Migrant Farmer Elective

Location: The elective takes place around southern Minnesota.

UMN Faculty Contact: Dr. Jon Kirsch kirsch@umn.edu

Objectives:

Know the history of hired farm labor in the U.S.
Identify community resources for farmworkers in Minnesota
Understand risks of work related injuries and importance of work context in patient history
Recognize unique challenges of providing healthcare to the migrant farmworker population
Work with partner organizations on a project to enhance health for the migrant community including nutrition education and dental care

Pre-readings and videos:

Background:

Type of Experience: Community

Is a Temporary Medical License Required? No

Primary Language Spoken: English

Are language skills required in the primary spoken language: none needed although Spanish is a plus

Housing: None needed

Dress code: n/a

Brief Background/History:

This elective focuses on rural medicine and primary care. The unique experiences that this rotation offers is experiential learning in a mobile health unit with an under served population. The rotation includes curriculum in migrant health, work in a mobile medical unit, learning about occupational health hazards (i.e. pesticide), and a certificate of Expertise in Migration Health via MCN.