HMI teams with partners to coordinate learning opportunities for selected medical students that enable them not only to advance clinical knowledge, but also to examine the systems, policies, and cultural factors that shape the daily lives and practice of physicians. HMI identifies available clerkships and mentors at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and its affiliated institutions, and works with partners and the faculty of HMS to develop an education experience commensurate with the students' objectives. HMI also facilitates reciprocal exchanges that allow HMS students to study at one of our partner institutions. The students who participate in these programs do so for many reasons: to see firsthand how health care is delivered in another country, to develop new skills, and to forge a cultural connection that informs their mission as health care professionals.