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The Medical School:
Extending Our REACH
U-M Medical School broadens influence with Global REACH program

Global REACHAndrew Haig, M.D., visits Africa after receiving a faculty seed grant.The U-M Medical School’s influence extends to almost every continent in the world, thanks in part to Global REACH—which stands for Research, Edu­cation and Collaboration in Health. The organization was created a decade ago by Medical School Dean James O. Woolliscroft, M.D., who envisioned a broader role for the Medical School in the world.

On any given day, you can find faculty members teaching other teachers, as Kevin C. Chung, M.D., Department of Surgery, did last year when he traveled to Vietnam to teach hand surgery. Or you’ll find international dignitaries, such as Sudershan Narula, M.D., former medical director of the United Nations, speaking to the Medical School and finding a collaborative, academic home away from home.
Global REACH also provides faculty seed grants for international research projects. “Fund­ing for global health research is on the upswing,” says research director Cheryl Moyer. “Our first three years of funding—$85,000—returned $3.8 million in additional funding.”

Extending Our Reach

Global REACHM3 Debralee Frederick treats an elderly patient.As part of the Student Alliance for Global REACH, Karen Maule (M4) traveled to Beijing to conduct developmental pediatric research, and shadowed physicians at Peking Union Medical College. “The experience was one of the highlights of medical school,” Maule says. “I’m now matching in pediatrics and want to pursue more clinical experiences abroad.”

As a first-year medical student, Bina Valsangkar, now an M.D./M.P.H. candidate, created The Quito Project, which works with the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health to serve a community in the urban outskirts of Quito, Ecuador. “We provide acute medical care, dental care, public health workshops and counseling, social services and education services for adults and children. Services are offered as a package for little or no cost,” says Valsangkar, who plans to continue working with the project. —CM

For more infromation about Global REACH and its programs, visit www.med.umich.edu/medschool/global.

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