The History of the Master of Science in Global Medicine Program
The Master of Science in Global Medicine (MSGM) program was created under the guidance of Keck School administration to address the lack of formal training in global medicine at the university level. Keck Dean Dr. Carmen Puliafito, Vice Dean for Medical Education Dr. Henri Ford, and Associate Deans Dr. Allan Abbott and Dr. Elahe Nezami, devised the MSGM to answer the urgent, world-wide call for education in global medicine among health care professionals. Its structured, formal curriculum is designed to accommodate the finest students of medicine—be they pre-health, masters fellows, or even residents—who would otherwise seek global health knowledge through informal avenues. The program was approved by the designated curriculum committee in March 2008, and signed by provost Max Nikias in May 2008. The Keck School first offered enrollment into the MSGM in the fall of 2008, matriculating 12 students. The first class of students graduated in August 2009, many of whom were poised to begin either medical or dental school the following fall.
The MSGM’s focus on the groundbreaking field of global health care education continues USC’s rich history of using scholarship to address the most pressing concerns of our time by responding to a great need—the understanding, prevention, and treatment of disease on a global scale. The program will establish the university as a leader in the field of global medicine, and will move USC further into a position of academic excellence that will distinguish the school as one of the leading private research universities in America.