Global Health

Through the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health (CIGH), there are also many educational opportunities pertaining to global health that are open to our residents, both within the residency program and across the University. Read further to learn what each program offers.

Now more than 30 years ago, Dr. Michele Barry, our Senior Associate Dean for Global Health and Director of CIGH, created the Stanford/Yale Global Health Scholars Program (formerly the Johnson & Johnson Global Health Scholars Program), which was the first organized program in the U.S. to send residents and faculty to work in low-resource countries. The program supports residents for a 6-week overseas rotation, currently in one of these sites: South Africa (Tugela Ferry), Rwanda (Kigali), Uganda (Kampala), Kenya (Eldoret), Sri Lanka, and Ecuador (Quito and Galapagos). Residents also have the opportunity to rotate at one of our Indian Health Service partner sites, both serving Navajo Nation Reservation (Chinle, AZ and Shiprock, NM). Each site is highly structured with safe living accommodations and superb mentorship. All of the sites are quite different from the others, with a range of unique inpatient, outpatient, and cultural experiences.

Up to two residents per year can match in our Global Health Track. Residents in the Global Health Track have dedicated time overseas in both the second (6 weeks) and third (up to 12 weeks) of residency, allowing them to to participate in clinical service and research, as they build a partnership with a chosen site. The track is customizable, based on the interests, goals, and preferences of the individual resident. The track includes dedicated time at SCVMC each year, continuity clinic at our Fair Oaks site (where residents care for  vulnerable patient populations in San Mateo County), and focused educational opportunities such as the 2-week Intensive Global Health Course and the 2-day Intensive Global Health Research Retreat (see below).  More Residents in the Global Health track participate in Global Health Journal Clubs, and have the opportunity to attend a host of lectures pertaining to global health across the medical school and the University. Global Health Track residents also have the option to pursue a funded Master's Degree during the year following residency, which allows them to gain a skill set as they launch their career in global health (e.g., Masters in Epidemiology, Masters in Public Health, Masters in Public Policy, Masters in Global Health).

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This course, entitled: "Global Health: Beyond Diseases and International Organizations," encompasses many aspects affecting health in developing countries such as economics, water sanitation, hygiene, the impact of non-governmental organizations, health and human rights, and the ethics of overseas clinical work and research. Laboratory and case-based clinical components of the course allow participants to learn the practical, day-to-day skills required to care for patients in resource-limited settings. The course is attended by residents and fellows across residency and fellowship programs at Stanford and therefore offers an opportunity to meet and learn from colleagues in other Departments and sub-specialties.

This 2-day retreat, led by Dr. Steve Luby, is geared towards residents interested in conducting research overseas. Residents discuss key issues in research proposal development, and develop their individual research proposals during the retreat, learning how to navigate the challenges of doing research in resource-limited settings (e.g., ethical challenges of doing research in low-resource settings, logistics of IRB approval outside of the U.S.).

Global health lectures are held throughout the year across the Stanford campus, including through the School of Medicine, the School of Law, the Graduate School of Business, as well as the undergraduate campus. Topics are vast and include Global Epidemiology, Health and Human Rights, Ethics, Economics of Global Health, Water and Sanitation, as well as lectures focused on the development of low cost technologies for use in low-resource settings.