University of Louisville Magazine

SUMMER 2016

The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.

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S U M M E R U O F L M A G A Z I N E | 31 they will be caring for patients from all over the world. For medical professionals starting their careers, he says, "having a background in global education is extraordinarily important," because physicians will need a unique understanding of the cultural and social circumstances of patients who turn to them for care. For his part, over the course of his travels with the International Pediatrics program, Rodgers has worked with medical practitioners in at least a dozen developing countries, including those where poverty is widespread. The program, started in 1990 by Humana Chairman Emeritus, David A. Jones, has brought more than 200 foreign doctors and nurses to Louisville to train. The program also sends UofL resident physicians and Louisville medical professionals abroad to act in a teaching capacity. BEYOND THE POINT OF SUCCESS By developing familiarity with multicultural health issues, and addressing these challenges in Louisville and beyond, students like Lake are helping UofL's global education programs grow and evolve. More important, they are helping change the world for the better. It's a lofty pursuit, but it's achievable when you have committed and compassionate educators leading the way. Leone, she worked with her professors and peers to form an interdisciplinary awareness initiative to help students sort out facts from the massive amount of misinformation that was spreading at the time. As a follow-up to this effort, she helped organize a fundraiser to donate needed supplies to the region. More recently, Lake founded the Kentucky Refugee Outreach Program with the support of Bethany Hodge, MD, MPH, director of the DIGH program and Global Education Off ce (GEO), and fellow students Margaret Means and Kimberly Okafor. The program aims to help refugees transition to life in Louisville and includes mental and medical health orientation materials developed by Lake's team in collaboration with Catholic Charities of Louisville. In June 2016, Lake's group traveled to New York to present their refugee education plan at the 6th Annual North American Refugee Health Conference. They are currently working to expand the program by involving students from the School of Nursing and School of Public Health and Information Sciences, along with trained professionals within the Louisville medical community. Hodge noted that while students like Lake are exceptional, their ability to view the world through a global lens isn't necessarily unusual. The lens for most students is the screen on a mobile device or smartphone, which connects them to the broader world via social media. Hodge also points out a lot of students travel extensively prior to beginning medical school. SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES REACHED The DIGH track for medical students was started by Hodge and former UofL faculty member William Allen, Jr, MD, DTM&H;, three years ago in response to student interest in global health. There are currently 18 students on the track. Six new students have been added in 2016, and these students were chosen from a pool of more than 30 applicants, or about one fourth of the medical school class. The Global Education Off ce also offers programs for students who are not on the DIGH track. Hodge has 40 students traveling this summer to f ve different countries to enrich their learning experiences. Hodge also reported that 24 international visiting students have completed electives at the School of Medicine over the past year. PATH FOR STUDENTS IN PEDIATRIC MEDICINE The Department of Pediatrics also has a Global Health Certif cate program, one that's designed for pediatric residents. Like the School of Medicine DIGH track, this program offers training and development in an increasingly critical area of medicine. George Rodgers, MD, PhD, Humana Foundation Chair in International Pediatrics, points out that Louisville is now a global society, due in large part to its rising number of refugees and immigrants. Such population shifts are happening in cities across the United States, and he added that this is something that can no longer be ignored by universities and the medical community. According to Rodgers, "No matter where physicians locate their practices, "THE GROWTH OF THE KENTUCKY REFUGEE OUTREACH PROGRAM IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE GREAT PROMISE STUDENTS HAVE AS PART OF THE DISTINCTION IN GLOBAL HEALTH TRACK. IT REALLY CHALLENGES STUDENTS TO BE PART OF THE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY THAT'S EMERGING IN LOUISVILLE." —MeNore Lake, third-year UofL medical student L Dr. Bethany Hodge (bottom left) with medical students on a service learning trip to Mufi ndi, Tanzania.

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