Policy on Global Health Education
Center for Global Health
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
645. N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1058
Chicago, IL 60611
tel: +1 312 503 8829
fax: +1 312 503 8800
d-young@northwestern.edu
The Feinberg School of Medicine’s Center for Global Health establishes the following policy for Feinberg students participating in all clinical away-rotations and medical education programs at international sites, which goes into effect January 3, 2011.
- Application and evaluation steps for global health experiences for FSM students
- Approval form for unaffiliated global health sites
Common Preparation Requirements for Global Health Rotations/Programs
It is the policy of the Center for Global Health in the Feinberg School of Medicine to establish common application and preparation processes for FSM students who wish to participate in clinical away-rotations and medical education programs at both affiliated FSM universities and clinics as well as at unaffiliated institutions at international sites. Accordingly, all FSM students are required to complete the following preparations related to global health experiences including clinical away rotations and medical education programs:
- Schedule advising meeting with Center for Global Health (CGH)
- Complete CGH online application
- Submit letter of good standing from Registrar’s Office
- Submit proof of primary care health insurance
- Register for International SOS services
- Register for HTH international travel insurance
- Submit personal health form
- Submit FSM travel waiver form
- Review U.S. State Department travel warnings and International SOS security news
- Complete CGH orientation process
- Acquire evaluation from preceptor (M4s)
- Complete CGH online evaluation (upon return)
Links to the application process and additional details on global health rotations are available on the Center for Global Health website, including information on International SOS services and HTH insurance, as well as required forms such as the FSM Travel Waiver and Personal Health Form. Students may submit their proof of primary health insurance, forms, and emergency contact information during the CGH orientation process.
Additionally, the Center for Global Health establishes the following Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM) policy on global health rotations/programs, FSM funding, and non-credit medical education programs at unaffiliated institutions. The authority of the global health education committee described in this policy does not supersede the authority of clerkship directors to approve, review, and deny elective credit or infringe on their decisions of credit-worthiness, and instead will review proposals for new institutions and sites for global health rotations, and act as an administrative resource to provide additional guidance to FSM students and clerkship directors.
The policy encourages engagement in global health education and the continued proposal of new rotations and programs by Feinberg students, while ensuring academic and clinical quality of those global health education experiences for the entire FSM community. FSM students are strongly encouraged to identify and propose alternative institutions for global health experiences at international sites as long as they meet the criteria set forth in this policy.
Definitions
An unaffiliated institution/site is defined as any university, teaching hospital, medical school, clinic, and/or nonprofit or nongovernmental organization, either foreign or domestic, that does not have a formal legal agreement or signed memo of understanding with Northwestern University. A global health rotation/program is defined as any clinical medical rotation at a university medical school or hospital, and/or a medical education program with a focus on global health, public health, community health, and/or service-learning, that an FSM student or FSM student organization wishes to engage in either for academic credit or non-credit, and which takes place outside of the United States.
Academic and Clinical Standards
- FSM retains the right to review, approve and/or deny off-site clinical rotations and/or medical education programs at both affiliated and unaffiliated institutions at international sites. The FSM Curriculum Committee, the academic deans and clerkship directors maintain the right and responsibility to make all decisions on credit-worthiness of elective rotations for Feinberg students. The Center for Global Health within FSM would have the responsibility to review proposed global health institutions and/or sites where a clinical rotation by a Feinberg student may take place to ensure that standard criteria is met regarding safety, risk and liability, sustainability and organizational mission, and proper supervision for global health rotations/programs.
- A committee housed in the Center for Global Health will be formed with the authority to approve, review, suspend, and/or deny proposals for new international institutions and/or sites where clinical rotations or medical education programs may take place. The committee will also have authority to approve and deny proposals by Feinberg students and FSM student organizations who wish to represent Northwestern University via global health rotations, medical education programs, and/or medical brigade programs at unaffiliated international institutions. The committee will include members from the wider FSM community including senior administrators and faculty.
- FSM is dedicated to maintaining the highest levels of academic integrity, and in order to receive elective credit or FSM funding for an off-site rotation or medical education program at an unaffiliated institution, FSM students must be supervised by an appropriately licensed medical professional in accordance with Illinois law and/or with the state and/or country where the off-site rotation will occur.
- Unaffiliated institutions should provide professional development opportunities in health fields to Feinberg students that are not otherwise readily available at FSM or with FSM affiliated partners in Chicago or abroad. New proposals will be considered by a committee on a case-by-case basis and should contain some distinction from current rotations available at FSM partner universities, including but not limited to rotations that provide health services to an underrepresented or underserved population, rotations that represent a new area of clinical specialization, and/or rotations that provide an opportunity for new research linkages.
- The unaffiliated institution should have a mission that relates to the health professions and places emphasis on public, community, and/or global health issues.
- Upon completion of a global health rotation at an unaffiliated site, the FSM student needs to acquire a written evaluation on their performance from the attending physician/preceptor and submit this to the appropriate center or department at FSM.
- It is required that Feinberg students complete a checklist of required application steps and submit the approval form to the Center for Global Health for rotation/program at the proposed international institution and/or site.
- Before beginning a credit-bearing elective rotation at an unaffiliated site, FSM students must obtain approval from an FSM Clerkship Director and the Center for Global Health.
FSM Funding, Student Organizations, and Minimum Program Duration
- FSM reserves the right to approve, review, suspend, and/or deny funding from a source within Feinberg, including but not limited to the Global Health Initiative, the International Health Fellowship, and the Feinberg Travel Grant, to Feinberg students and/or FSM student organizations for global health rotations and medical education programs at unaffiliated institutions.
- FSM reserves the right to approve, review, suspend, and/or deny clinical rotations as well as non-credit medical education programs at unaffiliated institutions for Feinberg students who represent the school as members of an official FSM student organization.
- FSM requires that Feinberg funds be available only to Feinberg students and FSM student organizations engaged in global health rotations and programs that have a minimum duration of four consecutive weeks. Special exceptions to this minimum duration will be considered for unique professional development opportunities, such as select academic conferences and research projects for FSM students, to be considered on a case-by-case basis by the global health committee.
Beneficiaries and Sustainability
- FSM’s Center for Global Health is committed to establishing bilateral relationships with its affiliated partners, in which both institutions are beneficiaries of the agreed upon programs, exchanges, and projects. At unaffiliated institutions where the global health rotation/program may take place the Center for Global Health looks for evidence of a bilateral nature to the host institution’s services and programs, where benefits accrue primarily to the institution’s local clients and/or patients in areas of service, education, health, and/or research as well as to the FSM participants participating in a global health rotation/program.
- FSM’s Center for Global Health is committed to building sustainable programs and relationships with its affiliated partners that continue to develop over the long-term. At unaffiliated institutions where the global health rotation/program may take place the Center for Global Health looks for a track record of sustainability in the host institution’s model of operation, where the services offered add value to the local community on an ongoing and long-term basis.
Insurance and Liability
- All FSM students and/or attending physicians are required to meet the standards and laws set by local, state, and/or national regulations that apply to the unaffiliated institution to ensure that all proper licensure and insurance requirements are met before any clinical rotation or medical education program is begun. Particular attention should be given to requirements for medical licenses, registration with the ministry of health, liability insurance, etc…
- All FSM students are required to register for International SOS travel service and HTH international student health insurance, which are available to all Northwestern University students, faculty, fellows, and staff, before participating in a global health rotation/program.
- All FSM students are required sign the “Travel Waiver” form before participating in an off-site rotation and submit this to the Center for Global Health.
- The off-site institution agrees to release, waive, discharge and covenant not to sue Northwestern University, its trustees, officers, agents or employees and any cooperating institution, its trustees, officer, agents, or employees (hereinafter referred to as "releasees") from any and all liability, claims, demands, actions and causes of action whatsoever arising out of or relating to any loss, damage or injury, including death, that may be sustained by the FSM visiting student, or to any property belonging to the FSM visiting student, while traveling to or participating in the program described above. The FSM student voluntarily assumes full responsibility for any risks of loss, property damage or personal injury, including death, that may be sustained by said student, or any loss or damage to property owned by said student, as a result of my traveling to or participating in the program described above. The FSM student further agrees to indemnify and save and hold harmless the releasees and each of them, from any loss, liability, damage or costs they may incur as a result of the travels by said student.
Health, Safety and Security
- FSM places great importance on the safety and security of its students whether in Chicago or abroad. Proper contingency planning and risk assessment must be made and documented detailing what emergency medical and transportation facilities and resources exist within the community where a FSM student plans to complete the off-site rotation/program.
- FSM will continue to rely on NU’s Office of Risk Management’s policy regarding U.S. State Department Travel warnings
- Feinberg students should consult with their primary care physician and are required to make proper preparations and obtain appropriate medical resources regarding their personal health before travel. In addition to a visit to a primary care physician, these preparations may include a visit to an authorized travel clinic for consultation, review of prior immunization records, review of the host country’s entrance requirements particularly regarding immunizations, and ensuring that there will be access to prescription medications and care for emergencies and/or pre-existing conditions. The Center for Global Health asks students to submit a signed Personal Health Form before travel.
This page last updated Jun 20, 2012