The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai commits core curricular time to teaching global health content. This reflects our mission to produce leaders, advocates, and activists who are aware of local and global disparities in health care access and health outcomes, and who understand the complexities of the context in which health and health systems exist locally and globally. The curriculum introduces students to strategies and tools that can be used to address gaps in health status and health care delivery, as well as helping them understand their own roles in improving the health of vulnerable and marginalized populations, whether in New York City or abroad.

Global Health Essentials Course

The Global Health Essentials course prepares first-year medical students participating in the Global Health Summer Research Program. The course aims to help students develop greater cultural and structural humility and mental models for analyzing their positions and acting ethically in global health settings. The course also provides tools and information on health, safety, and security while abroad. The course is required for all students in the Summer Research Program, but is open to other interested students as well.

Global Health Electives

Students are offered a generous amount of elective time in years three and four to pursue scholarly activity, take clinical electives, visit academic institutions in the United States, or—through Global Health Electives—pursue opportunities abroad. Global Health Electives provide a great opportunity for students to engage in clinical practice, research, or education in an international setting.

For students who have already participated in global health work during their first or second year, a Global Health Elective can provide an opportunity for continued work on their Global Health Summer Project and/or scholarly year research agenda. These electives allow students to enhance their skills and knowledge as Global Health clinicians and clinician-advocates by:

• Developing clinical skills necessary to practice medicine in resource-limited areas
• Experiencing cultural differences in providing patient care
• Gaining experience in communicating with patients in a foreign language
• Gaining exposure to disease entities and presentations not commonly seen in the United States
• Gaining an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the manners in which the American health care system differs from those of other nations on political, legal, economic, and ethical levels

The selection of Global Health Electives offered can change every year. View the most up-to-date list.

Please note that students pursuing an elective abroad are required to complete several pre-travel requirements.