Global Health Pathway

A medical student at a clinic in Botswana.

The Global Health Pathway is a longitudinal program available for Baylor College of Medicine medical students interested in global health. The pathway consists of courses, clinical training, research opportunities, and electives abroad that are designed to give medical students a broader understanding of medicine in a global context and prepare them for a career in global health. Students who complete the pathway will receive a certificate at graduation. To enroll in the pathway, you must contact the course directors or coordinator during the Spring of MS2 year and enroll in the pathway using the Medical Pathway Commitment Form (Dr. George Parkerson, Dr. Colleen Keough, Kris Miller or Dr. Austin Meyer of Temple).

Through the Tropical Medicine concentration of the Global Health Pathway, students will also have an opportunity to acquire sufficient class hours, skills, and knowledge level to sit for the examination leading to the Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Traveler's Health, sponsored by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene if they complete two clinical electives abroad.

View the Student Handbook.

Requirements for Completing the Pathway

Year One - MS1

March/April: Overview of Global Health elective MEOSA- 415A. This is an approximately six-week course meeting twice weekly at noon for one hour. The purpose of the course is to provide an overview of global health topics for the first-year medical student. Some of the topics include HIV/AIDS, mental health, global health technology, global surgery and women’s health presented by various faculty members.

Year Two - MS2

October: Readings in Global Health elective MEOSA- 415B. This is an approximately nine-week course which meets in the evening for two hours. It is designed for the second-year medical student, but it is open to all students who have completed the first year of medical school. The course covers various global health topics and is designed to foster student discussion of these issues with an accompanying textbook (An Introduction to Global Health Delivery: Practice, Equity, Human Rights 2nd Edition). Faculty mentors and students lead discussion on assigned readings, which students complete prior to class sessions. It also includes a pre-departure workshop which students require prior to going abroad and a humanitarian response workshop simulation. 

Student assignment to a faculty mentor: Towards the end of the second year or beginning of third year, each student in the pathway is assigned to a faculty mentor with whom the student meets 2-4 times per year until graduation. You will be sent a mentor survey to determine your interests. Mentors help students to define global interests, provide networking opportunities and discuss residency decisions.

Years Three and Four - MS3 and MS4

One-month clinical elective abroad or one-month research project in a low- or middle-income country 

For the clinical elective, you must complete the pre-departure workshop once which is offered every Fall and included in the second-year Readings course (above). Contact Kris Miller if you would like to enroll in the workshop and are not enrolled in the Readings course.

Selective your elective location (see options below):

  • BIPAI/Texas Children’s Global Health (Pediatrics, Ob-Gyn and Surgery, if available): Email Cathy Namagambe and Dr. Heather Haq to schedule your rotation as soon as you aware of your schedule. Locations include Malawi.
  • Indian Health Service (Family Practice, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Ob-Gyn, Pediatrics, Radiology): Apply on the IHS website. Locations include New Mexico and Arizona, typically students rotate at Shiprock, New Mexico.
  • Visiting Student Learning Opportunities: Any institution approved by VSLO/AAMC is open for rotation. Apply through VSLO or you may have to contact them directly. See below some potential options.
    • Various locations (India, South Africa, Argentina, The Philippines, Uganda, Bolivia, Mexico, Ghana and Ecuador): Child Family Health International, must be a 4 week rotation. Website
    • Peru (Lima): Universidad de Cayetano, some Spanish, various specialties. Website
    • Brazil (Fortaleza): Unichristus University, Intermediate level of Portuguese, Surgery (various types) and Infectology. Website, email: international@unichristus.edu.br.
    • Search for other possible VSLO participating institutions (if you do not have access to VSLO, can work with Dr. Keough to see if they active rotations)
  • Tips on Global Health electives

Other options are currently being explored as newer programs are opening. Any institution approved by VSLO/AAMC is open for rotation.

If a global health elective or research opportunity is not obtainable for you, please see below alternative options:

Four-week electives 

  • MEPED 548- Retrovirology- HIV, International Adoption & Travel Medicine
  • MEPED -505A or MEMED-538A- Infectious disease at TCH or Ben Taub (if taking all four DTM modules)
  • MESUR- 563 Global Surgery Research
  • Research month in global health related topic with a Baylor Faculty Member (local only): Required to email Dr. Colleen Keough and Dr. Parkerson in advance with your topic and your faculty mentor for approval. Research must last four weeks or greater (can also include preparatory research, manuscript preparation, etc.).

Two-week electives (if could combine) 

  • MEMED 202- Comprehensive HIV Care for the Underserved
  • MEOBG 201- OB/GYN and HIV
  • MEPSY 566- Global Mental Health

After you have chosen your elective or research opportunity, contact the Registrar's Office at 713–798–7766, registrar@bcm.edu or in-person at DeBakey Bldg. M210 for the international rotations packet which you must complete prior to doing an elective or research outside of BCM. Students must schedule this elective experience in accordance with School of Medicine procedures for away rotations.

Global Health Conferences

Students are expected to attend four Global Health Journal Clubs or conferences as part of the pathway. Please keep track of the date of your conference/journal club and the topic of the lecture on your graduation checklist. 

  • City Wide Infectious Diseases conferences: Location is Zoom. Contact is Lois Alfred at 713-798-4211 and Dr. Jose Serpa-Alvarez.
  • Global Health Surgery Journal Club. Contact is Dr. Rachel Davis.
  • Global Health Pediatrics Journal Club (quarterly at noon): RSVP to Cathy Namagambe.
  • Global Health Pediatrics Foundations in Global Health Series. RSVP to Brodus Franklin.
  • International Tropical Medicine Case Conference (ITMCC): Quarterly, the third Friday of every February, May, August and November, at noon. Contact is Cynthia Perez. 

Diploma in Tropical Medicine Coursework

The Diploma in Tropical Medicine (DTM) is conducted in four intensive modules. All four modules are offered yearly from January to March. Students can take all four modules in sequence, or modules can be taken in different years. Students are encouraged to plan on reserving February of their fourth year for the DTM coursework, specifically modules two, three and the lab practical.

The Global Health Pathway offers students two options related to DTM coursework:

Option 1 (Tropical Medicine Concentration):

Students can complete all four modules of the DTM program (January, February, March, can be done in different years). (OPTIONAL) If a student wishes to also qualify and sit for the Certificate of Knowledge Exam of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), they will also need to do two abroad electives (can be completed in residency within a certain timeframe). Learn more. 

Option 2:

Alternatively, students can complete any two of the four DTM modules, in addition to, completion of a one-month clinical elective in Infectious Diseases (at Ben Taub or Texas Children's Hospital). 

Global Health Pathway Reflection

Students must submit a two-to-four-page report at the end of their fourth year, reflecting on their experience in global health through medical school, their clinical experiences abroad, including how this has informed their understanding of provision of care within the United States, along with their expectations for future work in global health.

Additional Optional Activities

For more information or to express interest in participating in this pathway, please contact Dr. George Parkerson, Dr. Colleen Keough or Kris Miller.

Funding opportunities

Pathway Requirements-at-a-Glance

Last updated June 17, 2024. Downolad a PDF version.

Preclinical Electives

Year 1

  • MEOSA: 415A Overview of Global Health. Credits: 0.75

Year 2

  • MEOSA: 415B Readings in Global Health. Credits: 2

Clinical Experience / Elective

Years 3 and 4

  • MEMED: 632 Clinical elective or research month abroad in a resource-limited setting (alternatives available, see course requirements). Credits: 4
  • MEPED-505A or MEMED-538A: Infectious Disease elective (depending on concentration). Credits: 4
  • Diploma in Tropical Medicine Course, Jan-March (2-4 modules depending on concentration).

Research Elective / Scholarly Activity

Years 3 and 4

  • Bi-annual meetings with Faculty Mentor

Year 4

  • End of pathway paper (2-4 pages)

Non-credit Enrichment Activities

Years 1, 2, 3 and 4

  • Global Health Conferences, total 4 (see course requirements)
  • Volunteer work with the Global Health Interest Group (optional)
  • Community Outreach Activities (optional)

Years 2, 3 and 4

  • Student Coordinator leadership opportunities (optional)
  • Community Outreach Act

Years 1, 2, 3 and 4

  • Volunteer work with the Global Health Interest Group (optional)