We provide students with optional, credit earning courses that cover topics beyond that of the regular core curriculum.  

This includes all TRACK and all ELECTIVE Courses and the new GLOBAL HEALTH CERTIFICATE PROGRAM.

TRACKS and ELECTIVES can vary in length and the number of hours in class. Credit hours will vary anywhere from .5 to 3 credits per course. All grades and credit hours are posted on the student transcript. All courses provide a detailed syllabus that has been approved by the RVU Institutional Curriculum Committee.

TRACKS involve an application process, are longitudinal and progressive in nature, more career-oriented, last 3.5 years in length, and include some sort of clinical component. Grades are Honors/Pass/Fail at the discretion of the Course Director(s).

ELECTIVES are short Pass/Fail stand-alone, one-semester courses. Most of these have 3-4 sections to avoid an overlap in materials. The course directors also provide a complete and approved syllabus for each of these courses.  There may be a nominal fee associated with some electives. The Medical Spanish elective does require a pretest to establish fluency level to place you into the correct class. i.e. January elective may be “Basic Medical Spanish” and the fall semester may be “Intermediate/Advanced."

 GLOBAL MEDICAL OUTREACH

Approves all international externship sites for clinical students, and provides international medical outreach opportunities for all interested M1-M4 students. When students are working with their Clin. Ed. Coordinators they will need to use these course codes to get the appropriate credit for their Elective Rotation:

Note that students do not need to be in a track to participate in GLOBAL MEDICAL OUTREACH.

Global Health Certificate Program:  The RVU Global Health Certificate Program introduces students to the art and science of medicine from a global and public health perspective.  It consists of classroom experiences, a required international clinical experience and successful completion of a final capstone assignment culminating in a total of 14 credit hours.  The goal is for students to develop the skills necessary to be successful physicians and to be able to better serve their patients both internationally and in the US.  The inaugural Global Health Certificate was awarded beginning with the graduating Class of 2024

Upon successful completion of RVU’s graduate certificate in Global Health, students will know or be able to do the following: 

1. Analyze the global burden of emerging and recurring global medical issues and diseases.
2. Apply global health training and skills to healthcare services for patients from all backgrounds and cultures.
3. Communicate effectively with those from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Department Coordinators: globalmedicine@rvu.edu - as a group

       Colorado: Isabel Fabela ifabela@rvu.edu

       Utah: Judy Simmons, jsimmons@rvu.edu 

Administrative Assistants: 

Tracks and Special Programs Department Chair: Dr. Mark Wardle, DO, MIH, FAAFP, Associate Professor PCM, 
Director of Global Medicine mwardle@rvu.edu

CO Director of the Global Medicine Track and Global Medical Outreach Electives:  Dr. Camille Bentley, DO, MPH, FACOFP, cbentley@rvu.edu