• To prepare medical students to participate in global health activities on an advanced level with the goal of addressing health inequities
• To provide medical students with the skills needed to prioritize health care concerns and development strategies to address these needs
• To provide mentorship to medical students interested in global health careers
• To enable medical students to gain perspective on the challenges and rewards of working in environments and cultures in contrast to those of the American system

Requirements

• Satisfactory completion of two on-campus Global Health Programs courses (MED:8081 and MED:8082) which provide a foundation in global health concepts
• Community-based involvement in approved Global Health Programs electives and clerkships for a minimum of 12 weeks within the four years of medical school
• Completion of a Global Health emphasis project, including:
  • Submission of a proposal identifying a health care need in a region
  • Participation in related research or service delivery in the field under faculty mentorship, including final report submission
  • Presentation of related work at a professional conference or in a Carver College of Medicine setting such as the Global Health Seminar or Department Grand Rounds session

• To help future physicians navigate the ever-changing health care world
• To provide instruction in basic skills used frequently in leadership positions
• To provide networking opportunities with physician leaders
• To help students identify early interest in other degree opportunities: Master in Business Administration or Masters in Health Administration

Requirements

• Educational seminars
  Highly interactive didactic sessions, four a year. Sessions are frequently case-based and require preparation. Attendance of nine seminars is required.
• Capstone project
  A mentor-directed project showcasing application of knowledge from the program toward issues of health delivery and management. Project topics must be approved by the leadership, with oral presentation or journal publication completed prior to graduation.
• Elective courses
  Leadership for Future Health Care Professionals, Financial Management for the Rising Intern, Health Policy Advocacy (Des Moines campus)

Additional Topics

Public policy and advocacy (with an option to spend an elective month advocating at the state capitol in Des Moines), managerial accounting, negotiations, e-health, finance, informatics, entrepreneurship, strategy, leading highly functional teams, and human talent management.

• To support and recognize students who make scholarly or creative contributions in the medical humanities
• To prepare students to integrate the medical humanities into their medical careers
• To prepare students to be effective promoters of humanism within the profession of medicine

Requirements

• Collaboration with a faculty mentor
• Research, scholarly or creative work
  Depending on the nature of the student's pursuits, these works may constitute a single manuscript (e.g. research or scholarly paper) or a collection of creative works (e.g. a portfolio, performance, or appropriate number of poems, short stories, musical compositions, or other creative works)
• Three elective activities
  These opportunities are available during the pre-clinical and clinical phase of the curriculum and include writing electives, ethics electives, and the Personal-Professional Compass program.

RDT is designed to formally recognize students for their participation in ongoing research throughout medical school.

Requirements

• Sixteen weeks of full-time research on a single project/line of research
• Two qualifying presentations of research
• First-author manuscript of research (published or publication-ready)
• Research curriculum vitae
• Nominations from mentor (admission and graduation)  
• Completion of evaluations

Declaration of Participation/Application Process

• Students declare their intent to participate in the RDT by completing an online application which initializes the RDT portfolio, due May 28 of the M2 year.
• The basic application identifies the research mentor, qualifying research and presentations since admission to medical school, and plans for continued involvement with research throughout the remaining years.
• The mentor also submits a nomination letter on behalf of the student.
• Applications are reviewed three times during the RDT cycle: at application (end of M2), pre-MSPE review (end of M3), and prior to graduation (M4).

• To gain experience with the specific health-related needs of an underserved patient population
• To apply knowledge and skills gained in medical school to the service of an underserved patient population
• To apply scholarly methods to service work

Benefits

• Engage in volunteering with underserved patient populations during medical school
• Focus underserved patient experiences in a meaningful way by applying academic theory to actual practice
• Learn to apply scholarly methods to service work
• Become self-directed learners by working in collaboration with communities on health care issues
• Develop a longitudinal relationship with a faculty mentor
• Reflect on experiences throughout the track
• Service Distinction Track activities will be noted in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation letter
   

• To prepare our students to be productive educators at an academic medical center
• To prepare our students for involvement and contribution to academic medicine
• To prepare our students to be effective educators at the community and individual level

Benefits

• Enhance teaching skills in large and small groups or one-on-one instruction
• Experience developing educational materials
• Experience with curriculum planning and improvement
• Preparation for teaching role as a resident
• Teaching Distinction Track accomplishments documented in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation