Title:	US perspectives on health care for refugees, immigrants, and other mobile populations
Keywords:	International/Global Health Migration Mobile population Medical & Clinical sciences
Country:	United States of America
Institution:	USA - Global Medicine, University of Minnesota
Course coordinator:	Kristina Krohn
About duration and dates:	Asynchronous / year-round Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Students can begin and complete the course at any time, within the expectations of their home institution.
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Distance-based
Course location: Online, asynchronous
ECTS credit points:	2 ECTS credits
SIT: 60 hours total SIT This course consists of 35 direct contact hours, completed asynchronously. In addition, students are required to spend 25 additional hours for independent study and assessments.
Language:	English
Description: At the end of the module the student should be able to: 1. Assess health care needs of refugees, immigrants and other mobile populations, with emphasis on treating diseases seen in new arrivals and long-term foreign-born residents in the United States. 2. Interpret key issues in local and global health equity, roles of culture in health and health seeking behavior, and how this impacts health outcomes for immigrants and refugees. 3. Compare effective practices in clinical care and health systems interventions designed to reduce disparities and improve patient care and health outcomes for immigrants and refugees. 4. Analyze patient-centered communication for advance care planning and helping patients complete US legal forms regarding end-of-life care.
Assessment Procedures: Formative - Pre-test allows students to identify their baseline knowledge level and primes them for the type of information they will be required to know later in the course. Questions are primarily multiple choice, with explanations provided after the quiz is submitted. Formative - Completion of all online activities (pass/fail). Our Learning Management System tracks that students have clicked on the main links to start each lecture and lesson. To unlock the next module of the course, all activities, quizzes and reflections must be completed. Formative - Reflection posts. For each section within the course students must reflect on the module and describe the most important thing that they take away in order to advance to the next module. This is a personal reflection and a formative activity, receiving full points for any reflection. Intermittently, and before certification is given, a faculty member will review the reflections. Students must complete the reflection to unlock the next section of the course. When faculty review the reflections, there is no reflection written or if the questions posed are not answered appropriately, then the student is notified and given the opportunity to fully complete the reflection posts to earn the certificate of course completion. 50% - Quizzes. For each section within the course students must pass the quiz to advance to the next section (a score of 80% is required to pass). Five total quizzes, as summative assessments for each section. Quizzes include feedback and explanations for why answers are incorrect. 50% - Post-test (multiple choice questions). This is a summative assessment covering all sections of the course (a score of 80% is required to pass). The post-test includes feedback and explanations for why answers are incorrect. Students must achieve an overall passing score of 80% or above to pass this course. In the event of failing, students will have the option to repeat the failed component until successful completion of the course is achieved. Of note, this score of 80% is intentionally higher than many in-person courses, because students have more opportunity to learn the material at their own pace in this fully asynchronous course, and they will have the option to repeat any component until 80% is achieved.
Content: This is an advanced course on health care for refugees, immigrants and other mobile populations, focused on the United States . 1. Understanding globally mobile populations This advanced course on migration focuses on mobile populations that come to Minnesota in the United States. This section explores how the different types of mobility lead to different health exposures and needs, including unique needs of refugees, asylum seekers, and people who are trafficked. 2. Clinical issues in the care of mobile populations When caring for someone who has lived in low resource settings and comes to a high resource setting, there are often gaps in care, different health exposures, and unique health needs. From an advanced medical perspective, this section reviews medical issues unique to mobile populations, such as those that are likely to be missed in people who have not had access to preventative care due to being part of a mobile population. 3. Health systems issues for mobile populations This section analyzes clinical cases that provide medical care and disease prevention for mobile populations starting during humanitarian crises and continuing through third country resettlement. This includes provision of population-based care and disease screening and prevention. 4. Psychosocial issues for mobile populations This section explores the unique psychosocial issues of mobile populations that stem from the reasons why and how they become mobile populations, as well as due to the trauma experienced during their migration. 5. Cross-Cultural Issues in End of Life and Advance Care Planning This section discusses differences and ethical conflicts in palliative care across cultures and languages, and explores the concept of advanced care planning and end of life decision making.
Methods: This is purely an asynchronous online course. Lessons are a combination of highly edited videos of lectures to live audiences, video lectures specific for the online course, and interactive asynchronous lessons with combinations of text, images, and videos with question prompts, sorting activities and reflections built into the lesson. The reflective assignments will be reviewed by a faculty member, and if appropriate, additional feedback provided to students. The course is hosted on canvas.umn.edu. All students have access to course directors by email for questions. There are two course directors available, plus at least six other core faculty who are available to answer questions remotely.
Prerequisites: This is an advanced medical course in global health. Prior knowledge and experience in clinical health sciences is required. As a general rule, at least 3 years (180 ECTS) should be completed in medicine. However, other professions with a clinical background may apply for special permission to be admitted. Non-medical participants may take this course, although they should be prepared that this course is designed for clinicians. Experience in low- and middle-income countries is relevant but not necessary. All activities are in English and fluent English is required. If relevant, the minimum requirements are English TOEFL test score 213 (computer-based) or 550 (paper-based) or 79-80 (internet-based) or IELTS band 6.0. Basic computer and internet connection capable of playing slides and short videos is required.
Attendance: Students must complete all asynchronous activities to complete the course.
Selection: Students are accepted on a rolling basis.
Fees: Practicing health care providers: USD $895 Trainees, including tropEd: USD $450 For details, contact globalhealth@umn.edu
Scholarships: Scholarships are not currently available to tropEd students. This tuition is already priced at a discounted student rate.
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in EC Telco, Sept. 2025. The accreditation is valid until Sept. 2030
Remarks: tropEd students will have a dedicated meeting with the tropEd representative at the start and end of their asynchronous course. All content is part of an approved curriculum qualifying for the US Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Traveler’s Health (CTropMed Examination), as well as the UK Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H). For further details: https://www.astmh.org/education-resources/certificate-programs https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/diploma-tropical-medicine-and-hygiene
Email Address:	globalhealth@umn.edu
Date Of Record Creation:	2025-09-05 10:33:57 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2025-09-05 10:45:26 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2025-09-05 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2025-09-05 10:45:26 (W3C-DTF)