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Browse our current opportunities, read a publication about the program, learn about our past design projects, or take on a need statement.

Addressing global health challenges through clinical immersion and design


Opportunity SpotlightMore →

Clinical Needs Assessment Internship

  • At a glance
  • 1500Identified needs
  • 400Student designers
  • 7Field sites

What We've Done

~120 design projects
~150 student clinical immersions

Understanding the subtle cultural difficulties in the setting of intended use is close to impossible without the full immersion into that setting. Without knowing the true difficulties and how they are managed, other teams who we have had contact with have difficulty meeting the demands of their end users. Other student design teams struggle to fully understand the user requirements and find it hard to achieve them with a completed prototype based off literature before initiating contact with the end user.

Gillian Henker, CTO and co-founder of Sisu Global Health (Academic Program Participant 2010)

Why Participate in the Global Health Design Initiative (GHDI)? Learn More →

Reason A

Gain valuable professional design skills

Industry looks for prospective employees who have not only mastered skills in the classroom but successfully applied these skills in the field

Reason A

Engage first-hand in design project in an intercultural setting

Students work directly with stakeholders at international field sites and in Ann Arbor to design and prototype solutions to identified health challenges.

Reason A

Make an impact

GHDI works collaboratively with partners at UM and at international field sites to define and develop medical device designs appropriate for use in low-resource settings

Gana Image

Pictured

2017 Design for Global Health Students in Flint

This year's team included:

The first student interns and academic program students at the Hamilton Flint partner hospital.

Recent Updates

Meet the 2023 GHDI Leadership Team

In 2023, the Global Health Design Initiative (GHDI) will be directed by Dr. Kathleen Sienko and Dr. Julia Kramer. GHDI is supported by two Graduate Student Program Managers, Grace Burleson and Lucy Spicher. Learn more about the team here.

GHDI Announces the 2023 Academic Program

This summer, GHDI will return to our international field sites! This year, the GHDI program plans to support student cohorts in Ghana and Malawi, conducting clinical needs assessments with themes in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Orthopedics, and/or Rehabilitation. Learn more about the program here.