Domestic Global Health Elective

Fourth-year IU School of Medicine students can participate in health care for global populations in Indianapolis. Under the direction of Ruben Hernandez, MD, and the Department of Family Medicine, students spend time at clinics that serve Hispanic and Burmese patients as well as the IU Travel Medicine Clinic, IU International Medicine Office, Immigration Welcome Center and Marion County Health Department.

This is a 4-week local experience with focus on cultural competencies in a global health experience designed to immerse students in direct understanding of the barriers that foreign-born patients face in the local medical system, as well as increase the medical knowledge related to travel and tropical medicine.

During this course students have the opportunity to work in clinics that serve multicultural populations, recent immigrants, and refugees as well as observe a travel medicine clinic. Students participate in local community organizations that have direct contact with immigrant and refugee populations.

Contact: Ruben Hernandez, MD

Dr. Colin Ray, who participated in 2018, reflects on his experience: "I deeply appreciate the eye-opening experiences of addressing the health care needs of people of various global backgrounds. On this rotation I was able to understand the lasting effects of adverse events such as living in refugee camps, and the chronic stress related to fear of imprisonment or deportation.”