GHOPE Resident Education

In the Emory University Department of Pediatrics, we aim to ensure that all pediatric trainees receive an introduction to global child health, including the principles of public health, advocacy, social determinants of health, partnership, and clinical care of children in resource limited communities both at home and around the world. For residents who wish to have a deeper engagement in global health and are considering careers in global health, we offer a specialized track.

Since 2010, the Emory Pediatric Global Health Track has been training leaders in global child health! Each year we accept 3-5 residents to the Global Health Track. Residents apply in the first few months of intern year. Global Health Track residents are selected based on their commitment to global health careers, experience, and career goals. The Global Health Track is a longitudinal program that spans the three (or more for combined residents) years of residents.

Our track has four key pillars:

Global Health Education               Residents as Teachers

Mentored Scholarly Activities      Global Health Electives

Global Health Track residents have protected half-days each quarter to come together to learn the fundamentals of global child health. These sessions are designed around a topic area (e.g., Maternal and Newborn Health, Global Health Research, etc.). Activities include senior resident led journal clubs, simulation/hands-on training,  didactics from Emory faculty and global health leaders from around the world. Our senior track residents also present their scholarly projects and electives. Our curriculum covers CUGH competencies, the AAP GHEARD, and the SUGAR-GOALS objectives.

Each global health track resident will be matched with a faculty mentor for a mentored scholarly activity. Each resident receives tailored mentorship in line with their career goals. They work with a mentor to select a scholarly activity which can include research, quality improvement, medical education, policy writing or advocacy projects. Some projects occur locally in Atlanta and others occur on site with global or local global partners. Track residents have won resident research awards, GHOPE, and EGHI seed grant funding to support their work. They have presented at local and international conferences, published in high impact journals, and been recognized as mini-chief and chief residents and several residents of the year awards for their advocacy and education endeavors.

Each track residents can spend up to 8 weeks abroad as a senior resident at a global partner site or locally with a local global partner. Global Health Track residents select their elective site in their second year. They complete pre-engagement training as part of quarterly half days and they participate in special sessions for senior track residents prior to their elective. Many residents elect to visit an Emory Pediatrics partner site: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Brazil, Peru, India, Clarkston (Refugee).  Other recent sites where residents have traveled include Indian Health Service, Kenya, and Guatemala.

As part of their global health track experience, each resident has opportunities to teach medical students and their peers about key aspects of global child health. Track residents have the chance to teach in the pre-health professional student elective Clinical Perspectives in Global Health. Additionally, with mentorship from GHOPE faculty, every year track senior residents plan Global Health Week. Global Health Week includes an invited international leader to give pediatric ground rounds, an all-resident core learning session, book clubs, advocacy projects, and more.

What makes the Emory Pediatric Global Health Track different than other programs?

• Learn from a myriad of Global Health Leaders: We learn not only from our Emory community and Emory partners but also from faculty associated with the CDC, The Task Force for Global Health, the Carter Center and more!
• Train in a Global City: We are seven minutes from one of the largest refugee resettlement communities in the United States, Clarkston, GA. Beyond Clarkston, Atlanta is a global city with a myriad of vibrant, diverse communities. Our trainees and faculty regularly care for our local global community clinically and partner and learn with them as part of track education and scholarly endeavors.
• Participate in Bidirectional Partnerships: Emory has a LONG  history of commitment to bidirectional partnerships. This means our faculty and trainees regularly welcome global partner faculty and trainees to Emory. As a result, many track residents will have already met global partners from their global health site before their elective. We value long term relationships, and every track project will include global or community partner involvement.
• Residents as Teachers: Our trainees have opportunities to teach medical students and their peers as part of the track. They teach in the annual GHOPE medical school course. They also plan the annual Global Health Week for the Department of Pediatrics.