DO - Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Gl bal Hea
International programs offer research and clinical exp
improve cultural sensitivity By Anita Martin
A
lthough Shawn Horwitz was born in South Africa, he
grew up in the United States. Last year, as a second-year
student at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine,
he made his first trip to Africa as an adult to conduct health
care research through the Kenyan Grandparents Study.
“I wanted to see the culture and the medical system of an
African country,” says Horwitz, who also plans to explore the
medical practices of South America and Asia. “I’m interested
in going back to the third-world area. I’d like to have some
kind of impact where it’s most needed.”
Every year, Gillian Ice, Ph.D., founder of the Kenyan
Grandparents Study and director of international programs
at the college, facilitates training trips for students from
the college and other participating medical schools across
the country. Programming expanded last year to include El
Salvador and the Dominican Republic, and participation in
all programs—averaging about 30 students a year over the
past few years—is growing.
“Having experiences in international medicine helps students
to think about the system in the U.S. with a different
perspective—to not just assume that we provide the best
system, but to really think about the decisions we make and
why,” says Ice, also an associate professor of social medicine.
The college’s international programs feature tropical disease
research in Ecuador, clinical and research rotations in Kenya,
geriatric training in Scotland, new clinical rounds in El
Salvador and the Dominican Republic, and, until recently,
traditional medicine training in China.
“If a third or fourth-year student wants to travel to a destination
or participate in a program not offered by OU-COM, they
can set one up themselves with our approval,” Ice says. “But
we still have a structure in place to ensure the student’s safety
and a solid educational experience.”
This past year students Andrea Molcutt and Zarinah Hudd,
set up their own projects in Ghana and Ethiopia, respectively.
Two more third-year students, Joseph Davis and Petter
Vaagenes, traveled to Norway in 2005 to learn more about
the practice of socialized medicine. All returning students
Second-year student Shawn Horwitz, right, and Gillian Ice,
Ph.D., distribute school uniforms to the local orphans.
write and present papers comparing international medical systems
based on their experiences.
“Whether you practice right here, in Appalachia, or in some
urban setting, it helps to be open to all cultures and be aware