MUSC collaborates with Child Family Health International to expand global health opportunities for students

MUSC Center for Global Health is excited to announce a new partnership with Child Family Health International (CFHI), a leading international non-governmental organization that specializes in providing global health education and training programs for students and universities. CFHI operates more than 30 community-based programs in 11 countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States.

This collaboration allows MUSC students access to participate in any of CFHI’s 30+ programs, which combine exposure to clinical practices, public health, social services, social determinants of health, culture and human resources for health. Students are matched with local health care providers to gain a first-hand experience into the social, economic and political factors that influence health in the country.

Now more than ever, students pursuing a career in health care are calling for rotations or experiences in developing countries that allow them to interact with other health systems. At MUSC, more than 100 students travel abroad annually – whether through participation in faculty-led research, clinical electives, or service learning. The MUSC Center for Global Health helps facilitate many of those experiences, working with students to identify sites and projects and evaluate them for their safety, academic programming, and ethical engagement in local health settings.

“Working with CFHI allows us to meet the increasing student demand for global health experiences with programs that are embedded within various health systems and communities around the world,” said Kathleen Ellis, Executive Director, MUSC Center for Global Health. “Our students will gain valuable skills working in low-resource settings with diverse populations to better understand the complex determinants of health and enhance their cultural sensitivity.”

This partnership opens up the door for MUSC students to find a program that focuses on their interests – whether it’s an introduction to traditional medicine in India, exploring community medicine in the rainforest of Ecuador, Spanish immersion in a healthcare setting in Mexico to gaining perspective on HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

Programs are offered year-round, allowing flexibility to fit within students’ busy academic schedules. CFHI and MUSC will work with students to identify a project that is tailored to their educational level and professional interests, and embedded into local capacity-building projects to ensure long-term, sustainable impact.

"MUSC is making meaningful investments in global health and essential partnerships to bridge the university with communities around the globe,” said Dr. Jessica Evert, Executive Director, CFHI. “Through the CFHI collaboration, students from multiple disciplines will enhance their skills in cultural competence, communication, resource-conscious care, and teamwork."

CFHI models best global health education practices which demonstrate a priority commitment to community engagement and local integrity, and is in Special Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the United Nations.

Benefits of the MUSC/CFHI Partnership
• The program offers a diverse range of geographical, cultural, and clinical settings.
• Comprehensive orientation covering travel health and safety, cross-cultural issues, ethics, and clinical topics.
• Programs are 2 to 16 weeks in duration and run every month. (A select number of one-week programs are available in March for Spring Break.)
• Application fee waived for MUSC students. Enter the code “MUSC.”
• Students may be eligible for scholarships through CFHI
• Multidisciplinary and customized programming and experiences.
• Clinical rotations and public health placements with mentoring by local preceptors.
• Access to webinars on global health education

For students interested in learning more about this partnership, contact Kathleen Ellis at ellisk@musc.edu or visit www.cfhi.org