A new partnership between
Sparrow, Michigan State University and Mexico's Yucatan Department of Health will foster opportunities for medical education, training, research and outreach between the Mexican state and mid-Michigan.
The Global Health: Medical Residency Exchange Program begins this July when the first medical residents travel from Lansing to the Yucatan capital of Merida. Two medical residents from Mexico will also travel to Lansing to work at Sparrow as the two-year initiative gets underway.
"As we look to recruit and retain the best and the brightest, we look to offer training that offers experiences in global health," says Ted Glynn, M.D., vice president of medical education at Sparrow. "This partnership provides that and will be of value in serving the mid-Michigan community in the future."
Sparrow is the sixth largest training site in Michigan for resident physicians with more than 220 residents and fellows. While providing a global medical experience for Sparrow trainees, the partnership also holds promise for collaborative research and clinical work. From a diversity and cultural standpoint, Glynn says, the program will help strengthen care and communication with Lansing's growing Hispanic population.
Glynn recently traveled with Reza Nassiri, director of the
MSU Institute of International Health, as well as others from Sparrow and MSU to meet with the Yucatan state health department, university and hospital. The trip formalized the medical resident exchange program between Sparrow and the Hospital O'Horan, and explored research partnerships with the Marista University School of Medicine.
The idea for the global exchange program originated at MSU and will be overseen through the
MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. Jacob Rowan, an MSU associate professor of osteopathic manipulative medicine, will coordinate activities from Merida. Rowan was previously based in Merida to coordinate a medical education exchange between the Yucatan and the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
"We're very proud of the groundwork that Nassiri and Rowan have done in Merida, Mexico," says William Strampel, dean of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. "The collaboration with Sparrow will enable us to build on established efforts to offer residents rich and rewarding experiences."
Source: Dr. Ted Glynn, M.D., Vice President of Medical Education, Sparrow
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
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