| CLAUDIA R. DURAN, MLS (Apache Mescalero), Indigenous Affairs Coordinator, University of Arizona &

| CARLOS GONZALES (Yaqui), MD, Assistant Vice President Indigenous Affairs, University of Arizona

The World Health Organization estimates a projected shortfall of 10 million health workers by 2030. With the growing population, the number of primary care physicians needs to more than double to address the already present critical workforce shortages. The UAHS Global MD, a new program within the College of Health Sciences, has partnered with the University of Western Australia (UWA) offering a dual medical degree focused on Primary Care Medicine (PCM). One of the goals includes increasing Native & Indigenous enrollment and graduation rates, particularly in PCM among rural & underserved communities in Arizona and in Western Australia. Native American & Indigenous students need to be one of several driving forces in bridging the health care disparity gap. The Global MD program aims to recruit 25% of its student cohort to be Native American & Indigenous students. Our commitment is to position Global MD as a leader in the state of Arizona in working with Tribal communities to plan and design healthcare curricula which address Native American & Indigenous healthcare needs. The training of the medical students will include six-week rotations on various tribal communities. This will expand Global MD students experiential learning by training medical students in cultural competency of Native American & Indigenous people to enhance their careers as PCM providers. By this immersive collaborative training, students will have the opportunity to connect with Tribal members for future research and educational opportunities.