MEDLIFE stands for Medicine Education and Development for Low Income Families Everywhere, and is a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting medicine, education, and development in underprivileged communities in Latin America and Tanzania. As part of their attempt to bring healthcare to rural areas, MEDLIFE provides the opportunity for students to travel to these communities and provide assistance by working in temporary medical clinics. This course will serve to introduce students to topics in global health and prepare them to be global health leaders in the future. The course will focus on two major topics: 1) the importance of global health awareness and sustainability in health, and 2) medical and conversational Spanish skills that can enhance the experience of working with doctors, patients, and other members of these communities. In order to accomplish these goals, the course will meet once a week, each meeting lasting 2 hours. The course will have two sections: one on Tuesdays and one on Thursdays. Students will enroll in one of these sections and will be expected to attend that section weekly on Tuesdays OR Thursdays from 6-8 PM.
Learning Goals:
At the end of this course, students should be comfortable with basic conversational Spanish. They should also be familiar with common medical terms, though many more may be learned throughout the course of the brigade.
Another essential learning goal is awareness of current global health issues, particularly those that strongly impact South America. They should also be able to define what they believe makes a healthcare outreach program particularly sustainable and worthwhile. They should also understand the historical and cultural contexts of the regions within which they are interested in order to practice cultural sensitivity and work against voluntourism.
Overall, the facilitators need to feel that each and every student is fully prepared for a MEDLIFE medical brigade - both in terms of practical skills and an understanding of the global health field.
Methods of Instruction:
We are both actively in-person teaching, but will be offering zoom lectures when necessary. This course will still remain an interactive course, and students are expected to be engaged in the material and willing to participate in class. General brigade information will be given via Powerpoint presentations, and small or large group activities such as scenarios, designing community development projects, and debates. Global health articles located under each week’s respective folder on bCourses will primarily be used for group discussions, with students asking and answering questions pertaining to the weekly reading assignment. Material that students are expected to review will be given in a variety of handouts; this applies mostly to important Spanish phrases and vocabulary. As the course progresses, clinical workshops and simulations will also be incorporated into the methods of instruction.
Attendance Policy:
Students enrolled in this course will be expected to attend all weekly meetings, with two excused and one unexcused absence allowed. Excused absences require 24 hour prior notification to a course facilitator via email. Reasons for excused absence include midterms, documented illness or emergencies – review sessions are NOT adequate reason for missing a class or an exam. If needed, students can attend the alternate section the same week of an intended absence, thereby not accruing an excused absence. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class. Arriving to class past 6:20 PM or leaving before 7:40 PM will result in an unexcused absence, unless already discussed and excused by course facilitators. Any further absences will result in risk of not passing the course. If a student misses the lecture, they must reach out to the MEDLIFE team as recordings of lectures will not be posted, only sent to students if requested.
Hours Log :
Students are also required to complete a total of 10 service hours during their semester in the DeCal. The hours log will be a Google Form accessible through bCourses and students are expected to keep a record of their hours as they participate in them and list which officers can vouch for their involvement.
This will be divided into 5 community service hours and 5 social/involvement hours throughout the semester.
Grades:
Grades will be assigned based on attendance, participation, reflection assignments, the midterm score, and the final exam score. The following is the breakdown of the weight placed on each: Midterm 25%, Final 30%, Homework 25%, Attendance & Participation 20%
No day(s) left until application deadline!
Section | Facilitator | Size | Location | Time | Starts | Status | CCN(LD) | CCN(UD) |
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PH 198 | __ | __ | 102 Wheeler | [Tu] 6:00PM-8:00PM | 09/07/2021 | Open | -- | -- |
PH 198 | __ | __ | 102 Wheeler | [Th] 6:00PM-8:00PM | 09/09/2021 | Open | -- | -- |
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