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DO-Global Health Certificate

The College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) is pleased to announce a new opportunity for OMS-I students with an interest in global health. The DO Global Health certificate, administered through the COM Global Health Studies program, runs concurrently with the DO program. No additional tuition is required, and upon completion, students will receive a certificate from COM, documentation in the Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE), and special recognition at graduation.

Applications for the Class of 2029 cohort are closed.

To be considered for the DO/GHS Certificate Program, students must be in good academic standing per the COM Registrar. The student must remain in good standing every semester to remain in and complete the program. Academic standing is provided by the Committee on Student Evaluation (COSE) at the end of every semester.

The Global Health Studies Program in the College of Osteopathic Medicine will oversee track activities and issue the certificate. For questions, please contact Dr. Rebecca Malouin at malouinr@msu.edu or Wendi Winston at winst106@msu.edu.

A high level of interest has been generated by the pilot of the DO Global Health certificate. In the spirit of One Team, One Health, the program is also exploring expansion. To continue to provide a quality experience to all participants, it may be necessary to limit the number accepted into this cohort. The decision to cap the number of participants will be determined by the number of applications. If capping the cohort is necessary, a lottery of complete applications will be used to select participants. The application essay must meet the stated word count for an application to be considered complete.

Applicant essays will be evaluated based on clarity and depth of reflection, ability to connect personal experiences to an interest in global health, and how well the applicant articulates future goals as a physician. Reviewers will look for a specific moment or experience that sparked interest in global health or health equity, thoughtful insight into how your background and identities shape your perspective, and a clear explanation of how the DO–Global Health Certificate Track aligns with the physician you hope to become. Writing quality, organization, and adherence to the 350–500 word limit will also be considered.

The sequence of curricular and extracurricular activities is as follows:

OMS-I and OMS-II: IOMO Leadership Experience

Students will join IOMO (International Osteopathic Medical Organization). IOMO is a student organization dedicated to promoting international medicine by presenting information to students during noontime talks and facilitating international education experiences. Students must remain active in IOMO through OMS-II.

Upon acceptance into the program, students will be required to attend 75% of the DO GHS Speaker Series presentations and provide leadership for one Speaker Series event, in partnership with a team, during the certificate. Presentations will last about 60 minutes. Students are expected to attend the majority of each presentation. Students will provide 1-2 paragraph reflection statement following each presentation attended. Reflection will be on the content of the presentation or on their leadership experience in organizing a webinar speaker event. Students must attend the presentation and submit the statement to receive credit.

OMS-I, OMS-II, OMS-III, or OMS-IV: International Clinical Experience

Students will participate in one of the following international clinical experiences during their first, second, third, or fourth year. Students will select one course from the following:

  • OST 685 International Clerkship
  • OST 686 Global Health: Mexico
  • OST 687 Global Health: Peru
  • OST 690 Global Health: Dominican Republic
  • OST 694 Global Health: Nepal
  • OST 695 Global Health: Costa Rica
  • OST 847 Public Health in Ghana: A One Health Perspective
  • OST 685 International Clerkship
  • IM 621: Malawi

OMS-I, OMS-II, OMS-III, or OMM-IV: Scholarly and Didactic Experience

Students will select three (3) credit hours from the following options: 

  • *OST 450: Introduction to Global Health asynchronous course (3-credits, fall & spring semesters)
  • IM 618: Clinical Tropical Medicine (2 credits)
  • FCM 590: Medical Spanish OMS-II pre-clerkship elective (1 credit)
  • OST 599: Biomedical Research Elective (1-3 credits) must be a pre-approved global health focus topic and submit a poster to the MSUCOM Research Day
  • OST 830 Independent Study in Global Health (1-3 credits) must be a pre-approved global health focus topic and submit a poster to the MSUCOM Research Day

*Students may complete this course in addition to DO program coursework during semesters 4, 5, or 6, or in OMS-IV in the fall or spring semester. The student must be able to manage pre-clerkship course or clerkship rotation responsibilities while enrolled in this course and may not be released from DO program rotations to complete work associated with this course. The student may also choose to enroll in this course during a period of academic extension or leave from the DO curriculum.

Programs