University of Texas Medical Branch

University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Blvd Rt 1123
Galveston, TX 77555
409-772-0641
http://fammed.utmb.edu
jksmith@utmb.edu

Residents can participate in a Primary Health Care in Developing Countries (PHCDC) elective or an obstetrics elective in Nicaragua, or do independent rotations in the same or different sites. A new AOC in global health is being developed to include a more structured program with didactics/readings, a project and a tropical medicine course.

Location(s) of program: The primary site is Nicaragua. Residents have also gone to Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and the Philippines, but these are independent sites selected by residents.

Description of field experience: The Primary Health Care elective is three days of didactics/workshop, and three weeks of clinical work in a rural primary care clinic. It includes acute care, prenatal and OB, pediatrics, IM, minor procedures, working with local Nicaraguan providers/ health promoters and faculty from the United States. The OB rotation is two weeks in a rural women's clinic/birthing center, and two weeks in Managua hospital under supervision of FM and OB faculty.

Description of didactics: For PHCDC course, three days of lectures on tropical disease, TB/HIV, nutrition, MCH, community assessment, sanitation, travel medicine.

Cost to individual resident: About $300-500.

Number of residents who have participated in the last two years: 4

Description of faculty involvement: Dr. Smith is the course director for Nicaragua program and travels to the site with residents and students. Dr. Smith serves as residency advisor for other electives, assisting with arrangements, logistics, etc., offered through UTMB's Center for Training in International Health.

Does the program accept medical students for trips? Yes

Does the program accept residents from outside the program for trips? Yes

Approximate time of year/duration of trips: The Nicaragua PHCDC trip in June; independent trips vary.

Who to contact if interested in applying:
Janice K. Smith, MD
jksmith@utmb.edu
409-772-0637