Resident Physicians
Global Health Elective Guidelines
Background
Recognizing how global health education can play an important role in advancing health equity and contributing to a physician trainee’s professional development, UI Health and the UI College of Medicine will support up to 96 weeks (24 months) of global health electives across specialties annually for UIH residents and fellows. Electives will typically be 2-4 weeks for a given individual, tailored to their program requirements and elective objectives. (For the purposes of this document, the term “resident” will refer to both residents and fellows).
Residents must apply through the UIC Center for Global Health (CGH) at least 3 months prior to travel to be eligible. Applications are accepted starting March 15th for the following academic year and will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled.
Objectives
Objectives
The CGH aims to support global health experiences that:
- Are of high educational value
- Offer benefit to both the trainee and the host site
- Will be responsibly implemented with appropriate supervision and structure
- Are ethically sound and culturally appropriate
- Prioritize the safety and welfare of trainees
Process
1. Application
Residents who wish to incorporate a global health elective into their training must submit an application to the CGH through the online application portal. The application must be completed by the resident and approved by their Program Director. The committee will not approve applications submitted less than three months prior to departure, and residents are encouraged to submit applications at least six months prior to travel. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
2. Application Review
The CGH Graduate Education Subcommittee must approve all applications for global health elective rotations prior to the resident or Program Director finalizing plans for the elective rotation. The Subcommittee will review applications within two weeks of submission, using a structured rubric (Appendix A). Once reviewed, the applicant and Program Director will be informed of the decision. If not selected, the applicant will be provided with feedback to support their success for future applications.
3. Approval
Residents approved for global health electives will continue to receive salary support and malpractice coverage from UIH during their elective. Additionally, emergency evacuation coverage will be provided by UIH for the duration of the resident’s elective (time spent abroad outside of the approved elective period will not be covered).
4. Pre-Departure Training
Residents approved for travel must participate in mandatory pre-departure activities prior to travel. Residents will be provided with a pre-departure guide. They must complete an online training module that provides general orientation, complete a checklist of steps, and complete one meeting regarding site-specific planning.
5. Travel Registration
Residents must enroll in the UIC Office of Global Engagement (OGE) “Faculty/Staff International Travel Safety Portal” prior to travel. For travel to State Department Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4 countries, additional approval is required by OGE and is not guaranteed. If traveling to a level 4 country, will need independent emergency evacuation coverage. The CGH will assist residents with supporting documentation as appropriate.
Requirements for Application
All requirements below must be met to be considered by the CGH Graduate Education Subcommittee. Given the limited number of rotation slots available please note that fulfilling all requirements does not guarantee that a rotation will be approved.
- Residents must have completed at least their first year of training and be in good academic standing; this must be endorsed by the resident’s Program Director.
- Only rotations in resource-limited settings will be considered (residents wishing to complete an international rotation in a non-resource limited setting do not qualify for this process and should pursue an alternate process through their program and the GME office).
- On-site supervision by a locally certified health professional must be guaranteed for the duration of the resident’s rotation.
- The on-site supervisor must be able to provide an evaluation of the resident’s performance.
- The goals and objectives for the rotation must supplement the curriculum offered at UIH and be reviewed by the resident’s Program Director.
- The proposed rotation must allow the resident to remain compliant with the resident’s ACGME Review Committee and specialty board requirements.
- PTO (vacation) time must be logged as such in ACGME tracking. This time may not exceed typical PTO allotted for your program.
Preferred Characteristics for Global Health Electives
Applicants participating in the UIC Graduate Global Health Certificate Programs (GGHP) will be given priority for available spots. Participants in the Scholars Program participating in global health electives related to their approved scholarly projects will receive first priority, followed by those in the GGHP Advocates Program.
The following criteria will also increase the likelihood that an elective will be approved and are suggested to provide a more optimal experience:
- Sites that have previously hosted trainees, have the ability to provide ongoing UICOM involvement, have longstanding or well-developed UIH/UICOM partnerships.
- Proposals that demonstrate educational merit, alignment with the goals of UIH/UICOM, and the ability to contribute to a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship between UICOM and partner sites.
Additional Requirements for Approved Rotations
If approved for a global health elective, residents will be required to:
- Participate in mandatory pre-departure activities prior to travel.
- Review the US State Department Country Report website for travel advisories and CDC website for health-related advisories and follow CDC travel recommendations.
- Designate persons both at the elective site and in the U.S. who may be contacted in the event of an emergency.
- Complete all necessary paperwork and provide all necessary documentation to OGE prior to travel (including documentation of travel insurance enrollment).
- Ensure that their clinical obligations at UI Health will be covered in their absence.
Upon completion of the rotation, residents will be required to participate in a debriefing process:
- Submit a written summary of the elective to CGH to be shared with residency Program Director.
- Submit an evaluation of the elective to CGH to be shared with residency Program Director.
- Residents can opt-in to an in-person debrief with CGH Faculty.
Application
Apply HERE after reading the Global Health Elective Guidelines in their entirety.