CHICAGO — The American Medical Association (AMA) and the AMA Insurance Agency today announced the launch of the 2018 AMA Global Health Challenge — an essay and video contest giving a team of physicians-in-training and students of other health care professions an opportunity to travel abroad to provide health care for underserved patients. The winning team will work alongside Timmy Global Health to care for populations in Ecuador, Guatemala or the Dominican Republic.

“The AMA Global Health Challenge will allow aspiring physicians and health care professionals the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally while providing much needed care to some of the world’s most vulnerable populations,” said AMA President David O. Barbe, M.D. “The global health experiences that these future health care professionals will gain through their service trip abroad will help them foster a lifelong passion for service to the neediest populations, both at home and abroad, and develop a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health — leading to better health outcomes for all patients.”

The AMA Global Health Challenge invites teams of at least two and up to five pre-medical and medical students, residents and students in allied health fields to submit an essay of 500 words or less answering the question: “How can a deeper understanding of the social determinants of health help you, as an aspiring global health professional, to learn and grow?” The deadline for essay submissions is May 14. AMA Insurance Agency, Inc. is the Sponsor of the contest. Complete details can be found at amaghc.com.

Following essay submission, a panel of judges will then select up to 10 teams who will be asked to create and submit a video for posting on the contest website as part of the final round of the challenge. The winning team will be announced in the summer of 2018.

“Working in a low-resource setting inspires humility, resourcefulness, creativity and attention to a patient’s life circumstances — all of which strengthens the skills of future health care providers,” says Timmy Global Health’s Executive Director, Kristina Graff. “The AMA Global Health Challenge is anchored in the values of service, cross-cultural engagement and compassion. With this program the AMA is encouraging tomorrow’s leaders in medicine.”

The AMA Global Health Challenge was created by the AMA Insurance Agency’s Med Plus Advantage program. The Med Plus Advantage program partners with International Medical Group to promote the contest and offers international medical insurance for those traveling abroad. To learn more about coverage for allied health students, medical students, residents, and their families visit http://www.medplustravel.com/.