All McGaw residents are eligble to apply. Approval by the appropriate Program Director and GME Office is required. Good-quality elective rotations in primary care, internal medicine, pediatrics, and women's health in underserved communities/resource-limited settings are considered. All rotations must first be approved by the resident’s Program Director, the Associate Dean of GME, a minimum of 45 days prior to travel and prior to the application for funding. Rotations and other projects must be a minimum of four weeks in duration and take place in a resource-limited setting with a medically underserved population.
The Global Health Initiative does not support travel expenses for research projects, conference presentations, or away-rotations in high-income countries. All rotations must be supervised by a qualified medical professional as determined by the GME Office. It is the policy of the McGaw Medical Center that house staff is not eligible to do away-rotations in any country where there is a current U.S. State Department Travel Warning.
Residency Programs must report to McGaw when house staff is away from a McGaw affiliated hospital. If there are questions, contact the GME office at
gme@northwestern.edu. Residents must obtain approval from their Program Director, the Associate Dean of GME, and the Office of Medical Affairs to be eligible for Global Health Initiative funds and all materials need to be submitted a minimum of 45 days prior to travel and preferably earlier. No award letter will be issued before the GME Office and Residency Director have approved. The two forms required by the GME Office are:
Residents are required to apply at least 45 days prior to travel. Late applications may not be considered.
Awards for McGaw residents are up to $2,000.
Approved funding applications will be accompanied by an award letter that outlines allowable expenses to be reimbursed after travel. All receipts and reimbursement documentation must be submitted to IPHAM within 15 days of the traveler's return to Chicago or the award will be forfeit. Awards may not be paid as stipends through Payroll or cover a resident’s time and effort and cannot be paid in advance of travel due to HRSA regulations on salaries for graduate medical trainees.
Allowable expense categories for reimbursement:
- Market rate international ticket – coach class
- Program fees (i.e. Any required fees paid to host-institution)
- Immunization and travel medicine
- Visa application fees
- Housing expenses at destination
- Per diem (at discretion of the Department)
GHI awards will NOT cover local fares (i.e. taxis, public transportation) or other transportation expenses in the U.S. or abroad nor will they reimburse for medical supplies, individual meal expenses, or unplanned medical expenses. Each award will be made up to a maximum dollar amount to be reimbursed after travel is complete. If additional receipts are submitted with totals that exceed the maximum award amount, the additional expenses will not be reimbursed.
Residents should be prepared to submit the following forms and documentation within two weeks of returning to Chicago to their designated contact in the Residency Program.
- Receipts - Award recipients will be expected to submit documentation and receipts for the expense categories listed. Expenses cannot be reimbursed before travel and cannot be reimbursed without proper documentation. Examples of proper documentation include a printed flight itinerary with dates of travel and total cost paid in addition to round-trip boarding passes from the airline. Residents may request a letter from the host institution outlining program fees and submit receipts for housing, immunization, and visa expenses. Residents may scan and email copies of receipts for reimbursement. If you have additional questions, please contact your Program Coordinator.
- Visitor’s Expense Report
- W9 Form – The W9 only needs to be submitted if the payee has received a reimbursement from Northwestern University in the past.
- All receipts and reimbursement documentation must be submitted to IPHAM within 15 days of the traveler's return to Chicago or the award will be forfeit.
It is strongly recommended that residents obtain supplemental travel insurance prior to travel. Northwestern University recommends GeoBlue Insurance to cover unexpected medical expenses and emergency medical services while abroad. Please also submit the Personal Health Form to natalie.sheneman@northwestern.edu.
Drum Cussac provides excellent security advice and services and is the preferred vendor for medical evacuation. It is also recommended to enroll in the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.