University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill
590 Manning Drive, CB 7595
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7595
1-919-966-3456
http://www.med.unc.edu/fammed/programs/residency/dir
uncfpr@med.unc.edu

UNC/CH FM residency does not have a formal global health track or area of focus at UNC/CH, but has a wide range of resources for global health and opportunities available to residents. The University Center for Global Initiatives (http://gi.unc.edu/) has become a think tank and place of coordination and cross-pollination. In both the Schools of Medicine and Public Health we are privileged to have experienced faculty who contribute to education, research, and program development worldwide. Residents interested in global health are encouraged to consider staying at UNC for a year following residency for an MPH, with a certificate in global health (www.sph.unc.edu/globalhealth/). In addition, the Research Triangle of North Carolina is well known as a center for international health and draws many experts to the area. Family Medicine residents who are interested can find ample ways to explore global health at UNC/CH.

Location(s) of program: Global health elective opportunities for residents are not limited to one specific location although the UNC statewide department has a partnership with Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc. (www.shouldertoshoulder.org) and groups of UNC medical students and residents from across the state have gone on two week trips to Honduras as part of a global health elective. Other residents have pursued elective opportunities, with faculty input, in Mexico, Honduras and India.

Description of field experience: Residents who are interested are able to offer two weeks of elective during the second year which can be spent either abroad or working across cultures in North Carolina (such as at a community or migrant health center serving largely Latino patients) and a 4 week block during the third year.

Description of didactics: Residents who are interested will be assigned to a faculty advisor experienced in global health for support and mentoring, and they would be encouraged to develop a project related to their elective experience that could be shared through presentation or publication. We have also started a global health journal club, and will gather quarterly to discuss new initiatives in international public health and family medicine.

Cost to individual resident: At this time, UNC/CH does not have funding for residency global health trips, but individuals are encouraged to use their designated CME funds to help with expenses and will be given mentoring on other sources of funding.

Number of residents who have participated in the last two years: 3

Description of faculty involvement: A number of faculty at UNC have interest and ongoing involvement in global health, and many have dual appointments in the School of Public Health. FM faculty serve as faculty advisors for student run global health organizations, including the Honduran Health Alliance (HHA) and the Projecto Puentes de Salud (PPA) in Mexico and the International Health Forum (www.med.unc.edu/ihf). Other faculty are involved in primary care research and training programs internationally on an ongoing basis. Residents can request to be assigned to a faculty advisor experienced in global health for support and mentoring, and they would be encouraged to develop a project related to their elective experience that could be shared through presentation or publication.

Does the program accept medical students for trips? Yes

Does the program accept residents from outside the program for trips? No

Approximate time of year/duration of trips: variable

Who to contact if interested in applying:
Martha C. Carlough, MD, MPH
Asst Professor
martha_carlough@med.unc.edu
919-966-6055