Global Health Track

Program Description

The overall purpose of the global health concentration is to introduce students to core topics and challenges in global health and discuss how these issues have evolved over time. The program will start with an introduction to essential concepts and frameworks used to evaluate global health issues and provide an overview of the global burden of disease. Critical links between health, disease and socio-economic factors will be explored. A variety of global health topics will be covered including water and sanitation, maternal/child health, global health epidemiology and policy, communicable and non-communicable diseases, the relationship between political and cultural processes and health, and factors contributing to disparate health outcomes in population groups. To meet requirements for course completion and demonstrate the application of knowledge gained, students will be instructed to participate in a field study and complete a scholarly project that that addresses a pertinent global health issue.

Topics will be presented in this course by the following methods – reading assignments, “mini-lectures” emphasizing key points, student-led discussions of assigned cases, web-based videos, workshops, review quizzes, and field experience. Prior to attending each class session, students are expected to have reviewed the assigned case(s), chapter assignments, and web-based videos. The course is structured to highlight the knowledge, skill, and values that are shared by all health professionals and demonstrate examples of interprofessional collaboration in global health.

At the culmination of the FLEX Scholarly Concentration, all students will present their work at the FLEX Fair in either oral or poster format.

FLEX Scholarly Concentration Course Learning Objectives

  1. Evaluate the literature to identify a focus for a scholarly project that will advance what is currently known about health and disease (PL3)
  2. Apply a systematic approach to design, implement and evaluate a scholarly project (MK 8)
  3. Assess outcomes of work on a scholarly project to define appropriate next steps (PD 2)
  4. Present scholarly work clearly and concisely in a structured abstract, poster and verbal poster presentation (CS 1) 

Mentor Role and Responsibilities