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Global Health Program
Patient Care
Overseas Clinical Sites
- University of Guanajuato, Leon, Mexico
- Centro de Obras Sociales, Chimbote, Peru
- San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala
- Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
- Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
University of Guanajuato, Leon, Mexico
The University of Guanajuato in Leon, Mexico is close to our borders. The City of Leon has approximately 1.5 million people and is the largest city in the state of Guanajuato. It is located 300 miles northwest of Mexico City. The medical school curriculum consists of 6 years with the first two years dedicated to basic sciences and the last four years to pathology and clinical disciplines. WVU medical students would be able to do a clinical rotation of their preference according to their level of training and expertise if approved in advance by the University of Guanajuato School of Medicine. WVU students would have “hands on” participation just like a Mexican student rotating on the same service.
Medical students from the School of Medicine in Leon participate in rotations at the two main hospitals. The largest one is the Social Security Hospital (IMSS) where patients with national insurance are treated. The other hospital is the University Hospital where most of the patients have no insurance. The pediatric and obstetric services are very busy at both hospitals. Both hospitals are relatively well equipped and the quality of health care is very good.
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Centro de Obras Sociales, Chimbote, Peru
Chimbote, one of Peru’s principal fishing ports, is a city located about 250 miles north of the capital city of Lima. The Center for Social Works started as an outpatient clinic and home for the elderly and now serves the needs of the entire community. A Newborn Special Care Unit at the center assists high-risk newborns and premature babies. The center also cares for toddlers and infants who have been abandoned, often because of great medical need. More than 100 abandoned children have been served by the center and passed on to adoptive homes. There is a small maternity hospital, La Maternidad de Maria, which provides improved birthing services. This 50-bed facility has an average monthly birth rate of almost 100. A clinical laboratory, Laboratorio San Martin, was constructed in 1971. Common health problems include malnutrition, dehydration, tuberculosis, premature and high risk newborns, parasitic infections, HIV infection, asthma and other general medical and pediatric illnesses.
In addition to pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology, there are general internal medicine, HIV, and tuberculosis clinics. Home visits are made by nurses to homes of young mothers and their children. WVU students have the opportunity to accompany the health care team on these visits.
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San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala
San Lucas is located about 80 miles west of Guatemala City at an elevation of 5200 feet. The days are warm (75-80°). Early morning, late afternoon and nights are cool sometimes going down to about 45°. The people of Guatemala are mostly of Indian ancestry but about 40% of the population is Latino. The official language is Spanish but many people speak only the Indian dialect.
The patients who attend the clinic are mainly children and women, occasionally men. A couple times a week students and faculty will visit other rural clinics.
San Lucas Toliman has various other projects with their Volunteer Program. Students are encouraged to get involved in these projects including reforestation, gardening, coffee processing, construction, water management, school, and adult literacy courses.
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Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
This is a site that Dr. Tina Slusher, Department of Pediatrics, has been going to for several years. It is a 500-bed teaching hospital with a pediatric residency program. They see many pediatric tropical medicine diseases including malaria, many other infectious diseases, rheumatic heart disease, HIV/AIDs. The site has a large neonatal intensive care unit and acute care unit. Students and residents are paired with their Ugandan colleagues throughout the duration of their one-month rotation. In addition to being an integral part of the ward teams, there are many didactic opportunities for learning as well.
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Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
West Virginia University School of Medicine has had an ongoing formal affiliation agreement with Zhejiang University School of Medicine since 1989 with several faculty and student exchanges since that time. Zhejiang Province is the largest metropolis in China. It lies in the southern sector of the Yangtze River Delta. All five campuses of Zhejiang University are located in the “garden city” of Hangzhou. Hangzhou is a tourist resort noted for its beautiful West Lake and the surrounding scenic spots and places of historic interest. Rotations are available in pediatrics, surgery, general internal medicine, infectious diseases, cardiology, etc.
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