Florida International University – AUA Collaboration
Programs offered at (FIU) Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine:
- Global Health Track
- Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program
- Elective Clinical Rotation Certificate Program
Program offered at (FIU) Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work:
- Master’s Degree in Public Health Program
Global Health Track
This program is designed to broaden students’ understanding of healthcare from a global perspective.
Students who elect to complete the global health track while enrolled for their MD at AUACOM will complete their clinical rotations at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine affiliated clinical and hospital sites.
The longitudinal Global Health Track is structured along the following themes:
- Governance (Health Systems, Economics, Ethics, etc.)
- Burden of Disease (Child Health, Women Health and the health of other vulnerable populations, Communicable Diseases, Non-Communicable Diseases, etc.)
- Physical, Mental & Social Wellbeing
- Technology
- Security (Environment, Complex Humanitarian Emergencies, Intelligence, etc.)
- Climate Change
- Medical Spanish
- AHA BLS & ACLS instructor training
Upon completion of the Global Health Track, completion of requirements of the Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program and all requirements for graduation from AUA (including but not limited to passing all in-house and external Examinations and passing all required courses and clerkships) the student will receive the MD degree and the Global Health Certificate from AUA as well as the certificate of completion of the Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program from FIU.
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Preclinical Sciences Component
- The Global Health Track is conducted on the campus of AUA in Antigua. Â It consists of four 2-week blocks (before MED 1, MED 2, MED 3 and MED 4), a 1-week block before the Semester 5. It comprises horizontal and longitudinal coursework during MED 1 through to Semester 5.
- The lectures are conducted by international faculty (FIU, University of the West Indies, State University of New York, Cornell University, New York University, University of Illinois, University of Nevada, United Nations, Doctors Without Borders among others) and AUA faculty.
In addition, students conduct field trips and exercises and are introduced to research methodology. Students receive American Heart Association instructor training in Basic Cardiac Life Support and have the option to receive Advanced Cardiac Life Support instructor training and certification.
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Clinical Sciences Component
The Clinical Sciences component is conducted at HWCOM-affiliated clinical sites in Florida and AUA-affiliated clinical sites within the US and abroad.
Provided that they otherwise satisfy FIU’s requirements, students who successfully complete the GHT will be eligible to participate in AUA’s Advanced Introduction to Clinical Medicine (FM1/IM1) rotation at FIU and the AUA-FIU Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program Students in the GHT will have the opportunity to join AUA faculty initiated international relief projects and to deepen their expertise in global health research. They will also be afforded the opportunity to be exposed to medical Spanish.
Students who complete the Global Health Track have historically been viewed as attractive candidates to residency directors at United States hospitals.
At the completion of the program, a student should be able to:Â
- Demonstrate understanding of social determinants of health, health equity, social justice, and governmental policy in terms of their impact on the distribution of health services in low-resource settings within the United States and internationally
- Demonstrate understanding of health and human rights issues and determinants of health specific to immigrant, migrant, displaced, and refugee populations
- Understand specific needs of the medically underserved and uninsured
- Demonstrate knowledge of effective advocacy strategies for health systems improvement within the global context
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with the patient, family, and caregivers with sensitivity to sociocultural and health literacy issues so that the diagnosis and plan of care are clearly understood and pertinent to their specific situation
- Understand the epidemiology of global communicable and non-communicable diseases
- Identify and adapt evidence-based resources and tools for use in limited-resource healthcare settings
- Interact in a cross-cultural manner sufficient to deliver basic medical care, including working with translators
- Perform an efficient comprehensive physical examination when practicing supervised in an internationally located office, hospital, or skilled nursing setting, being mindful of cultural factors, including gender, modesty, and religious practices
- Use clinical skills to appropriately diagnose and treat patients under supervision in the context of local resource availability
- Select, perform, and interpret under supervision diagnostic procedures within the context of limited resource healthcare settings
- Formulate a plan of care that is relevant and practical in a specific cultural setting
- Demonstrate understanding of resources and issues pertinent to travel medicine, health risk prevention, health maintenance, and variations in healthcare services that are specific to international travel
- Discuss treatment plans based on knowledge of global influences, utilizing resources that include local, state, federal, and international agencies, as applicable
- Recognize his or her own practice limitations and seek consultation with other healthcare professionals and systems resources to provide optimal care within a global context
- Understand the organization, financing, and systems health indicators of international healthcare
The student should develop attitudes that encompass:Â
- Commitment to lifelong learning and contribution to the body of knowledge about global health
- Recognition of his or her own biases and stereotypes related to healthcare delivery in international settings
- The need to balance compassion, humanism, realism, and practicality in the consideration of heath care delivered in specific global settings
- Respect for dignity and autonomy through self-care and self-determination within a cultural and global context
- A desire to advocate for systems change to improve the health of the community in which he or she
Upon completion of the Global Health Track, completion of requirements of the Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program and all requirements for graduation from AUA (including but not limited to passing all in-house and external exams and passing all required courses and clerkships) the student will receive the MD degree and the Global Health Certificate from AUA as well as the Certificate of Completion of the Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program from FIU*. The Global Health Track is open to all eligible entering medical students at AUA.
*Students who complete the FIU Graduate Core Clinical Clerkship Certificate Program are not graduating from an LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) accredited medical education.
Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program
Participating AUA students complete all core clinical rotations back-to-back at clinical teaching sites affiliated with FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. This is an excellent and unique opportunity for qualified AUA students to augment their academic and clinical experience in a U.S. healthcare teaching environment.
Students are able to:
- Participate in rotations at clinical training sites affiliated with FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Be taught and assessed by FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine community-based clinical faculty dedicated to teaching the Graduate Clinical Core - Rotation Certificate Program
- Access FIU library and recreational facilities
- Be exposed to top national and international faculty and guest speakers
Students who complete the Graduate Core Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program and all other components of AUA’s curriculum will receive a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from AUA, an FIU Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program transcript, and an FIU Certificate of Completion.
Elective Clinical Rotation Program
In addition to core rotations, AUA students have the opportunity to attend elective rotations at clinical teaching sites affiliated with FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, which may include medical research projects.
Participants are able to access and use the same resources as the students in the Graduate Clinical Core Rotation Certificate Program.
Master’s Degree in Public Health Program
As an additional benefit to AUA’s collaboration with FIU, AUA students and graduates can earn a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) degree from FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work. Predetermined courses taken by AUA College of Medicine students give students advanced standing in the MPH program.
Earning an MPH at Stempel College will:
- provide students with advanced training in the field of public health
- provide understanding of how to work with local, national, and global communities to improve health and well-being.
Find out how these programs can help enhance your medical education and career in healthcare. Watch a video on the FIU-AUA collaboration here!
*There is no fee or tuition for participating in the GHT; as the program is not part of AUA’s medical doctorate program, federal financial aid is not available for the living expenses of students during GHT sessions. Participation in GHT is strictly voluntary.
