Global Emergency Medicine & Rural Health Fellowship

Overview

In collaboration with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) and Partners In Health (PIH), our unique program allows fellows to develop clinical skills in limited resource settings throughout their two years in an entirely field-based experience. The program includes:

• 12 months of clinical service in rural USA (Alaska or Indian Health Service)
• 11-12 months internationally with renowned NGO or UW global health programs
• Cultural immersion throughout the 2-year fellowship
• Curriculum in social medicine, MPH, humanitarian response, tropical medicine, and rural health
• Mentorship/guidance from leaders in global health, medicine, and emergency medicine

Goals

There is a Rural health pathway with collaboration from Partners In Health (PIH), and a Humanitarian Emergencies focused pathway in collaboration with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

Rural Health-Focused Pathway Objectives

1. Through an experiential and didactic curriculum, develop an understanding of the unique needs and challenges of providing emergency care within the Alaskan Tribal Health Consortium. This will include experience in the direct delivery of care as well as the opportunity to learn the role of telehealth for remote care and training in extremely rural settings. The trainee will work directly with community health aides and develop cultural competence in caring for Alaskan Natives.
2. Through an experiential and didactic curriculum, learn how to effectively advance the implementation of emergency medicine in an international, resource-limited setting by partnering with an internationally renowned healthcare non-profit organization, PIH.
3. Develop the skills necessary for effective program development and implementation in resource-limited settings (rural and international). This will include the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to the performance of a needs assessment, program evaluation, and principles related to humanitarian fieldwork (food security, water and sanitation, personal security, and refugee health).
4. Develop research skills and conduct a research project culminating in academic publication or presentation to add to the growing body of literature focused on global emergency medicine and rural health.
5. Understand domestic and international public health issues, relationships between non-governmental and governmental organizations in disaster response, and the relationship between human health and human rights.

Humanitarian Emergencies Focused Pathway Objectives

1. Through an experiential and didactic curriculum, develop an understanding of the unique needs and challenges of providing emergency care within the Alaskan Tribal Health Consortium. This will include experience in the direct delivery of care as well as the opportunity to learn the role of telehealth for remote care and training in extremely rural settings. The trainee will work directly with community health aides and develop cultural competence in caring for Alaskan Natives.
2. Advance the implementation of emergency medicine in the global arena.
3. Learn the principles governing effective humanitarian relief and disaster response including field experience with an internationally renowned disaster relief agency, for example, MSF.
4. Learn techniques for evaluation of global health projects including needs assessments and program evaluation and skills necessary for humanitarian field work including knowledge in the fields of food security, water and sanitation, personal security, and refugee health.
5. Develop research skills and conduct a research project culminating in academic publication or presentation to add to the growing body of literature focused on global emergency medicine.
6. Understand international public health issues, relationships between non-governmental and governmental organizations in disaster response, and the relationship between human health and human rights.

Curriculum

The Global Emergency Medicine Fellowship program at the University of Washington in Seattle has two unique pathways to prepare future leaders in Global Emergency Medicine.

Our program is unique, flexible, and allows more international and field-based time than most others, with a robust and fully funded curriculum including MPH, DTMH, and formal coursework in humanitarian response in addition to funding for educational endeavors of the fellow’s choosing. 

Click here to view the entire fellowship curriculum.

Associated programs

The Global Emergency Medicine and Rural Health Fellowship has collaborated with several organizations in order to carry out its mission.

Partners in Health

The mission of Partners in Health is "to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. By establishing long-term relationships with sister organizations based in settings of poverty, Partners In Health strives to achieve two overarching goals: to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need of them and to serve as an antidote to despair."

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Alaska Tribal Health Consortium

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is a non-profit Tribal health organization designed to meet the unique health needs of Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Alaska.

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Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) works in conflict zones, after natural disasters, during epidemics, in long-term care settings, and more. Vie their website: "Our teams provide medical care for millions of patients every year in many different types of projects."

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