UCSD
offers a number of unique global health opportunities, both
locally, given UCSD's proximity to the US-Mexico border (which is just a
20 minute drive from the UCSD Hillcrest Hospital!) and globally. Med/Peds
residents are able to attend a variety of activities, from teleconferences to
local global health opportunities in San Diego or Tijuana, to completing
rotations in different countries around the world!
International Educational Conferences and Events
International Morning Teleconferences
As
part of the Med/Peds program at UCSD, residents are able to participate in and
attend international teleconferences while rotating on both internal
medicine and pediatrics. While on internal medicine, Med/Peds residents attend
monthly teleconferences in collaboration with the internal
medicine residency program at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo,
Mozambique. Residents from UCSD and those from Mozambique take turns each month
presenting the initial evaluation, workup, diagnosis and treatment of
a case from their respective institution. Med/Peds residents also have the
opportunity to travel to Mozambique for 1-2 months; see below for more details.
While rotating through pediatrics, Med/Peds residents attend monthly teleconferences done in collaboration with the Hospital Civil de
Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico. Residents from Guadalajara present the
evaluation, workup, diagnosis and treatment of a case seen there in Spanish;
fluency in Spanish is not required to attend, as medical translators are
present to translate the case to UCSD residents and faculty. These
presentations also alternate between those given by UCSD residents. Med/Peds
residents also have the opportunity to travel to Guadalajara for a 1 month
rotation; see below for more details.
Cultural Immersion Days
These
are a series of afternoon sessions held on Pediatrics, designed
to increase resident understanding of the many cultures present in the San
Diego area and how these and other societal factors can contribute to child
health. Examples of cultural immersion days include Traditional Mexican
Healing, Military Families, and LGBTQ communities. These are organized
by the Pediatricians and Community Collaborating Together (PAACT) program,
which also hosts other events to promote cultural awareness, such as movie
nights.
International Experiences
Local Opportunities
Through
pediatrics, Med/Peds residents are able to complete the Think Locally, Act
Globally elective. This unique elective allows residents to work in a variety
of settings in San Diego as well as in Tijuana, Mexico, and provides exposure
to the diverse cross-border immigrant and refugee populations in this area. The
rotation is 2 weeks in length, and includes a required reading list and modules
to help further develop the residents' skill set.
UCSD International Health Collective (IHC): Free Clinic in
Tijuana, Mexico
Residents
in the Med/Peds program have the opportunity to volunteer at the UCSD IHC free
clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. The clinic is held on the first Saturday of each
month from 8a-4pm, and approximately 100 pediatric and adult patients are
seen during the course of the day. Residents staff patients with UCSD faculty
who are present at the clinic. The clinic is student-run and provides free
medical care and health education to families without access
to healthcare. Visit their website for more details: http://internationalhealthcollective.org/
Resident Exchange with Guadalajara, Mexico
Med/Peds
residents have the opportunity to participate in a 1 month away rotation in
Guadalajara, Mexico as part of a bidirectional exchange program. The rotation
takes place in the Hospital Civil de General, a teaching hospital of the
Universidad de Guadalajara. The rotation is set up through the pediatrics
program at UCSD, but Med/Peds residents may be able to see adults during their
rotation as well.
Resident Exchange with Maputo, Mozambique
Med/Peds
residents also have the opportunity to participate in a 1-2 month elective in
Maputo, Mozambique as part of a bidirectional exchange program with the
UCSD internal medicine residency program. The rotation takes place in
Mozambique's capital, Maputo, at the main hospital in the city. If taken as a
two-month elective, the resident is expected to complete a research project in
Maputo. Since the inception of the exchange program, over 110 UCSD residents
have gone to Mozambique, and over 20 residents from Mozambique have traveled to
San Diego! Though the rotation is set up through the medicine program, Med/Peds
residents are often able to see both adult and pediatric patients while in
Maputo.
Other International Opportunities
Other available
international opportunities include select 1-month electives in Kampala, Uganda
or Shanghai, China through the pediatrics department. Med/Peds residents have
also set up electives in locations such as Egypt, Saipan in the Northern Mariana
Islands, Chile, Haiti, and more. Med/Peds residents are able to pursue a
total of 2 months of away electives or research during their 4 years
of residency.