OHSU's new Global Health Center has announced that a new course--"Global Health In Changing Environments"--will be piloted in April and May of 2008.

The course--a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary elective--will focus on creating solutions to various global health problems. Different approaches--including research, community-based, cultural, political, and health-system reform--will be explored, and participants will consider how to create their own solutions to specific global health problems. Course organizers indicate that their explicit objective is to draw students out of comfort zones in order to stimulate critical thinking  about health and disease in creative ways.

"Global Health In Changing Environments" is a pilot in the ongoing development of an introductory global health curriculum that will be taught simultaneously across all OHSU schools. It is also designed as the first step in the Center's long-term plan to develop a multi-semester global health certification program. The current offering is Part II: Developing Solutions; Part I was taught previously.

Newcomers as well as students from Part I are welcome. The class will meet six times, from April 3 - May 8, every Thursday from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Basic Science Building, Room 4320. The first hour will be lecture/film/didactic session, and the second hour will focus on small group exercises.

Course organizers indicate that their primary goals are to promote transdisciplinary thinking and collaboration, to improve understanding of a range of key global health issues, and to challenge students to think critically and constructively about global health.

Individuals wishing to audit the course "Global Health in Changing Environments, Part II: Developing Solutions," should email ghc@ohsu.edu.  School of Medicine students wishing to register for credit should email Marcia Decaro; all others should register through ISIS (CRN: 31529; JCON 705E).