Did you know 12,000+ students apply for 200 World Health Organization internships each year? And DMU students have had 6 spots over the last two years. This high placement rate, I believe, is not a coincidence but more a credit to the hard work of our global health faculty & staff.
The sites & partnerships around the world set up by DMU make it easy for our students to experience new cultures and health care systems before graduation. And in fact I think we’re attracting students to Des Moines University in part because of our great global health programs.
This year’s incoming osteopathic class was surveyed during orientation. 90% of this incoming class wants to do a global health rotation or trip. 85% are willing to pay out of pocket, to some extent, for such an experience. And 60% of the class has had some prior international experience. Also, 36% say they’d add a year to their schooling for an international scholarship. I find these numbers astounding and yet I should not be surprised. I’ve seen the caliber of our programs and I know how great they are.
Participating in global health experiences makes for better clinicians, more cost-efficient practitioners, more culturally aware people and it improves the health of those in underprivileged areas. What a win-win!
