Global Health and Policy Committee

• About the Committee
• Global Health and Policy Resources
• Global Health and Policy Opportunities

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About the Committee

The MSS Global Health and Policy (GHP) Committee serves as a bridge to international health issues and assists medical students in finding opportunities in clinical practice and public health abroad.

Read about the Committee’s goals

Meet your 2007-2008 Global Health and Policy Committee

Contact your Global Health and Policy Committee

• Committee Chair- David Miller
• Committee Vice Chair- Melissa Morgan

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Global Health and Policy Resources

Informational Resources

• Q&A Guidance for Persons Considering an International Health Career: Created by the International Health Medical Education Consortium (select “Resources” on the main page).
  
  
• World Health Organization- World Health Reports: These annual reports combine an expert assessment of global health, including statistics relating to all countries, with a focus on a specific subject each year. The main purpose of the report is to provide countries, donor agencies, international organizations, and others with the information they need to help them make policy and funding decisions.
  • 2006 Working Together for Health: This report lays out a ten-year action plan by which countries can build their health workforces, with the support of global partners.
  • 2005 Make Every Mother and Child Count: This report discusses the importance of every mother and every child having access to health care from pregnancy through childbirth, the neonatal period and childhood.
  • 2004 Changing History: This report calls for a comprehensive HIV/AIDS strategy that links prevention, treatment, care and long-term support.
  • 2003 Shaping the Future: This report examines the global health situation and some of the major threats to health in today's world.
  • 2002 Reducing Risks, Promoting Healthy Lifestyles: This report describes the amount of disease, disability and death in the world today that can be attributed to a selected number of the most important risks to human health.
  • 2001 Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope: This report focuses on the fact that mental health – neglected for far too long – is crucial to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries.
  • 2000 Improving Health Systems: Improving Performance: This report examines and compares aspects of health systems around the world.
  
  
• Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge: This series of PBS documentaries examines what makes us sick, what keeps us healthy, and what it would take to give good health the upper hand.
  
  
• Awakening Hippocrates: A Primer on Health, Poverty, and Global Service
  This resource takes aim on helping health professionals better understand the reasons for global health disparities. The primer outlines the reasons why health professionals are essential to affecting change in current global affairs and how they can participate in serving those who are in need.
  

Surgeon's Journal From Iraq : Dr. Thomas Beaver is a thoracic surgeon at the University of Florida College of Medicine and was called to active duty in Iraq on July 25, 2004. This is his journal.

Policy

• Search MSS Policy on International Health and Policy (PDF, KB)
  
  
• Search AMA Policy
  
  
• Read AMA-MSS Reports related to Global Health and Policy
  • Report of the MSS Governing Council (I-03): United Nations Population Fund (Word, 38KB)
  • Report of the MSS Governing Council (A-05): MSS Involvement with International Health and Policy (PDF, 55KB)
  • Report of the MSS Governing Council(I-06): MSS Involvement with International Health and Policy- Update (PDF, 23KB)
    

Interested in learning more about Global Health?

• Join the Global Health and Policy listserv. GHP has created a Global Health and Policy listserv where new international health opportunities can be posted and international health issues discussed. This listserv is open to anyone who is a member of the AMA-MSS and interested in Global Health. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Global Health and Policy Opportunities

Global Opportunities

• AMA-MSS Global Health Database: A database of international health opportunities including list of funding resources, medical electives, residencies with medical electives, and travel information resources.
  
  
  
• AMA-MSS GHP "Go Abroad!" Presentation (PDF, 614KB)  
  
  
• Foreign Residency Rotations & Opportunities Abroad: Site created by the AMA Resident and Fellow Section.
  
  
• A Practical Guide to Global Health Service: This resource profiles approximately 300 organizations that place health service volunteers. The focus is on direct action and how one safely and effectively engages in medical volunteering. Each detailed profile includes concise descriptions, contact information, and practical information about length of service terms, personnel sought, areas served, and availability of funding, training, and room and board.
  

Local Opportunities
You don’t necessarily have to go abroad to be involved in international health and policy. Here are some things you can do without ever leaving the country:

• Involve your MSS chapter and fellow medical students in International Health
  • AMA-MSS Chapter resources for HIV/AIDS: Includes a community service module for rapid HIV testing, informational PowerPoint presentation (PowerPoint, 204KB) for high school students, pocket-size resource handout (Word, 25KB), and list of HIV/AIDS activities in legislative advocacy, public awareness, community outreach and educational intervention.
    
  • AMA WorldScopes Program : WorldScopes hopes to collect 100,000 stethoscopes from U.S. physicians and distribute them, with the help of humanitarian organizations, to communities around the world where medical supplies are scarce.
  • Donation Programs for Books, Journals, and Media : List of contacts in developing countries for book drives.
  • RECOVER: Child Family Health International (PDF, 439KB): The waste of medical supplies in the United States is estimated at over $6 billion a year. The Child Family Health International (CFHI) RECOVER program collects medical supplies and medications that would otherwise be discarded or unused in the United States. This is a step-by-step guide created by CFHI regarding how to recover medical supplies.
    
    
• Get involved in the AMA
  • Apply (Word, 50KB) to serve on the 2008-2009 MSS Global Health and Policy Committee.
  • Join the global health and policy listserv and share your ideas about international health and policy with your fellow medical students.
  • Affect MSS and AMA policy on global health by writing a resolution .
  • Secure a global health policy internship in Washington, D.C., and apply for the AMA's Government Relations Internship Program.

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