International Travel for School of Medicine Elective Credit

University of Louisville School of Medicine Documented Process


There are several different ways to participate in an International or Global Health rotation through the University of Louisville School of Medicine. We currently have 3 course titles for Global Health electives that are used depending on the type of activity the student will undertake during the elective.

  • ALL ROTATIONS for elective credit require a memorandum of understanding with the host site/partner/institution per University of Louisville POLICY.
  • Clinical rotations should be chosen from approved vendors with whom University of Louisville has an existing MOU.
  • ALL COURSES HAVE A 2-WEEK MINIMUM DURATION to receive credit. Credit hours are given according to the time spent doing clinical or academic activities.

 

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:

 

Pathway 1: Child Family Health International (CFHI)

CFHI Offers a variety of experiences in a variety of countries. Of note, University of Louisville International Travel Policy states that Countries with State Department Level warning of 3 require special approval from International Center of University of Louisville. Countries at Level 4 or higher will not be approved.


Travel Preparation Checklist

Start planning at least 3 months before your intended departure.

3+ Months Before Departure

[ ] Visit www.cfhi.org to explore program locations and clinical opportunities

[ ] Meet with (Student Affairs) to discuss academic planning

[ ] Contact (Global Education Office) to share your interest and potential travel dates

[ ] If needed, contact (Student Financial Aid Office) to discuss financial aid options

2 Months Before Departure

[ ] Apply to CFHI online and begin required pre-departure training

[ ] Create a Terra Dotta account with UofL International Center

[ ] Apply via the CFHI Study Abroad Portal: UofL Travel Portal

[ ] Download your University of Louisville Travel Insurance card and coverage from Terra Dotta

After You Return

[ ] Schedule a 30-minute post-travel debrief with Dr. Langford

[ ] Submit a reflective essay to Dr. Langford

[ ] Submit a patient log (if applicable; exclude protected health information)

 

PATHWAY 2: INDIVIDUALIZED GLOBAL HEALTH ROTATION

 

Students may also choose to travel independently to complete Global Health electives. There are many vendors and international partners that will host medical students and many of these trips will be ineligible for credit at U of L. The time to plan an individualized rotation can be longer than for more established trips, so students should start their paperwork at least 9 months prior to the elective. Priority for this process will be given to students with existing research partnerships and primarily for use with the IDEP 928 course title.

When considering an individual elective, it is important to understand your personal goals as well as the setting and supervision offered by the site.

  • If you have no idea what organization, location or vendor you plan to use, meet with the GEO director early in the process.
  • Come with your learning goals.
  • Consider other factors such as what type of setting you hope to be in, if language fluency is a goal, and what field of medicine you hope to learn about.

 

If you are looking at a particular Global Health opportunity, consider visiting this website to understand if the opportunity falls in line with good Global Health practice:

https://www.choosinganelective.org

 

To determine if academic credit will be awarded for an international activity, consider the following:

  1. Do we have an existed MOU with this organization, or will a new one need to be crafted?
  2. Is the proposed elective in step with the highest standards of ethical and sustainable global health engagement?
  3. Is the activity adequately supervised? (MD or equivalent for clinical rotations, PhD or equivalent and IRB approval for research projects, etc)
  4. Are there special circumstances at the location such as US State Department warnings or high-level CDC alerts?

 

Once a site/partner is approved by both the Global Education Office at the School of Medicine and the International Center at University of Louisville, as well as relevant other parties including at the discretion of the GEO and IC offices in accordance with International Travel Policy at the University of Louisville, please proceed in accordance with the Steps in Pathway 1.