Medical travel has become an aspect of global health that has gained enormous importance and has been established as a world-wide industry. As a result, medical tourism emerged as a broadly defined concept covering ‘global outsourcing’ of health services as health care for ‘first world patients’ in ‘third world countries’ – or vice versa. In an attempt to broaden this prevailing definition of medical tourism, this summer course will focus on historical, ethnographic, cultural, spiritual, and economic aspects of medical tourism. Globalized health care is thus a topic that does not only interest physicians, health service managers or economists, but also historians, ethnographers, anthropologists in the widest sense, biologists and media experts. According to this expanded approach, the course will comprise the following topics:

1. An extended definition of medical tourism
2. Medical tourism as transfer between and within cultures
3. Historical dimensions of medical tourism
4. Ethical and economical considerations

Who is eligible to participate?

Stressing the interdisciplinary character of the summer school, students and scholars of the life sciences (including undergraduate and graduate physicians) as well as young scientists und students of sociology and politics, the history and philosophy of medicine, anthropology/ethnology, and media and communication sciences are invited. Applications by students from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South and East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America will be given high priority. During the summer school, we aim to create a wide international and trans-disciplinary atmosphere, fostering networks between scholars and students of the sciences and the humanities. According to requirements of cultural sensitivity in academic studies, different styles of teaching will be used, also focusing on different culture-based styles of medical commemoration. The working language will be English.
Selection of participants
Participants are asked to submit their CV in English (1-2 pages), to provide a brief outline explaining their motivation to participate in the summer school (restricted to 500 words), and to submit an abstract (not more than 600 words) concerning the topic they are prepared to talk about during the course. Applicants intending to write their M.A. or doctor’s thesis in the sphere of global health will be given prime consideration. For students, a verification of their M.A./B.A. or comparable degree will be required. Graduate students need to testify that they have already worked with global health related issues.

Certification of participation

All participants will receive a certification testifying their participation in the course. For a successful completion of the summer school and a qualified certification, a short presentation and a written test in global health issues will be required. It is envisaged that this summer school’s certification will be accepted by all other German universities that already teach on global health in their medical curriculum, namely Aachen, Bonn, Heidelberg, Marburg, and Münster.

Scholarships

Due to the kind support of the DAAD, a limited number of scholarships can be offered which include accommodation and international travel allowances.

Acknowledgement

The summer school will be generously funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with financial assistance of the German Federal Foreign Office (AA).

Closing date for applications: May 31, 2012