Distinction in Global Health 2014-2015

The Distinction in Global Health is an opportunity that is provided to students who demonstrate exceptional dedication to providing longitudinal service over four years to an underserved group with a global perspective in mind. Below is a set of minimal requirements that must be met by the student after acceptance into the program. The key factors leading to distinction are longitudinal service over 4 years and maintaining a commitment to an underserved group. After completion of the service and review of the service activities by GHLC, a decision will be made on an individual basis to confirm that the student qualifies for the distinction.

Applying
The application must be submitted to the Global Health Learning Community (GHLC) by December 5th at 11:59 pm. Applicants should use their first semester of school to demonstrate their passion for global health through service (see Year 1 requirements below).

Mentorship
Once acceptance is granted into the Global Health Distinction program, the GHLC will assist the student in choosing a faculty member to serve as his or her mentor. The mentor is charged with following the progress of the student, aiding in the search and development of projects and providing guidance throughout the experience.

Award Guidelines
1. The student must remain in good academic standing as determined by standards set by the Committee on Student Progress and Program Planning.

2. The student must participate in longitudinal global health service opportunity that consists of active involvement with a community or population.

3. The student must write reflection papers at the end of each year describing the projects he or she has completed and knowledge he or she has gained from his or her experiences.

4. The student must complete a Global Health Immersion Project and present it in the community or an educational setting.

5. A portfolio of the student’s initial application, tracked experiences with written reflections, and Global Health Immersion Project components will be provided by the student to the GHLC. The GHLC will verify that all requirements were met and recommend the distinction to the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

6. All aspects of the Distinction must be completed and submitted to GHLC no later than 10 weeks prior to graduation.

The Global Health Immersion Project
The student should identify a personally engaging topic within global health from which he or she will design a project. This project will serve to focus the student’s gained experiences and knowledge into an applicable mission that serves to aid the global health community.

The Global Health Immersion Project may be fulfilled during any year of medical school.

General Project Examples:

• Clinical Research
• Basic Science Research
• Project Abroad
• Project with international populations within the United States

* All projects must be approved by the GHLC.
** The Global Health Immersion Project may not be shared among the other distinctions.

Detailed Requirements

Click here to see a full list of all the requirements

To start your application, click here

GHLC Medical Missions-List of Organizations

The GHLC has started a list of organizations for students in the process of planning a medical mission trip abroad. The list is intended to provide students with pre-vetted resources that provide a quality volunteer experience while having a sustainable impact in the community they are serving.
The list is organized by organization name, following by a brief description of the organization, the areas served, and website for further information. Click on the link below to access the list.

https://drive.google.com/a/slu.edu/file/d/0B_BY0SA5CCNiSGFlTnR3X0RpaVVteDgzRkZjVks1OVozdnFB/view?usp=sharing

Achieving Optimal Wellness with Holistic Approaches by Dr. Samina Ahmad

For those who were unable to make Dr. Samina Ahmad's presentation last Thursday on "Achieving Optimal Wellness with Holistic Approaches," below are links to her PowerPoints. Note, you must be logged into a SLU e-mail account to access these Google docs.

• Nourishment for Body, Mind, & Soul

• Primary Foods Presentation

• Ayurveda

ATLAS Week

Come join the GHLC for ATLAS Week!

March 31^st- April 4^th from 12:00-1:00 pm. Lunch provided!

Monday – “Healthcare and Homelessness: Understanding Barriers to Health” panel discussion featuring guest speaker Dr. Mirela Marcu and local community leaders in LRC Aud A

Dr. Mirela Marcu, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry along with four community leaders will be holding a panel discussion about mental health illness and its relationship to the homeless population. Dr. Marcu has also invited a patient who has been directly affected by these factors to provide personal insight. Jimmy Johns will be served!

Tuesday – “Impact on Health: Availability of Food and Food Deserts in St Louis” featuring guest speakers Dr. Millie Mattfeldt-Beman and Melissa Chapnick in LRC Aud A

In 2008 the annual medical cost of obesity was $147 billion with more than one third of the U.S. population considered obese. The prevalence of obesity continues to increase and become an even greater concern for the country as well as health care providers. In understanding this trend in weight gain it is important to recognize the social constructs impacting food choice. Dr. Millie Mattfeldt-Beman, a professor and the chair of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Melissa Chapnick, a graduate student in the Nutrition and Dietetics program, will be presenting a dynamic discussion on barriers to food availability in the St. Louis area and their impact on health.

Wednesday – Elective Day!

Thursday – "Achieving Optimal Wllness with Holistic Approaches" featuring guest speaker Dr. Samina Ahmad in collaboration with Students for Integrative Medicing in LRC Aud A

Dr. Samina Ahmad, M.D., Co-Founder of the Salman & Samina Global Wellness Initiative, will discuss how to build a lifestyle of maximum health and vitality by cultivating principles of energy healing, mindful meditation, nutrition, restful sleep, and laughter. The focus will be on the importance of Ayurvedic science in achieving spontaneous healing through nutrition. As Dr. Samina comes from a medical background, she will also touch on the personal benefits of practicing Ayurvedic principals and the impact this has had on her family's health.

About the Speaker:

A graduate of the University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan with a Medical Doctor degree, she began her medical career at Services Hospital as an Internal Medicine Physician in the Senior Gastroenterology Department.  She later worked at the National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, and started her Family Practice.

Deeply concerned about healthcare and its availability to underprivileged women and children, Dr. Samina subsequently opened and built a school and a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, facilitating the care for thousands of women and children who do not have ready access to medical services.

Dr. Ahmad concurrently developed a second career in scriptwriting, directing, producing and hosting highly popular television programs on health and nutrition.  Comparable to a Martha Stewart of Pakistan, for many years, Dr. Ahmad hosted television programs on healthful cooking, family issues, and nutrition.

She graduated as a Health Counselor from INN and qualified for National Certification as a “Holistic Health Practitioner” by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Dr.Samina is a Chopra University Certified Perfect Health Consultant and Ayurveda Coach and runs her Wellness Center, ''Samina's Wellness'' in New York.  The Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America Certified Dr.Samina as a Registered Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant  (R.A.L.C.)

Samina, launched (SSGWI), the New York-based NGO that focuses on interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue; global health and wellness; and education.

Friday – Global Health Learning Community Distinction Presentations in LRC 112-113

Please join us to celebrate the first GHLC distinction graduates! Each graduate will highlight their global health work over the past four years.

St. Louis Mosaic Project

St. Louis Mosaic Project and SLU School of Medicine work toward a stronger St. Louis

By Jeff Sachs

“We aim to be a cultural mosaic, a place that is truly welcoming.”

With a goal to make St. Louis the fastest growing metropolitan area for immigration by 2020, outreach plays a key role in work of the St. Louis Mosaic Project. On Thursday, March 13, the Hispanic Health Interest Group of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine hosted Betsy Cohen, Director of the St. Louis Mosaic Project, to teach medical students about the organization’s mission and to encourage collaboration.

A diverse mix of regional business, civic, economic development, and academic leaders, the St. Louis Mosaic Project strives for regional prosperity through immigration and innovation. Members of the organization, along with volunteer “Professional Connectors” and “Mosaic Ambassadors”, work with legislators, business partners, community agencies, and public services to create a more attractive and integrative region for foreign-born immigrants.

Guided by a 2012 report titled “The Economic Impact of Immigration on St. Louis”, Mrs. Cohen demonstrated the positive effects that a larger foreign-born population will have on the St. Louis region. Her presentation also included specific data about the local Hispanic population, describing the many nationalities and countries of origin of those present in the St. Louis metro area. This was of special interest to many SLU medical students who volunteer at Casa de Salud (House of Health), a nonprofit health clinic that serves the area’s Latino community.

Bob Fox, SLU board member and Founder and Chair of Casa de Salud, also serves on the Steering Committee of the St. Louis Mosaic Project. His connection to Saint Louis University and its mission, as well as his efforts to help guide the region to a more competitive and vibrant future, set a great example for students looking to engage in important issues in their community. One such issue is the lack of coordinated services for immigrant populations in the region. Local health care, for example, is one crucial service that the St. Louis Mosaic Project would like to more fully develop for foreign-born residents and newcomers.

The Global Health Learning Community at SLU School of Medicine offers elective courses to equip students with the skills and relationships to make some headway in this needed area. Through these courses, medical students have opportunities to learn medical Spanish, medical Chinese, and patient advocacy and navigation skills. Many students volunteer at Casa de Salud, Chinese Clinics, and the New American Preparatory Academy, a transition school for immigrant and refugee children located near Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Students also volunteer at the Health Resource Center, a free, student-run health clinic in north St. Louis City.

Through these and similar efforts to develop all public services geared toward foreign-born populations, St. Louis may begin to gain traction toward its goal of becoming a cultural mosaic. But as Betsy Cohen reminded her audience, we must not only be helpful, but truly welcoming, in order to invite others to make St. Louis their home.

For more information, visit stlmosaicproject.org.

16th Annual Forum on International Health and Tropical Medicine Symposium: Bridging Borders

The Forum for International Health and Tropical Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine is organizing its 16th Annual Forum on International Health and Tropical Medicine Symposium: Bridging Borders on Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, 2014.

On Friday, April 11, from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm, in the Shell Care/Olin Link, there will be a poster session featuring international trips funded through FIHTM and other international research done by Washington University students. 

Saturday, April 12, will begin with breakfast at 8:30 AM and a keynote address from Dr. James Kazura of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine at 9:00 AM. At Case Western, Dr. Kazura is the Director of the Center for Global Health and Diseases and Director of International Affairs in Health Sciences. Dr. Kazura's research focuses on disease susceptibility and pathogenesis in malaria and filariasis. He is also a champion of tropical medicine training and education. 

After the keynote address, there will be two breakout sessions with presentations from Washington University faculty regarding their work abroad and their journey to international medicine. The day will conclude with a lunch panel discussion with medical students and residents regarding their experiences internationally and how students can find opportunities in global health. 

We hope you will be able to attend this exciting event. To RSVP, please fill out the form here (this form may also be accessed via fihtm.wustl.edu).

2014 INMED Exploring Medical Missions Conference

What can we do together to effectively benefit the world's most poor? 

"Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable" is this year's INMED (Institute for International Medicine) Exploring Medical Missions Conference theme to be held in Kansas City, MO on Friday and Saturday, May 30-31. Select from sessions on Ultrasound, Eye Diseases, Bandaging & Wound Care, Newborn Resuscitation, Preparing To Go, Family Life On The Fields. There will be activities for students, practicing professionals, and non-healthcare people. CME and CNE credit is available.


For more information, visit their website at http://www.inmed.us/events/exploring-medical-missions-conference/ or e-mail office@inmed.us or call 816-444-6400.