FMME 133/433: Honduran Health Alliance

Course Number: FMME 133/433

Course Title: Honduran Health Alliance

Who can Participate?: 1st year students, 4th year students

Course description: https://woodland.med.unc.edu/ElectivesBook_courseCatalogupdate/courses.aspx?CreditHours=6&TypeofGradReq=Elective&dept=Family%20Medicine#FMME433

Located in Tegucigalpga, Honduras; this month-long elective opportunity is student-led and focuses on women’s health and cervical cancer screening.

Learning objectives: 1-Educate patients regarding aspects of both general and women’s health in Spanish and English.
2-Perform a comprehensive well woman exam and patient interview in Spanish and in English.
3-Perform a problem-focused gynecologic exam and patient interview in Spanish and in English.
4-Understand the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of common gynecologic conditions
5-Understand the geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic conditions affecting Hondurans today
6-Students will create and implement five 1-2 hour interactive presentations on health topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, nutrition, family planning, HIV/AIDS, and menopause to community members of varying ages and literacy levels.

Learning Activities: Students will attend classes on a weekly basis during the spring semester to prepare them for the July trip. They will travel to Honduras in July where they will remain for approximately one month. While in Honduras they will travel to rural communities and present talks on various public health topics. Students will create and implement five 1-2 hour interactive presentations on health topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, nutrition, family planning, HIV/AIDS, and menopause to community members of varying ages and literacy levels. They will participate in 6 days of our student run clinic. Their activities will include patient interviews, patient exams, patient education, presentations to attending physicians, and mentoring fellow students. Patients will also tour Honduran health facilities in the city of Choluteca. Finally, students will return to their respective rural communities to relate the results of cervical cancer screening and to counsel patients.

Evaluation:

1-Participants will be evaluated by attending physicians based on their clinic performance.
2-Clinic performance will include physical exam skills, presentation skills, patient relations, and improvement over the course of the week.
3-Students will receive either a grade of “pass” or “fail”.

Requirements: Approval of instructor

Course Director: Narges Farahi (narges_farahi@med.unc.edu). Additional faculty: Martha Carlough (martha_carlough@med.unc.edu)

Course Credit: Yes, 6 credit hours

Time of Year & duration: Spring/Summer for 1st year students; July for 4th year students. 1-month duration.