Pre-Departure Information

MHIRT Preparatory Course
This course, offered in the Spring semester, is mandatory for all participating MHIRT students. Led by a combination of UC Berkeley faculty and BSP mentors, the preparatory course will cover the following issues:

• Neglected diseases in low- and middle-income countries, including an overview of ongoing reseach projects at UC Berkeley and UCSF.
• A “Rough Guide” to living and working in low- and middle-income countries. This will include visa requirements, immunizations, and cultural competencies as well as research ethics, technology transfer, protection of human
  subjects, and lab safety
• Professional development and leadership.
• Conducting research in low- and middle-income countries.

At the end of the semester, students will give a presentation to the class on their research projects. These in-class presentations will also be in preparation for the presentations that students will give in the host lab.

Vaccinations and Immunizations
Depending on the location of the foreign research site, students will have different health needs. The MHIRT program is working with the UC Berkeley student health center (the Tang Center) to provide students with up-to-date health information, as well as all necessary vaccinations and immunizations.