This guide is adapted from the AAMC Guide developed by Elizabeth Barreras Rivest. This modification of Ms. Barreras Rivest’s document is specific for OUWB students and our Global Health Initiative.

General Questions

• What do I hope to accomplish through this global experience? Is this realistic?
• What added value do I bring to the experience and the community where I will be working?
• What impact can I have on the community/institution at this point in my medical education?
• How much time can I spend on a global experience?
• Is this the best time for me to go global? Will I have greater impact at a later time in my education and medical career?

Finances

• How much will this experience cost?
• Can OUWB support any or all of this experience?
• Are there scholarship opportunities to support this experience?
• Am I permitted to start a Go Fund Me effort for this experience?
• Will any financial support for this experience be deducted from my tuition and housing scholarships and loans?

Process

• What program is best for me at this point in my education as a physician?
• Can I be part of an existing program or research project through OUWB?
• Do I have language competency for the host country? Are interpreters provided and available daily?
• Does the host institution/organization provide a medical director and a mentor/supervisor for students?
• What are medical students permitted to do (without a medical license) in the host country?
• Does the host country require a special visa for medical student volunteers? Exchange students?

Statement on Use of Photography During Global Experiences/Activities

HIPPA and compliance to the HIPPA law is distinct to the United States. Although host institutions, organizations and community clinics do not or may not have confidentiality rules, when engaged in global activities, all OUWB students, faculty and staff remain professionally obligated to continue to abide by the:

• Beaumont HIPPA Compliance Policy
  
• Confidentiality and Computer Usage Policy
  
• OUWB Code of Professional Conduct for Global Experiences & Guidance on Ethical Behavior for Global Experiences

In addition, engaging in photography of patients without explicit consent is a privacy violation. Photographing patients and displaying their images for personal or professional purposes is strictly guided by confidentiality policies. OUWB expects all students, faculty and staff who are globally engaged to respect patient privacy in photography by complying with the guidance that:

The individual taking photos or videos is required to obtain verbal consent for images in any setting ether clinical or non clinical. Additionally, photos or videos taken in a clinical setting require that the patient is de identified (i.e. blacking out the eyes, blurring the face, etc.)

(adapted from the AAFP statement on Confidentiality of International Health Information)

Away Elective Selection Criteria

Students applying for an away senior elective will be selected for the requested learning opportunity based on the following criteria.

Academic Standing

• Student must be in good academic standing.

Clinical Specialty Request for Elective

• If a student is taking the elective for graduation credit, the area of specialization for the global experience away elective cannot exceed the limit of 2 specialty specific electives. If that ceiling has been reached, the student must submit a written justification for requesting this third elective in a specialty at a global institution. The request for an away elective must be submitted electronically at least six (6) months in advance of the departure date per OUWB policy. If a student is taking the elective for graduation credit, the student must also comply with the OUWB policy stipulating that only one (1) elective can be non clinical.

Linguistic Competency

• The student must be able to effectively communicate in the language of the host country or accept a clerkship as assigned by the host institution in a clinical area where English is the predominant language of teaching and learning.

Health Status

• The student must be in good health. All chronic diseases, allergies, pre existing conditions, physical limitations should be carefully considered and evaluated by the student prior to applying for a global away elective since these conditions may be easily exacerbated while globally engaged. Students must agree to maintain their medication regimen and take their prescribed medications while on an away elective. OUWB reserves the right to deny student participation in a global away elective if the school deems it is detrimental to the student’s health and welfare.

Financial Considerations

• The student must be aware of and able to absorb the burden of the pre travel immunizations, required visa fees, emergency insurance, program fees, travel, housing costs while abroad and any unanticipated expenses that may arise.

Educational Objectives

• The student has established realistic learning objectives for the elective. These objectives should be reviewed and approved in advance by your OUWB Global Health Director.

Compliance to OUWB Policies

• The student agrees to comply with all OUWB policies on foreign travel as stipulated in the pre requisites and post travel guidelines including registering with the Office of Risk Management at OU.

Recreational Travel

• Students who elect to travel while abroad do so on their own time. Optional leisure travel cannot interfere with the required time for clinical days in an away elective nor can this travel interfere with the start date of a scheduled clinical clerkship following the away elective. Students will not be excused early from clinical clerkships to facilitate their travel for an away elective and will not be permitted to postpone the start date of a clerkship following the away elective in order to accommodate leisure travel abroad.

Exceptions to this policy will only be made in the event of unanticipated situation and/or extenuating circumstances.