilities and will learn about newborn care, immunization schedules and pediatric care up to age five. Participants can also rotate in family planning clinics, and will have the opportunity to work in clinics that manage sexually transmitted infections and disease.
For more information, please click here.
Opportunity for 3rd and 4th year rotations on Indian Reservations throughout the US!
Interested in serving the oldest minority in the US? There are opportunities for 3rd and 4th year rotations through Indian reservations around the country. All 10 districts within the US have been contacted and an information booklet has been formed. Contact Katrina Leonard, MS II at krleonar@utmb.edu for more info.