MED - 747 Global & Community Health

In this course, students spend between 2 and 4 weeks in a specific community defined by the student. The purpose of this elective is to provide students the opportunity to read and discuss in the area of Primary Health Care, as defined by the World Health Organization (1978). Students obtain a framework for addressing common diseases in an underserved community setting from a clinical, epidemiologic and public health perspective. In addition to the didactic portion of the course the student spends 2-4 weeks in an underserved community developing country setting under the supervision of Rush faculty. The course will focus on the social determinants of population health, including the impact of environment, poverty, social structure and culture on health status and health care. The course will include the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of selected diseases of importance in underserved settings. Students use this knowledge to develop a plan for working in disadvantaged communities providing primary health care, either locally or internationally. Students must have a faculty sponsor at Rush as well as a physician at the site responsible for supervision of the student’s work. Students must complete the on-line curriculum and reading self study prerequisites prior to departure for their work in the community and must submit a completed project within one week of the completion of the elective. Elective Retake Counts for Credit: Yes. Pass/No Pass Grading Allowed: Yes. Credit(s): 2-4