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Health Frontiers in Tijuana

GLBH-111 Health Frontiers in Tijuana (HFiT)

Important Dates for the FALL 2023

(Specify in your application if you are applying for the FALL 2023)

  • Applications for HFiT FALL SESSION Internship Program 2023 are open. 

Clinic Leadership Applications

  • If you have been a part of HFiT for at least 2 quarters/sessions, please consider applying for an HFiT Leadership Position.
  • Applications are now OPEN and are Due on August 13th, 2023
  • Link: https://ucsd.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3qsT9CtRG4sXjJX
  • *Note: Link has been updated*

Program Overview

The Health Frontiers in Tijuana Undergraduate Internship Program (HFiT-UIP) is a quarterly internship that affords developmental experiences in public health and healthcare for the underserved and is especially appropriate for UCSD Global Health Majors and Minors. Students accepted into this program will participate in the HFiT binational student-run free clinic project located in Tijuana, Mexico, in conjunction with medical and pharmacy students from the University of California San Diego and Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. Upon completing the HFiT-UIP, students will have learned about biomedical and social factors associated with communicable and non-communicable diseases seen among vulnerable populations in the San Diego-Tijuana region, shadowed clinical faculty during the consultation, and been involved in ongoing UCSD research projects at the HFiT clinic.

The HFiT Undergraduate Internship program (HFiT-UIP) takes place over Fall, Winter, Spring Quarters, and Summer Sessions I/II at UCSD.  Over the quarter students will be divided into two groups.  The first group will attend the clinic on Saturdays of weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 during the quarter.  The second group attends the clinic on weeks 3, 5, 7, and 9.  Over the four scheduled site visits, students will participate in clinical activities and debriefings on-site.  Students will need to enroll in GLBH 111 to be in the internship program.

The HFiT Summer Internship Program (Sessions I/II) (HFiT-SIP) is a 5 week-long, intensive immersion experience at the HFiT clinic that is open to all UCSD undergraduates and recently graduated alumni. Similar to the HFiT-UIP, students will volunteer at the clinic by participating in clinical activities alternative weeks over the course of the summer. The HFiT-SIP consists only of clinical activities and debriefings.  Preference will be given to students who enroll in the GLBH 111 Summer Sessions I or II to participate in the SIP.  

Objectives

  1. To familiarize students with underserved populations and border health issues endemic to the San Diego-Tijuana area.
  2. To teach students how to positively interact and appropriately communicate with vulnerable populations.
  3. To impart cultural competence through both scholarly and experiential endeavors at the HFiT clinic.
  4. To facilitate binational collaborations and partnerships with students from the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Tijuana.

Commitment

Requirements- 

Participating in HFiT clinical activities and 4 hours participating in pre-clinic visits at the beguining of the quarter. Time commitments include:

  • 4 site visits to the HFiT clinic, including debriefings on the clinic site
  • 1 training meeting to be held the first week of the program

HFiT-Summer Intership requirements-

50 hours participating in HFiT clinical activities and training. Specific commitments include:

  • 5 Saturday classes/ site visits to the HFiT clinic
  • 1 Training meeting to be held the first week of the program

Clinical Activities

Students will partake in a variety of activities that are integral to the clinic's operation. These include:

  • Registering patients in the Electronic Medical Record 
  • Managing patient records
  • Soliciting patients' Chief Complaint 
  • Assisting in vitals measurements
  • Shadowing consultations

Debriefing

Students will attend a mandatory debriefing session during the week to discuss clinical activities. In these debriefing sessions, students will brainstorm ideas for improving clinical activities and help lead student-driven service and fundraising projects both in the U.S. and at the HFiT clinic.

Necessary Materials

A passport is required and a global entry pass or passport card is strongly recommended. They can be obtained on campus (http://blink.ucsd.edu/facilities/services/general/personal/passports.html). Plan ahead to avoid fees: routine processing can take up to 6 weeks. Students are expected to attend the clinic in scrubs, closed-toed shoes, and a lanyard holding their student ID.

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