Office of International Programs
Office of International Programs > Outbound Programs > KUMC International Educational Experience
KUMC International Educational Experience
UPDATE- Effective December 1, 2020: IEE's have been suspended through December 2021. There is hope that these opportunities for international travel will resume in 2022 once the efficacy of the immunizations are known and distribution of them are widespread. The data and science will drive the decisions made by the university relative to student mobility. In the meantime, we encourage students to consider the virtual opportunities we have available. Also, please note the Foundations of Global Health series which is designed to connect residents, students, learners and faculty to leaders in global health. The goal of this series is to inform participants about the field of global health in its entirety to include global health research, philosophy, approaches, attitudes and the varied efforts in the areas of health disparities, health inequities and community health. (learn more/sign up here)
An International Educational Experience is a transformational experience. It changes the lens through which our students see their world-they see their patients with new eyes; they hear with new ears; the familiar is no longer mundane, but has new meaning for them. When the advisors in OIP meet with each student, we listen deeply to what our students are looking for in an IEE and do everything in our power to move a dream into reality, a tangible plan, because we know that while completing an IEE impacts a person's life, not completing one also impacts a person's life. Our students are curious, adventuresome and wanting to engage with their world, but they don't always have the answers to very basic questions: What can I do? Where can I go? How can I pay for it? And planning an IEE can be overwhelming. As advisors, we are dedicated to looking for the answers, guiding the students to their own discoveries and finding resources to support their exploration.
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School of Health Professions
SHP students have a variety of opportunities for international experiences, depending on their program schedules. Please contact International Electives for more details: internationalelectives@kumc.edu.
School of Nursing
Nursing students have several opportunities for international experiences during their 2 years at KUMC.
- Nursing students can arrange a summer experience between their N3 and N4 years. This year, nursing students participated in short-term projects in Panama, the UK and Peru.
- Nursing students can also incorporate an international experience into their populations-based community healthcare course taken during the N4 year. This year, nursing students are going to Guatemala, Uganda, Belgium, Zambia, India, Scotland, and New Zealand.
School of Medicine
Medical students have numerous international opportunities during their academic career at KUMC.
KUMCIO Spring Break IEEs
This student organization leads 1st and 2nd year students on international educational experiences to Central America during spring break.
M1 Summer Experience
During the summer following their first year, students can earn elective credit through a highly individualized International Educational Experience that explores a specific topic of interest. Students can conduct independent research, gain clinical or laboratory experience, practice language skills and explore learning and living in a different culture.
To begin planning for a summer international experience:
- Schedule a meeting with OIP
- internationalelectives@kumc.edu
- 913-588-1480
- Think about what kind of experience you want
- Research, clinical, laboratory?
- Culture, language skills?
- Identify a potential location
- a. Do you have a personal contact?
- b. Does a faculty member have a relationship?
- c. OIP can also help you make connections
There are a few scholarships available:
- The Clendening Summer Fellowship is sponsored by the Department of History and Philosophy of Medicine and provides significant funding for M1 summer research projects.
- The Office of International Programs also has scholarship money available for International Experiences.
M4 Clinical Elective Rotation
Students in their 4th year can perform a clinical rotation at an international location. We have a number of partnerships with medical schools, hospitals and clinics around the world which accept our students. KUMC students can perform rotations in New Zealand, India, Uganda, Australia, Thailand, Ireland, Germany, Zambia, South Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Honduras and Spain, to name a few.
Scholarships are available specifically for the locations in Uganda and India. The Office of International Programs also has scholarship money available for students who perform international rotations.
Special Programs
Long-Term International Experiences
Students are eligible to use a leave of absence to earn a master's degree, conduct research or learn a language at an international institution. KUMC Medical students can apply for scholarships and fellowships to pay for these experiences, including the Fulbright scholarship, the Rhodes scholarship, the Boren award, DAAD awards, etc. The Office of International Programs can help you apply for these awards.