RAD-AID offers programs for medical students seeking opportunities to volunteer with RAD-AID and receive structured training in global health. Our programs are designed in educational stages so that you will have a comprehensive and more rewarding global health experience on our outreach teams.
Medical imaging and radiology are key to the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of many medical conditions, yet half of the world still lacks access to basic imaging services. At the conclusion of this program, you will have an essential understanding of radiology’s role in global health, issues impacting radiology services in low-resource regions, the basis for using epidemiology and public health methods in radiologic assessments, and methods for planning, implementing and monitoring a radiology project. Moreover, your own personal experience in a global health radiology project will positively shape your career for years to come.
The RAD-AID Medical Student program starts with applying for admission to our online course, in which students can earn a RAD-AID Global Health Radiology Medical Student Tutorial Certificate upon successful completion. Apply Now. This is a vital curriculum based on RAD-AID’s textbook “Radiology in Global Health” and gives you critical skills and knowledge for carrying out a global health project in radiology. If you are accepted, the registration fee for taking the online course is $249, and can be done at your own pace to earn the Certificate.
Students with this training certificate after completing the online course are then eligible to apply for fieldwork in our teams and become a RAD-AID Global Health Radiology Medical Student Scholar by completing a field project. We hope that providing an online certificate and field-based scholar program will give you a well-rounded experience in global health that strengthens your professional experience as a physician and international health advocate. Click here for the course flyer.
We cannot guarantee field placements for all medical students, but we certainly try. Field Placements for medical students in RAD-AID sites depend on the performance of the online curriculum (#2 below), travel-schedule availability of the student, funding for project expenses, and approval by our regional program leader.
How medical students become RAD-AID volunteers
1. Apply for online course admission
• Fill out brief online application
• Upload CV
2. Complete online course ($249 tuition fee)
You will earn the RAD-AID RAD-AID Global Health Radiology Medical Student Tutorial Certificate upon successful online tutorial completion. The course gives you training in medical outreach, epidemiology, disaster-response, health care capacity building, cross-cultural medical etiquette, and more. Completion of online course does not guarantee field placement due to limited available positions, but you will receive a training certificate regardless.
3. Apply for fieldwork
• Indicate your interests in regions and projects on RAD-AID teams
• Indicate source of funding for travel (self-funding, school, etc.)
• Interview with RAD-AID Program Manager(s) for team selection
• Upload one letter of recommendation
• Optional/suggested: If you have NOT completed any radiology rotation/elective, RAD-AID strongly encourages medical students to observe radiology for at least 1 week in your school’s radiology department for the supplemental experience. Please upload a brief letter from a faculty member at your institution indicating his/her permission to observe radiology in preparation for your field project.
4. Field Placement and Global Project Completion
You will earn RAD-AID’s designation as a Global Health Radiology Medical Student Scholar upon successful completion of field project.
Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Apply Now. For further information, email info@rad-aid.org.
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