Global Health Academic Community

Co-Faculty Leads: Merranda Holmes, MD and Rebecca Mercedes, MD

The Pediatric Residency Global Health Academic Community’s (GHAC) purpose is to prepare pediatric residents to be the next generation of global health leaders. Through this comprehensive track, residents will be immersed in the care of a broad range of health issues relevant to a global community including populations in low- and middle-income countries as well as local underserved populations that are not standardly covered in pediatric residency. Through mentorship, scholarly projects, global health electives, hands-on simulations, and core curriculum, pediatric residents will be prepared with the necessary skills and knowledge to incorporate global health into their current training and future careers.

Objectives

  • Adapt diagnostic evaluation and patient care in the context of significant resource limitations domestically or abroad
  • Critically assess complexities of global health issues, particularly those most applicable in low-resource settings
  • Develop the ability to practice patient-centered care by improving awareness and communication skills with patient populations and staff of various cultures
  • Demonstrate cultural humility and engage in appropriate discussions about different perspectives and approaches to patient management and medical system design
  • Describe the role of a visiting health care professional in maintaining a sustainable, ethical, and mutually beneficial relationship with the host institutions
  • Determine how to incorporate global health into your career beyond training
  • Participate in a global health away rotation
  • Complete a scholarly project with a global health focus

Requirements

  • Complete the VCGHE certificate program
  • Attend 80% of didactic sessions held quarterly
  • Attend 80% of global health journal clubs held quarterly
  • Lead one journal club
  • Participate in a global health elective
  • Present at noon conference on your global health experience/global health topic
  • Meet with your global health faculty mentor twice annually. 
  • Participate in Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health relevant offerings including global health grand rounds

Scholarly Project

All members will be required to produce a scholarly project in the field of global health with the assistance of a selected mentor. The project will be presented at the Department of Pediatrics Research Retreat. The project may also be presented at a regional, national, and/or international level and ideally should lead to publication.