Offices of Medical Student Education: Policy on Global Health Electives Travel

Summary

This Policy describes the School of Medicine’s required process for students to travel for global health electives.

Body

Unit Policy

Title

Offices of Medical Student Education: Policy on Global Health Electives Travel

Introduction

Purpose

This Policy describes the School of Medicine’s required process for students to travel for global health electives.

Scope

This Policy is applicable to School of Medicine (SOM) faculty, staff and students participating in or assisting with global health electives.

Policy

Policy Statement

It is the policy of UNC School of Medicine (SOM) that all medical students undertaking global health travel must complete pre-travel requirements and receive Office of Global Health Education (OGHE) approval at least eight (8) weeks prior to their departure date from the United States. Students who do not complete pre-travel requirements will not be allowed to travel or receive UNC School of Medicine funding or course credit. Global health travel must not conflict with any required curricular elements including courses and orientations.

General Requirements

Pre-travel requirements

  • Students must request approval for university-related international travel through UNC Global Affairs' process.
  • Students must register travel with the OGHE by completing the Travel Registration, and Emergency Contact, and Code of Conduct form.
  • Students must provide proof to the OGHE that they had an appointment at a travel health clinic for appropriate health and safety information and counseling on immunizations and medications to help reduce the risk of illness and injury related to international travel. This appointment must be no later than eight (8) weeks before their departure date.
  • Students must complete the required online Child and Family Health International pre-departure training courses and related health and safety videos and submit to OGHE a copy of their certificate of completion via email to oghe@med.unc.edu.

Definitions

Global Health Elective: An optional course studying health issues in areas outside of North Carolina, including other countries.

Related Requirements

External Regulations

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Name: Sylvia Becker Dreps, Director of the Office of Global Health Education

Email: sbd@email.unc.edu

Other Contacts

Name: Heidi White, Assistant Director of the Office of Global Health Education

Email: Heidi_White@med.unc.edu

Details

Details

Article ID: 161761
Created
Tue 5/5/26 10:28 AM
Modified
Tue 5/5/26 10:28 AM
Responsible Unit
School, Department, or other organizational unit issuing this document.
School of Medicine - OMSE
Issuing Officer
Name of the document Issuing Officer. This is the individual whose organizational authority covers the policy scope and who is primarily responsible for the policy.
Issuing Officer Title
Title of the person who is primarily responsible for issuing this policy.
Senior Associate Dean for Medical Student Education
Next Review
Date on which the next document review is due.
05/19/2027 12:00 AM
Last Review
Date on which the most recent document review was completed.
05/05/2026 12:00 AM
Last Revised
Date on which the most recent changes to this document were approved.
05/20/2024 12:00 AM
Effective Date
If the date on which this document became/becomes enforceable differs from the Origination or Last Revision, this attribute reflects the date on which it is/was enforcable.
05/20/2024 12:00 AM
Origination
Date on which the original version of this document was first made official.
05/20/2024 12:00 AM