A model for offering an International Medicine Seminar Course for US medical students: the 13-year experience of the New Jersey Medical School.

An International Medicine Elective Seminar Course at the New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) was designed in 1985 to present a description of medical education, medical care systems, major global health problems, and intervention programs in other countries. Seminars are scheduled for nine weeks in the fall semester. At the end of each course, the medical students complete evaluations. Almost all (97%) students in 1997-1998 evaluated the course as either good (55%) or excellent (45%). Enrollment in the International Medicine Seminar Course increased from 12 medical students in 1985-1986 to 62 students in 1997-1998. An increasing number of students have applied for a fourth-year overseas International Medicine Elective. This and students' evaluations indicated that they have been motivated toward international medicine. The atmosphere of informal seminars and faculty interaction with students has characterized the course. It has made this model of teaching an ideal forum for medical students' professional growth. This course offers students the opportunity and insight to explore facets of their professional role not explicitly covered in the formal medical curriculum. The International Medicine Seminar Course is a self-supported model and can be adopted readily by other medical schools.