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International Medical Education Heersink School of Medicine

International Medical Education

UAB International Medical Education Medical Student Enrichment Program

UAB International Medical Education (UAB IME) creates, financially supports, and serves as the primary preceptor for service and training opportunities in developing countries and underserved areas throughout the world for first- and fourth-year medical students at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

These opportunities:

  • Help you to obtain a more diverse perspective on global issues
  • Advance your foreign language skills
  • Help you learn research ethics and methods
  • Help build collaborations
  • Help your academic and career advancement

Eligibility:

Heersink School of Medicine MS1 or MS4 in good academic standing (not on academic probation).

UAB International Medical Education (UAB IME) Structured Opportunities

With a UAB IME MS1 and MS4 structured international clinical elective/experience, all of your pre-departure planning, advising, on-site support, excursions (when applicable), housing and training has already been designed and arranged.

  • Faculty Mentoring and Support
  • Elective / training scheduling   
  • Assistance with documentation needed for VISA
  • Transportation from airport to housing and return at end of elective
  • Daily transportation to and from training location arranged 
  • Housing and laundry services
  • Planned and paid for excursions and weekend activities (when applicable),

The majority of these opportunities take place during medical school academic breaks.

For MS1s, participation will be noted on the student's academic transcript, no academic credit awarded toward the graduation elective requirement.

For MS4s, participants may be awarded elective credit with prior approval from UAB IME, Heersink School of Medicine, and Course Director. Participation will be noted on the student's academic transcript accordingly. 

To Apply:

Email internationalMD@uab.edu to find out the dates and locations of upcoming opportunities.

UAB International Medical Education (UAB IME) Medical Student-Structured Opportunities

UAB IME student-structured international clinical electives allow medical students to play an active role in structuring their international medicine training experience. Students can apply for acceptance into the program through the following steps:

  1. Draft a proposal of your international clinical elective/experience; to include Dates of elective 
    Objective, Goals, Elective site details (city/country, hospital details, and patient demographic), Travel details (location, travel itinerary and travel during elective), Housing, Meals, Complete budget and the names of UAB Faculty/Elective Preceptor, and other fourth-year students who will attend the elective during the same rotation.
  2. Email your proposal to internationalMD@uab.edu with the subject line: UAB Heersink MS4 MSEP proposal – First and Last Name
  3. Schedule a meeting to review the proposal with Dr. Zayzafoon by sending a request for a meeting to internationalMD@uab.edu

After meeting with Dr. Zayzafoon, you will be notified of whether your proposal is acceptable for final submission and next steps.

Deadlines for Student-Structured Proposals:

  • Proposals accepted until the end of February of each year or until all scholarship funds are dedicated
  • Final proposal and MSEP Application due by end of July of each school year
  • Acceptance and Scholarship decisions will be announced at the end of September of each school year

Participation will be noted on the student's academic transcript. When approved, academic credit will be awarded toward the graduation elective requirement.   

To Apply:

Email proposal and contact information to internationalMD@uab.edu.