The International Health Interest Group

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA



The GOALS of the International Health Interest Group (IHIG) are to strengthen the Global Health community at UCLA, to increase awareness of important issues in Global Health, and to encourage student participation in overseas medical electives.
We host speakers and organize film viewings, discussions, fundraisers, days of action, and a Global Health Journal Club.
In addition to these activities, we produce a monthly Global Health Newsletter, The Prophylaxis.


Our Global Health Team consists of representatives of IHIG, UCLA-AMSA (American Medical Student Association), and UCLA-PHR (Physicians for Human Rights). Please feel free to contact members of our Global Health Team for more information.

Class of 2011
Daniel Karlin- karlind@ucla.edu
Matt Desmond- mdesmond@ucla.edu
Class of 2010
Yahya Shaikh- yahya@ucla.edu
Amandeep Bhalla- abhalla@ucla.edu
Lola Destro- ldestro@ucla.edu
Vicki Lung- vicki.lung@gmail.com
Class of 2009
Noelle a. Benzekri- noellebenzekri@ucla.edu
Ravi Bhatia- rabhatia@ucla.edu
Sumeet Singh Mitter- ssmitter@ucla.edu
Gideon R. Gorit- ggorit@ucla.edu
Susan Tuddenham- susantuddenham@yahoo.com


Announcements!!



Schedules for past and future events can be viewed by clicking below-
Spring 2007
Fall 2006

Interested in Overseas medical electives and Volunteering abroad?
Click here for information.

Additional Resources in Global Health at UCLA


The Prophylaxis, A Global Health Newsletter

We were honored to spend time with Dr. Paul Farmer at the Partners In Health Fundraiser


The Prophylaxis, Spring 2008, Volume II, Issue 1 Table of Contents
The Millennium Development Goals, By Gideon Gorit MSIII .............................................Pages 1-2
The Gates Foundation, By Matthew Desmond MSI.........................................................Page 3
From Plague to Postcards: An overview of bioterrorism, By Susan Tuddenham MSIII.....................Pages 3-4
Op-Ed: Reflections on Disaster Response, By Yahya Shaikh MSII ......................................Pages 4-5
Op-Ed: Band-aids for a Broken System, By Jasmine Pedroso MSIII.......................................Pages 5-6
Marburg Virus: Seeking the Natural Reservoir, By Noelle a. Benzekri MSIII.............................Pages 6-7


The Prophylaxis, Volume I, Issue 3 Table of Contents
The Here and Now of International Health, by Yahya Shaikh.....................Page 2
Smoke-free Nation, by Amandeep Bhalla.................................................Page 3
Malaria-resistant Mosquitoes, by Barkha Gurbani......................................Pages 3-4
Outsourcing (Your) Healthcare, by Sumeet Singh Mitter.............................Page 5-6
Fighting Global Blindness: The Toll of Trachoma, by Susan Tuddenham......Pages 6-7
Funding for Global Health Part I: PEPFAR, by Noëlle a. Benzekri..............Pages 7-8
Announcements!.......................................................................................Page 2
Global Health Quiz Results........................................................................Page 8


The Prophylaxis, Volume I, Issue 2 Table of Contents
The Aborigines of Taiwan, by Charles Feng...............................Page 2
Crisis in Canada, by Scott Nass................................................Page 3
Politics and Post Partum Hemorrhage, by Susan Tuddenham.....Pages 4-5
The Young Widows of India, by Barkha Gurbani......................Pages 5-6
A little off the top?, by Jasmine Pedroso....................................Page 6
Africa’s Traditional Healers, by Noëlle a. Benzekri....................Pages 7-8
Global Health Quiz....................................................................Page 3
Sources.....................................................................................Page 8
Upcoming Events.......................................................................Page 8


The Prophylaxis, The Prophylaxis, Fall 2007, Volume I, Issue 1, Table of Contents
Brain Drain and the healthcare worker shortage in Africa, by Susan Tuddenham...Pages 2-3
Show Me the Money, by Sumeet Singh Mitter....................................................Page 4
An Update on Infant Mortality & Life Expectancy, by Ravi Bhatia.......................Page 5
The New Face of the W.H.O, by Gideon Gorit...................................................Page 6
Female Genital Mutilation Defined, by Noëlle a. Benzekri.....................................Pages 7-8
Upcoming conferences........................................................................................Page 5
Global Health Quiz..............................................................................................Page 6
Upcoming Events................................................................................................Page 8



OVERSEAS MEDICAL ELECTIVES AND VOLUNTEERING ABROAD


Contact these medical students who spent the summer between first and second year abroad.


Mexico, Central, and South America

Mexico
reeokim@hotmail.com
Cuernevaca, Mexico with the UC-Mexico Medical Student Exchange Program.

Mexico with the Aescalapians program
rubycast@gmail.com, ltochen@ucla.edu, emarquez09@ucla.edu, res174rx@verizon.net, mvillase6@hotmail.com

Guatemala
mmizrahi@ucla.edu, lkatzir@ucla.edu, mtguds@yahoo.com, afaucett@ucla.edu
We went to Antigua, Guatemala to learn medical Spanish and to volunteer in local hospitals, clinics, and schools.

Dominican Republic
amkhosropour@ucla.edu
I went to the Dominican Republic and worked with Batey Relief Alliance.


Africa and the Middle East

The Sudan and Kenya
noellebenzekri@ucla.edu
Sudan- I worked at a pediatric clinic in a camp for internally displaced people in Mayo, Sudan.
The clinic is run by the organization Emergency, which provides medical care to civilian victims of war.
www.emergency.it
Kenya- I worked in hospitals and clinics, and taught HIV/ Reproductive Health Education in schools.

Ethiopia
rubycurve2002@yahoo.com
I spent 7 weeks in Addis, Ethiopia with the World Wide Oprhans Foundation.

Israel
snsMD@ucla.edu
I went to Jerusalem, Israel in order to participate in a program on Medical Ethics and Halacha (Jewish Law) at Shaarei Tzedek Hospital (medethics.org.il).


Southeast Asia

Burmese borders with China and Thailand
susantuddenham@yahoo.com
I worked setting up malaria prevention and treatment programs as well as basic health programs.

Papua New Guinea
ggorit@ucla.edu
Program: Stanford Papua New Guinea Medical Project
(http://www.stanford.edu/group/pngmp/index.htm)

Philippines
mmlimbo@ucla.edu, ggorit@ucla.edu
(www.visayans.org)

Vietnam
diananguyen@ucla.edu
Program: Stanford Vietnam Medical Project Website: http://www.stanford.edu/group/vnmp/


India

rabhatia@ucla.edu
Child Family Health International- www.cfhi.org

kcelaya14@hotmail.com
Infectious Disease Program through Child Family Health International.

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Here are some websites to peruse-

AMSA: www.amsa.org/global/ih/ An excellent source of information. Many practical resources are listed, including advice, how to find and fund international rotations; check lists, tool kit. Includes Student's Guide to International Health and Funding Guide.

Child Family Health International-
https://www.cfhi.org/

Global Health Education Consortium
www.globalhealth-ec.org
A consortium of faculty and health care instructors dedicated to health education in US and Canadian medical schools and residency programs… international experiences.. and courses¦

IFMSA USA
www.ifmsa-usa.org/about.htm
International Federation of Medical Students Associations, USA
"Our mission is to empower future physicians with a sense of social responsibility locally and globally. IFMSA-USA promotes international health awareness by education, exchange and activism while fostering a spirit of international cooperation among medical students worldwide."

Child Family Health International-
https://www.cfhi.org/

Medics Travel
www.medicstravel.co.uk/MedicsTravel/Medicstravel.htm
British website. The site is there to encourage and make it easier to work overseas, both through voluntary and paid work… Set up to help doctors, nurses, theater staff¦ arrange work and electives overseas.

Mission Finder: Missions for Medical Students
www.missionfinder.org/medstudentsc.htm
51 opportunities for overseas electives.

Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
www.schweitzerfellowship.org/features/lamb/
Each year since 1979, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship has selected four senior medical students to spend three months working as Fellows at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambarene, Gabon on clinical rotations. The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship provides complete funding for students.

Diversion Magazine
www.diversionmag.com/volunteerintro.asp
92 organizations with websites and contact information.

Oscar
www.oscar.org.uk/opportunity/organizations
290 organizations listed; British missionary site; the UK Information Service for World Mission. ; all faith-based, both medical and non-medical.



PAST EVENTS-

Spring 2007

April 12 2007, 6:30pm at noelle's house
Global Health Mingler / potluck

March 29 2007, 12-1pm
"Backpack Medics in Burma: Healthcare Delivery in a War Zone"
Speaker: Dr. Tom Lee on Dr. Tom Lee is a UCLA affiliated ER physician who has dedicated his life to improving the health of communities in crisis along the Burmese border. The organization he founded, the Global Health Access Project, GHAP, works to empower local community members to implement healthcare interventions in an area plagued by political instability, violence, and human rights violations.

March 28, 2007, 11:55-1pm
Film 2: Rx FOR SURVIVAL

March 27 2007
Film 1: INVISIBLE CHILDREN

February 26th, 12-1pm, CHS 53-105
Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders
Dr. Sarafian, a UCLA Infectious Disease Fellow, began his presentation with an 8 min short film about the esteemed organization, Medicins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders. He followed with a powerpoint that includes photos and stories of his involvement with the organization. Dr. Sarafian is also a recruiter for the organization, and talked about how one could become involved after medical school. For more information on Doctors without Borders, go to http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

February 16th, 2007- Partners in Health Fundraiser
In collaboration with members of the Harbor-UCLA and UCLA communities, we organized a fundraiser for Partners in Health, with special guest speaker… Paul Farmer!! In addition to the fundraiser, Dr. Farmer gave Infectious Disease Grand Rounds at Harbor-UCLA and gave two presentations on Global Health Equity.

February 14th, 2007- Stories of Students working abroad part 2
This was the second of two presentations by second year medical students who spent the summer working abroad. The goals of this series were to inspire the first year students to work abroad and to provide a forum for students to share their stories. Students spoke about their summer experiences in such places as India, Mexico, the Phillipines, and Vietnam.


Fall 2006

In honor of World AIDS day, Dec. 1st 2006, the International Health Interest Group and Physicians for Human Rights / AMSA
put together 10 days of events, Nov. 30th- Dec. 11th, and founded the Global Health Journal Club for medical students.
We aimed to not only honor World AIDS day but to establish an ongoing means of learning and raising awareness.
The schedule is below.

Dec. 11th Dr. Copeland
Working with the Inuit in the Arctic
Where/When- CHS 73-105, 12-1pm

Dec. 7th Dr. Patel
Healthcare systems around the world- How does the U.S. compare?
Where/When- CHS 63-105, 12-1pm

Dec. 5th Dr. Meade
Los Angeles Physician Humanitarian of the Year 1999
International surgery- Stories of a surgeon dedicated to the underserved
Where/When- CHS 73-105, 12-1pm

Dec. 4th Dr. Greger
Surviving the next pandemic- A discussion of the Avian Flu
Where/When- CHS 13-105, 6-7:30pm

Dec. 4th Dr. Hoffman
Africa's vulnerable children- Working in Malawi with Orphans in the Wilderness
Where/When- CHS 73-105, 12-1pm

Dec. 1st World AIDS Day
Take Action. 12:00-1:00 in the courtyard.
Come out and help reshape global AIDS policy by making quick phone calls and writing personal letters to President Bush encouraging him to increase the US monetary support to train more health care workers in Africa. Those who participate will receive hand-crafted AIDS pins made in Tanzania!!! ALSO GET FREE HIV and STD testing in front of Pauley Pavillion from 10am-2pm! Help decrease the stigma by making a PUBLIC statement. Know your status!

Nov. 30th Global Health Journal Club Topic- The Global Human Resources Crisis
For readings and directions, email noellebenzekri@ucla.edu.
Where/When- Noelle's house, 6:30pm

Nov. 30th Sherri Lewis, Director of "Women at Risk" (Women At Risk is a local nonprofit organization. It provides a safe and confidential place for HIV+ women to share their experiences and receive support).
Sherri will provide first-hand insight on living with HIV and her personal experience being treated for HIV within the US. Healthcare system. CHS 33-105, 12-1pm

November 16, 2006 - Dr. Jorge A. Lazareff.
Pediatric Neurosurgeon and founder of Global Neuro Rescue,
CHS 33-105 from 12-1.

Stories of medical students working abroad, Part I
September 21, 2006: 12-1:00; CHS 53-105
This was the first of two presentations by second year medical students who spent the summer working abroad. The goals of this series were to inspire the first year students to work abroad and to provide a forum for students to share their stories. Students spoke about their summer experiences in such places as Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Guatemala, the Burmese border, and Israel.
Part II took place during Spring 2007.



Resources

A Helpful resource for students interested in Global Health here at UCLA is the Global Health Training Program through the School of Public Health. Visit their website- http://www.ph.ucla.edu/chs/globalhealth/index.php

We encourage students to join the AMSA Global Health list serve- https://www.amsa.org/global/

to become members of Physicians for Human Rights- http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/

and to participate in other "internationally oriented" organizations at UCLA, including-
RENEW, LIGA, Emergency, and Aesculapians.

Of course, we can gain experience working in underserved communities right here in Los Angeles!!
Be sure to volunteer at the Mobile Clinic, the Student Run Homeless Clinic, Common Ground, Step Up, and at Medical Fairs throughout the year!!


Please feel free to contact us with questions, comments, and IDEAS! We welcome your participation!



For questions or concerns related to this website, contact noellebenzekri@ucla.edu