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Two Health Sciences Global Engagement Office members appointed to national advisory group

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Two members of the Global Engagement Office at WVU Health Sciences have been appointed to the Global Network Advisory Group for the Visiting Student Learning Opportunity program of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

In this newly formed group of global health office leadership from institutions around the world, Dr. Chris Martin and Joanna DiStefano will offer critical guidance for the development of alternatives to the global exchange of students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The suspension of VSLO rotations accompanied international travel restrictions put in place around the world at the outset of the pandemic. Since then, many U.S. universities, including WVU, have suspended or scaled back in-person global health offerings for students for the upcoming academic year.

WVU is an inaugural member of VSLO since 2011 and has been one of the most active host sites in the country.  

“International electives are a pathway to maintaining essential healthcare throughout our state. Keeping these doors open, albeit virtually, ultimately means averting a disruption to that coverage," noted DiStefano, program manager for GEO.

Through the VSLO network, WVU students currently have access to multiple online courses and virtual experiences in six different countries. Such offerings amid the global pandemic represent an opportunity to reach more students.

“While the physical mobility of students and faculty is compromised, our connections to each other don’t have to be,” said Martin, professor in the WVU School of Public Health and director of GEO. “This pandemic highlights the many reasons why we study global health, and I’m hopeful that our work with the Global Network Advisory Group will help to influence the formation of ever more students in relation to what is happening throughout the world.”