Global health education for medical students and residents
The scope of family medicine makes it well suited for global health care.
Medical students
Seeking out global health opportunities throughout medical school can help you clarify your vision for working and serving globally and build relationships through which you can contribute and be mentored.
Develop knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare you to work effectively in a global context.
Participate in your medical school’s global health track, if available. A well-designed track provides essential background and skills, supports networking for short-term international rotations and helps you find mentors to guide your decisions.
Participate in activities focused on local underserved populations or global health, such as journal clubs, courses, electives, service projects, student groups or research.
Volunteer in a not-for-credit experience serving an underserved population during your M1–M2 summer or during a fall, spring or holiday break.
Do research, scholarly work or a capstone project focused on a population outside the United States or an underserved population within the the country.
Advocate for the value and relevance of global health curriculum and experiences at your medical school. You might share information with the dean and the family medicine chair about how global health strengthens your development as a physician and supports the school’s mission.
Get involved in a global-health-related student interest group at your medical school, if available.
Lead your family medicine interest group (FMIG) in serving a local underserved population. Consider partnering with other student groups to develop a sustainable program.
Engage with your medical school’s office, center or institute for global health, if available.
Build a foundation for long-term collaboration by developing relationships with people and organizations involved in global health. Take advantage of your medical school’s existing partnerships, if available.
Seek a longitudinal global health experience throughout medical school.
Use AAFP’s global health resources and network.
Cultivate relationships with mentors who can guide your development of the abilities and attributes needed to pursue your interest in global health.
Finding a mentor can be a tremendous help as you navigate the many questions that arise while you learn more about global health needs and opportunities.
Ways to find a mentor
Try personal networking. Ask colleagues, friends and family members whether they know anyone who works in global health, then follow up with potential leads by email or phone. The more connections you make, the greater your chances of identifying one or more physicians who could be an appropriate mentor.
Look for someone doing the type of global health work you hope to do, or working in a region that interests you. Reach out to share your background and aspirations.
Reach out to presenters at meetings or to authors of articles or books of interest. Ask for advice or offer to help with a project. Many people working in global health find it rewarding to advise and collaborate with those exploring an interest in the field.
Residents
An accredited family medicine residency program provides ideal preparation for short- and long-term global health work. Family physicians are specifically trained to provide the care most needed in resource-limited settings: care for patients of all ages that is comprehensive, continuous, integrated, community oriented and team based. If you are seriously considering global health work, select a residency program that offers:
Support and guidance for interest in global health
A patient population that includes a variety of ethnicities, cultures and languages so you can become proficient in working with translators and cultural interpreters.
A robust global health track that provides training in tropical and poverty-related diseases, advanced procedural skills and cultural competence, as well as opportunities for global rotations and a network of international contacts. Getting involved in a global health track during residency is strongly recommended.
Once you begin your family medicine residency, these steps can help you prepare for global health work:
Develop competence in a team-based approach to medical care, attention to the whole family, preventive and community-oriented care and provision of continuous care to a defined population.
Develop specific interventional skills, such as procedures commonly performed at the primary care level in resource-limited settings, including repair of complex lacerations and interpretation of diagnostic ultrasound.
Find a faculty mentor or advisor involved in global health work who can help you prepare yourself and your family. A mentor may also help you use your experience to develop a scholarly presentation or paper.
Complete additional training, such as fellowship-based preparation in advanced obstetrics and gynecology, including Cesarean section or disaster relief. Although a fellowship is not essential, it can be helpful.
The AAFP Center for Global Health Initiatives has compiled a directory of family medicine residency programs that include international rotations. Search our free database to explore these programs.
Find your passion.
If you want to make a lasting impact in global health, it's important to find your niche within the wide range of family medicine global health opportunities. It may take time and several experiences to discover and develop your passion. You may find yourself drawn to a certain country, culture, language area or area of need, such as maternal and child health, social determinants of health, disaster relief, policy or noncommunicable diseases. Be open to the many types of experiences available and, if possible, explore them before committing to long-term employment.
There may be faculty mentors in your residency program with experience in specific areas of global health. The AAFP also offers a directory of global health opportunities.
Form partnerships.
Once you find your passion, partnering with individuals and organizations that share your enthusiasm can help you have a lasting, sustainable impact. Cultivate relationships by staying connected with particular organizations or international communities. If you travel, try to return to the same area to deepen your commitment to that population. Partnerships and connections can help you integrate global health into your career and expand your ability to contribute to sustainable efforts.
Connect with others.
There is significant interest in global health among family medicine residents in the United States and abroad. The World Organization of Family Doctors (Wonca) Young Doctors’ Movements connect residents and young physicians in conversations about family medicine in global health.
The Polaris Movement for New and Future Family Physicians in North America is a Young Doctors’ Movement launched in 2014 that provides an international platform for medical students, residents and new family physicians.
Family Medicine 360°, another Wonca Young Doctors’ Movements initiative, is an exchange program for family medicine residents during elective months. These four-week exchanges allow participants to travel to a country of interest and experience primary health care delivery in that setting.
Consider completing a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree.
Proficiency in public health is increasingly important in global health, especially if you want to make a lasting impact on prevention and social determinants of health. Some residency and fellowship programs pay for pursuit of a Master of Public Health degree during training. Find out if your program is among them.
Explore fellowships in global health.
It's becoming easier to find residency programs that offer family medicine global health fellowships. However, there are still more global health fellowships in emergency medicine and internal medicine than in family medicine. If this is the case at your program, ask whether those fellowships can be adapted to family medicine.
Explore electives in global health.
Many residencies already offer global health electives or tracks. If yours does not, consider creating a global health elective in your area of interest. Most residency programs will accept well-developed proposals, especially if you already have a relationship with the organization involved.
If you are unable to travel because of time or financial constraints, pursue or create electives locally that reflect global health principles. Working with underserved or marginalized populations in your own community can create lasting positive change. Remember, global health is not limited to international work; it also includes efforts in your own community.