Creative Funding for International Health Electives.doc

8/11/2019 Creative Funding for International Health Electives.doc

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Creative Funding for International Health Electives

Medical students increasingly view international electives as desirable if not necessary

experiences as the establishment of global communications and linkages becomes a

necessity to much of the world and the population of the United States becomesincreasingly diverse.

While a number of such options are offered by various colleges of medicine and osteopathy,the cost of participating in them is prohibitive for many. AMSA estimates that medical

students spend an average of !"## for a six$week elective. More students would be able topartake in international opportunities would increase if students were more aware of the

potential sources of financial assistance.

%his guide identifies possible sources of assistance $ from grants to original fundraising

efforts $ that may help defray all or part of a student&s expenses for an international healthelective.

'stablished (unding Sources

)on$%raditional (unding Sources

*ow +ost 'lectives University (unding Sources

The Creative Funding Guide for International Electives was prepared in collaboration with the International Health

Medical Education Consortium (IHMEC) and the merican Medical !tudent ssociation (M!) b"!ara E# $irtle% &niversit" of 'ebrasa Medical Center% ffice of International !tudies and $rogramsand b" the International Health !tudies Center of the merican Medical !tudent ssociationFoundation# *++,


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Established Funding Sources

Belgian American Educational FoundationGraduate fellowships for stud" in -elgium

%he (oundation will award fellowships for advanced study at one of the elgianUniversities or other academic institutions of higher learning.

http://wwwbaefbe

Christian !edical and "ental Societ# $C!"S%.ames !# /estra Memorial Endowment Fund+M-S offers a program of grants$in$aid, through the ames S. Westra Memorial

'ndowment (und, that provides selected medical/dental students with clinical

experiences of two weeks or more in mission settings in developing countries.

http://wwwcmdaorg/

Foreign !ission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention%his competitive program provides round$trip travel and hospitality for fourth$yearstudents participating at one of the program&s many international sites. 'ight to ten

students per year are accepted for a minimum of eight weeks.

http://wwwsbcnet/missionswor&asp

'lobal Health !inistries (ravel 'rants

0lobal 1ealth Ministries 201M3 may award up to four travel grants annually to assistapproved fourth$year medical students to travel to a 01M related hospital or health

care center in %an4ania, Madagascar, or +ameroon for an international elective of atleast eight weeks duration.

http://wwwghmorg/

!edical Assistance )rogram International $!A)% International Fellowship )rogram%he MA5$6eader&s -igest 7nternational (ellowship 5rogram provides for 8"9 of the

most economical regularly scheduled round$trip air fare to one site for senior medicalstudents and resident physicians. Students serve with well$:ualified physicians

associated with rural or out$lying mission hospitals, clinics or community healthprograms recogni4ed by MA5. %he purpose is to offer clinical experiences in settings

that will enable them to become familiar with the cultural, social and medicalproblems characteristic of developing countries and thereby encourage the students

to seriously consider career involvement in +hristian medical missions. A minimum ofeight weeks must be spent on location.

http://wwwmaporg/what*we*do/map*fellows/
http://www.baef.be/http://www.cmda.org/http://www.sbc.net/missionswork.asphttp://www.ghm.org/http://www.map.org/what-we-do/map-fellows/http://www.baef.be/http://www.cmda.org/http://www.sbc.net/missionswork.asphttp://www.ghm.org/http://www.map.org/what-we-do/map-fellows/


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Academ# for Educational "evelopment $AE"%

'ational !ecurit" Education $rogram ('!E$) 0 Graduate FellowshipsScholarships for language study in less commonly studied countries/regions. May be

combined with medical electives.

http://wwwaedorg/

+etwor& of Communit#*,riented Educational Institutions for Health Sciences

%he )etwork is an international collaborative effort of more than !"# medical schoolsand other institutions dedicated to making education relevant to the health needs of

the populations served by its graduates. Students from member institutions canreceive assistance in arranging international health electives at other member

institutions.

http://wwwncbinlmnihgov/pubmed/-.-00

)hilippe Foundation1 Inc%he 5hilippe (oundation is a small organi4ation speciali4ing in the exchange of

doctors between the United States and (rance emphasi4ing medical research,

particularly cancer. %hese grants are designed to facilitate the exchanges, notprovide the principal source of support. At the end of the stay, ! copies of a report

describing your results to close your file are re:uired.

%he 5hilippe (oundation, 7nc.

%wo 5enn 5la4a, Suite ;

)ew =ork )= ;#;!; USA%el > 2!;!3 ?@8 ! 2!;!3 ?@8 C ;@

(he Harr# Fran& 'uggenheim 2esearch 'rant%he (oundation welcomes proposals from any of the natural and social sciences andthe humanities that promise to increase understanding of the causes, manifestations,

and control of violence, aggression, and dominance. 1ighest priority is given toresearch that can increase understanding and amelioration of these urgent problems

in the modern world. 5riority also will be given to areas and methodologies not

receiving ade:uate attention and support from other funding sources. 0rants aremade to individuals, not to institutions. %he (oundation ordinarily makes awards

from ;",###$",### a year for ;$! year. All awards are for one$year terms initially.(urther funding re:uires annual applications for continuation of support. (inal reports

are mandatory within six months after the end of the grant period. 0rants areusually made to senior scholars with 5h- or M- degrees and a considerable track

record for research on violence and aggression. Dnly original pieces of research onsignificant social problems related to violence and aggression solicited.

http://wwwhfgorg/
http://www.aed.org/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2025353http://www.hfg.org/http://www.aed.org/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2025353http://www.hfg.org/


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(he 2otar# Foundation

0raduate scholarships for international study are available in any field and re:uire aone year commitment. %he scholarships cover travel expenses and provide a stipend

for room and board. %he applicant must be able to communicate in the hostlanguage. All applications are made and processed through the local 6otary +lub.

http://wwwrotar#org/en/About3s/(he2otar#Foundation/)ages/ridefaultasp4

(he Swedish Institute $Svens&a Institutet%Guest !cholarships

%he scholarships are granted only for studies/research which cannot be e:ually wellpursued in countries other than Sweden. Scholarships are usually granted for one

academic year 2< months3, but can also be awarded for study periods of shortduration. Student must establish contact with a Swedish university department

willing to accept the applicant before he/she applies. A copy of a letter from the

Swedish university proving that the applicant is welcome there must be sent togetherwith the letter re:uesting application forms.

http://wwwsise/English/

3niversit# of Alabama at Birmingham1 School of )ublic Health

International Health 1esearch pportunities2funded by the )ational 7nstitutes of1ealth and the ohn . Sparkman +enter for 7nternational 5ublic 1ealth 'ducation3

%he -epartment of 7nternational 1ealth at the University of Alabama at irminghamSchool of 5ublic 1ealth offers research training opportunities to minority

undergraduate and graduate students who have an interest in the areas of nutrition,tropical and infectious diseases, reproductive health and/or sexually transmitted

diseases and A7-S.

http://wwwsophuabedu/

5ilderness !edical Societ#

The Charles !# Houston ward%he Wilderness Medical Society is interested in nurturing an awareness and

appreciation among students of medicine for the medical aspects of outdoor andwilderness activities. %he +harles S. 1ouston Award is given annually to one or two

students who have submitted research proposals must likely to result in asubstantive contribution to the field of wilderness and environmental medicine. %he

research is usually conducted over the course of a summer, approximately threemonths.

http://wwwwmsorg/
http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/TheRotaryFoundation/Pages/ridefault.aspxhttp://www.si.se/English/http://www.soph.uab.edu/http://www.wms.org/http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/TheRotaryFoundation/Pages/ridefault.aspxhttp://www.si.se/English/http://www.soph.uab.edu/http://www.wms.org/


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+on*(raditional Funding Sources

elow are suggestions of general types of organi4ations that may be receptive to carefullyprepared re:uests from an individual or institution to provide full or partial support for an

international elective opportunity. A proposal should include an anticipated budget andidentify what the gains are for the organi4ation, the host country, and the student. 7t is

critical to follow$up with the donor group via a presentation, slide show, etc. after thecompletion of the elective. %his not only allows the donor organi4ation to see the results of

its financial support, but lays the groundwork for future solicitation.

2eligious ,rgani6ationsMany religious organi4ations are becoming more active in their support of service$relatedproEects with an international focus. Although the organi4ation as a whole may be

approached, it may be more appropriate to re:uest aid from a particular committee or armwithin the organi4ation that may be set up to act more directly on such a re:uest, e.g., a

social ministry committee or FmissionaryF group. A student who belongs to such anorgani4ation may have an enhanced chance of receiving a favorable response.

Sister Cit# ,rgani6ations

-ynamic Sister +ity relationships can be the source of reciprocal programs, homestays, etc.which, when tied to an international elective, can significantly reduce its cost. %o locate a

contact for a program in your city or to initiate a Sister +ity relationship, re:uest informationfrom Sister +ities 7nternational.

http>//www.sister$cities.org/

)artners of the Americas5artners of the Americas is the largest private, voluntary organi4ation in the Western

hemisphere engaged in economic and social development and technical training. %heorgani4ation works by pairing US states and the -istrict of +olumbia with regions and

countries of *atin America and the +aribbean in Fpartnerships.F (or example, Gansas islinked with 5araguay and )ew ersey with 1aiti. %he partnerships partake in exchanges and

organi4e development proEects determined by local needs. %hese proEects have includedmaternal/child health and nutrition, immuni4ations, A7-S prevention and education, and

drug abuse prevention. 7n some instances, medical students have been approved toparticipate in these proEects. Airfare is usually furnished for approved participants and either

homestays are provided or low$cost room and board is available.

http>//www.partners.net

Ethnic ,rgani6ations*ocal ethnic organi4ations may be interested in offering support for an elective located in

the country of affiliation. )ew =ork Medical +ollege in Halhalla, )ew =ork, for example, has

been able to full or partially fund student international electives in 7taly, 7ndia, 1aiti, 0reece,and the Ukraine by tapping this resource. (ollowing the elective, the Medical +ollege

arranges a luncheon for the supporting group at which the recipient student discusses his
http://www.sister-cities.org/http://www.partners.net/http://www.sister-cities.org/http://www.partners.net/


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experiences. While larger metropolitan areas usually host a number of active ethnicorgani4ations and associations, smaller cities, too, often have one or more strong ethnic

organi4ations that can be approached for assistance.

7ocal and 2egional Chapters of )rofessional ,rgani6ations

Most medical and allied health sciences professions have their own professionalorgani4ations. A well$written proposal directed to the appropriate group may receive apositive response.

(or instance, the )ebraska Academy of (amily 5hysicians& (oundation has designated funds

for several partial scholarships for students anticipating participation in a medical missions

trip. 'ligible students must be enrolled in a )ebraska medical school and have an interest infamily practice.

7ocal and 2egional Corporations

)ational corporations often receive many re:uests for funding, while local corporations aremore accessible and can become more personally involved. A local corporation may consider

awarding a grant or a scholarship as part of its public relations efforts.

7ocal and 2egional FoundationsA locally or regionally based foundation may offer assistance to a student whose

international elective is related to the foundation&s mission.

7ocal and 2egional Chapters of Civic ,rgani6ationsArea chapters of the *ions +lub, aycees, 6otary, unior *eague 2for women only3, etc. give

generously to fund education often including international medical electives, especially thosechapters located near the medical school or the student&s hometown. *ook for contacts in

the phone book where you study and in your home town.

7ocal +ewspapers and !aga6ines%hough not in the same category as the other non$traditional sources identified in this

section, local publications in the city where the medical school is located and in thestudent&s home town may consider paying a student to write one or more articles regarding

health care issues in the country of the elective. A student who wrote a series of articles fora 5hiladelphia daily on health care in +hina recovered all of his trip costs and expenses.


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7ow Cost Electives

While a fully funded opportunity may be most desirable, a number of low$cost electives existthat are substantially subsidi4ed by other sources. 6oom and/or board, for example, may be

provided for the student or offered at minimal cost. %he amount that a student will have topay on his or her own varies considerably with each program. A low$cost elective, combined

with a small scholarship from a local organi4ation, such as a church, can considerably defraya student&s expenses. Many low$cost opportunities are availableB the sampling below

includes Eust a few of them.

(or further listings, consult the directory of 7nternational 1ealth 'lectives for Medical

Students.http>//www.amsa.org/AMSA/1omepage/'ducation+areer-evelopment/7ntl1ealthDpps.aspx

International Federation of !edical Students Associations $IF!SA%%he 7(MSA is a student$run organi4ation arranging over ?,### international exchanges for

medical students each year. Member countries are located throughout 'urope, the Middle

'ast, Asia, Africa, and *atin America. 'xchange criteria are established for each institution

by the -eans and generally include a facility for 'nglish or the local language, insurance,etc. )ational and local medical student organi4ations arrange for amenities including room,

board, and cultural programs. Usually bilateral exchanges are arranged, although unilateralprograms are possible.

'ffective in ; ;$C$@@;"!!
http://www.amsa.org/ifmsahttp://www.amsa.org/ifmsa


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3niversit# Funding Sources

5or&*stud#Medical schools that use federal or state work$study funds may be able to use excess funds

to help finance international electives. %he cooperation of the financial aid director isnecessary to use the funds for this purpose. %he student may be re:uired to work part of

the year with the sponsoring department, who must also contribute to the stipend,depending on the school&s policies. 7t may be possible for this contribution to come from

another source, such as the alumni association.

Alumni AssociationsAlumni boards may allocate funds for a specific international proEect which includes studentparticipation. (or example, the +ollege of Medicine at the University of )ebraska Medical

+enter petitioned and received from the University of )ebraska +ollege of Medicine AlumniAssociation a grant of ;?,### to fund an international elective in eli4e for three years.

Students receive room and board and half of their air fare for the one$month elective.

At +ornell University Medical +ollege, two reunion classes designated their gifts to establish

an 7nternational (ellowship to honor a well$respected professor. %he -ean matched the gift,which is now an endowment, to provide travel funds for students selected by the school&s

7nternational +ommittee.

Individual Alumnus/Facult#/Staff Support

7dentification of alumni, faculty, and staff with international interests can serve as a basisfor promotion and contribution re:uests for a particular program or cause. %hese individuals

may be rich sources of information regarding overseas contacts, program development,funding ideas, etc. %hey may also help finance students. (or example, a faculty member of

)ew =ork Medical +ollege personally finances the airfare of two medical students every yearso that they may experience an elective in his home country.

Commitment from the "eanAt some schools the -ean&s office commits funds for use in supporting international

electives.

Student Efforts

A student organi4ation may contribute to fundraising through sales of %$shirts, baked goods,etc.

Creative Funding for International Health Electives.doc

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