If you are a Feinberg School of Medicine student in good standing, you are encouraged to apply for funding to travel and study in under-resourced countries any time during your four years of education at Northwestern University.

Medical Students have said of their experience:

Primary care is what we think about when we think of medicine - it is medicine. And it is what people need.

M4 student, serving in Nicaragua

Developing these relationships and spending time with Kenyans was the most rewarding aspect of this trip. We were able to talk to the residents about their path to medical school and then residency and their aspirations as physicians. While we are trained halfway around the world from one another, our goals are still strikingly similar - be a competent physician who can help treat illness and care for people.

M4 student, serving in Kenya

There are so many people in the world that we can help and that we should help. It was a very good experience to see them and realize that I can make a difference in their lives.

M2 student, serving in India

I have always valued primary care. It’s the first line of medical care, ideally able to treat most acute and chronic conditions. This trip affirmed that reality as our attending physicians handled every patient’s problem effectively with their broad-based medical training.

M4 student, serving in Jamaica

I now have a greater understanding of how important local infrastructure and an understanding of a culture is before effective healthcare can be delivered.

M4 student, serving in Bolivia

It brought me closer to the idea of primary care being vital in the medical process. In the American medical system specialization is seen as a sign of achievement, of success because it is associated with the prestige of the enhanced preparation and a higher pay-check. Stepping away from this environment gave me a chance to appreciate the benefits of the physician that builds a relationship with a patient – the simpler kind of medicine…

M4 student, serving in South Africa

When there are not lab tests, imaging studies and culture results to tell us what is going on you are brought back to the true practice of medicine – LISTENING to your patient.

Belize Reflections/FSM Department of Family Medicine

I greatly appreciate the help of the GHI in allowing me to participate in this trip - it has greatly increased my knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, primary care medicine.

NU-AID medical student, Jamaica

Now, more than ever before, I realize the need for medical service in underserved populations, especially at international sited. I also appreciate the human aspect of medicine more rather than focusing on the science aspect.

First year medical student, Nicaragua

Resource-limited countries have so little and ask for even less. Develop your clinical skills, help those in need of care, and be a part of an innovative solution to the world’s most daunting healthcare problems.  FSM students have received funding to support global health experiences in the following countries:

To access the application for GHI funding, please click here.

For application information, please contact:

Daniel Young
Associate Director Global Health Education
Center for Global Health
Feinberg School of Medicine
d-young@northwestern.edu
312-503-8829

Terry Long, MA
Program Coordinator
Global Health Education and Community Services Coordinator
Feinberg School of Medicine
t-long@northwestern.edu
312-503-1474

Cynthia Horvath Garbutt, J.D.
Executive Director
The Global Health Initiative
Chicago Lake Shore Medical Associates
cgarbutt@clsma.com
312-926-6216