Program Introduction and Goals

In addition to faculty-led PBL sessions, the Brown Internal Medicine Dominican Republic month-long clinical rotation involves three complementary clinical experiences:
  1. Cabral y Baez Hospital: During time scheduled at Cabral y Baez, Brown students, residents and faculty members spend time attending morning rounds with Cabral internal medicine residents, morning teaching rounds in the UCI (intensive care), and rounding with specialist teams including hematology and nephrology.

  2. CEDI: The CEDI (Clinica de Enfermedades de Immunologia) is the HIV center that is supported by a joint program between Brown and Cabral y Baez internal medicine departments. Dr. Claudia Rodriguez sees patients in the clinic and visiting Brown representatives assist with clinical encounters.

  3. An outpatient portion of the program, yet to be determined.

Goals for Brown Medical Students and Residents Participating in the Exchange Program

  1. Understand the clinical presentation and management of common serious illnesses in the Dominican Republic, including dengue, leptospirosis, malaria, organophosphate poisoning, tuberculosis, and HIV infection.

  2. Understand preventive health measure for travelers to the Dominican Republic

  3. Understand the structure of the Dominican healthcare system, the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the Dominican Republic and the ways in which they different from morbidity and mortality in the United States.

  4. Understand the structure of medical education in the Dominican Republic

  5. Develop skill in the cost-effective evaluation of illness in a resource- limited environment.

  6. Develop skill in working within the medical education systerm at Cabral y Baez

  7. Assist Cabral residents that visit Brown.

Achieving these goals:

  1. Participate in structured teaching sessions on common serious illnesses in the Dominican Republic

  2. Go to the CDC's website before traveling to obtain information about preventive health measure for travel to the Dominican Republic and follow the CDC recommendations

  3. Participate in morning report and attending rounds at Cabral y Baez

  4. Spend at least one call night with a Cabral team

  5. Work in a rural, community-based clinic

  6. Attend Spanish language school (unless already fluent in Spanish)

  7. Assist Cabral residents that visit Brown
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