About the Course

Course Schedule

Every session will take place on Saturday mornings, 9:00-10:30 AM, EDT (UTC-4:00), starting with our introductory session on June 29, 2024, and ending on August 24, 2024.

Session Format

At the start of the program, students will be assigned to small groups of five or six participants. Every core session will be led by two small groups, and each small group will be responsible for creating a presentation, including a case study and discussion questions. Each small group will have an alumni advisor who will be responsible for providing guidance and feedback in preparation for the group presentation.

Op-Ed Session

The goal of the op-ed sessions is to encourage participants to explore the areas of global health in which they are most interested and to write collaboratively to highlight the skills and strengths of each individual participant. Students are expected to use their scientific and professional knowledge and research abilities in formulating an op-ed that communicates a clear stance and opinion with regard to a current global health problem or phenomenon. Op-eds from previous years have explored topics such as innovative solutions to address water scarcity, climate change and infectious diseases, the effects of medical waste on the environment, and others. SURGE leadership strongly encourages and will work with students to explore outlets for formal publication of their op-eds, both as a means of demonstrating scholarly output and as a means for students to practice using their voices and positions to advocate for issues that matter to them.

Certificate Requirements

To qualify for the SURGE Participant Certificate, issued by YSM OGHE, SURGE participants are expected to have met the attendance requirements, completed all the required surveys, and contributed meaningfully to their small group presentations and op-eds.

Attendance Policy

Participants are expected and encouraged to be present at all core and op-ed sessions. However, SURGE leadership understands that unexpected circumstances can occur, in which case participants are expected to notify the SURGE leadership of their absence, and participants are required to watch a recording of the missed session and complete the related make-up work. To qualify for the certificate, participants may be absent for no more than 2 sessions and must complete the make-up work.

Surveys

SURGE greatly values feedback from our participants. Thus, participants are asked to fill out one pre-program survey and one post-program survey to help us gauge what participants have gained from the program and how we can improve. There will also be a pre-session and post-session survey for each individual session so that we may understand the quality of each individual session.

Alumni Advisors

Alumni advisors are former SURGE participants who have completed the program. The responsibilities of the alumni advisors include guiding their assigned small group during the creation of their group presentation and op-ed, attending the session during which their small group presents, and providing feedback and mentorship. Alumni advisors are granted a SURGE Alumni Advisor Certificate, issued by YSM OGHE, upon successful completion of these responsibilities. Former SURGE participants who are interested in being alumni advisors should contact us via email.