GLBE 101/401: Foundations in Global Health | Office of Global Health Education

Course Director: Dr. Sylvia Becker-Dreps (sbd@email.unc.edu)

Additional Instructors: Dr. Sylvia Becker-Dreps (sbd@email.unc.edu) and Heidi White (heidi_white@med.unc.edu)

Course Overview
This course must be taken in conjunction with an approved two week elective experience outside of the USA that is integrated with areas of learning. It may be clinical, research or community health based. Interested students will be supported in identifying and arranging opportunities.

Grading:
GLBE 101: Pass/ Fail
GLBE 401: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Students will be evaluated through assessment of the completion of the pre-travel Geo Journal (10% of grade), each of the seven section’s short learning assignments (70% of grade), and host-site Preceptor or Research project supervisor evaluation (20% of grade) which can be found on the OGHE website.

Pre-requisites:
1. Completion of the first year of medical school for pre-clinical students (course # GLBE 101)
2. Completion of at least six months of clinical rotations for clinical students – 3rd and 4th year (course #GLBE 401)
3. Students are also required to complete all requirements as for any UNC medical student traveling globally through the Office of Global Health Education
4. Permission of course director necessary for enrollment (contact: Dr. Sylvia Becker-Dreps (sbd@email.unc.edu)

Periods Offered: All except final block for MS4 students. Rising MS2 students may register for this elective as 2nd year to be included in the second year tuition package, though the actual dates of elective travel may be in the summer months before their 2nd year begins.

Course Requirements and Grading
Sections are to be completed in order from A-7. Assignments are required for each of the seven course sections #1-#7, in addition to the Geo Journal. Students will develop answers to the short question assignments for each section based on required and suggested readings (approximately 1000 words for three questions combined). The student must also submit a completed host-site preceptor or research project director’s evaluation of their elective.

Section A: Geo Journal (completed prior to travel)
Section 1: Global Health Ethics
Section 2: Infectious Diseases
Section 3: Women’s health
Section 4: Child health
Section 5: Non-Communicable Diseases
Section 6: Trauma
Section 7: Career Models in Global Health

COURSE OBJECTIVES are designed to:

Section A: Geo Journal
Completion of a pre-travel “geo journal” prior to travel to familiarize student with the country’s specific health and economic issues (template on Sakai).
Section 1: Ethics
Introduce students to both the practical and theoretical concepts and issues of global health ethics and using scientific and ethical principles in addressing inequities in health.
Section 2: Infectious Diseases
Introduce students to the major infectious disease threats, transitions and interventions shown to reduce their disease burden.
Section 3: Women’s Health
Introduce students to the major issues impacting the health of women in the world, including maternal mortality, broader issues of reproductive health, and health as related to economics, education and human rights for women.
Section 4: Child Health
Introduce students to the major threats to global child health and interventions which have shown to reduce the burden of disease in children.
Section 5: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
Introduce students to the health burden, etiologies, trends and economic impacts of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) worldwide.
Section 6: Trauma
Introduce students to the global impact of intentional and unintentional trauma and the role
of population-based interventions in reducing the toll on morbidity and mortality.
Section 7: Career Models in Global Health
Allow opportunity for students to integrate ideas about a career involving global through
readings and consideration of audio interviews with key UNC physician faculty engaged in
global health careers from different perspectives.