The goal of the Global Emergency Medicine fellowship is to train emergency medicine residency graduates in the challenging and broad field of global health. We seek to achieve this by ensuring that our fellows get extensive individualized exposure to diverse areas of global health including international emergency medicine development, global health policy, tropical medicine, humanitarian aid and principles of disaster response.

Fieldwork:

Our fellows spend between three to five months abroad each year working on various projects. Overseas projects are designed to give the fellow a well-rounded experience in global health and are planned in conjunction with the interests of the individual fellow. The main focus of the fieldwork involves active participation in our ongoing EM development project in Guyana. Participation in humanitarian aid or disaster response with various international organizations is also an option for interested fellows. Coursework, such as tropical medicine training or the H.E.L.P. course, might also take place in an international setting.

Educational curriculum:

Formal education is discussed with each fellow applicant and the educational plan is made in conjunction with the interests and future goals of the fellow. An MPH program is optional but strongly suggested. Vanderbilt offers an MPH with a focus on international health. The external program at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) or other online programs are an option given the travel requirements of the fellowship. LSHTM offers external Master’s degrees in Public Health, Epidemiology or Infectious Diseases and the coursework can be done at the student’s convenience. More information about this program can be found at http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/prospectus/masters/distance.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_london_external. While an MPH program is suggested, the reality is that those enrolled in an MPH program will find it difficult to spend as much time abroad. Fellows who don’t take a full Master’s program can elect to do a short course through LSHTM. There is also a Graduate Certificate in Global Health offered by the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health.

Fellows are also highly encouraged to take a tropical medicine diploma course, and this is required of those not enrolled in an MPH program. These courses cover a broad range of topics including tropical infectious diseases, HIV/TB, maternal health and nutrition. Students are eligible to take the ASTMH Certificate of Knowledge test upon successful completion of the course. Options include the Gorgas Course in Peru, the University of Minnesota/CDC program, or the program at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Fellows might also elect to take the Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P. I) and/or the Health, Ethics, Law and Policies (H.E.L.P. II) courses offered by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Research:

Fellows are required to conduct at least one research or scholarly project during the fellowship. Fellows may initiate their own project with a faculty preceptor or work on an ongoing project of a Vanderbilt faculty member. Collaboration with researchers at the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health is an option. Fellows are expected to write a manuscript of publishable quality.

Please click here to view selected publications of the members of the Division of International Health.

Clinical work:

International health fellows receive a Vanderbilt faculty appointment and work in the Vanderbilt ED as an attending physician and supervise and teach medical students and residents Fellows are assigned eight eight-hour shifts per month, although we have flexibility in assigning shifts to fit around international duties.

Teaching duties:

The Department of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt has a reputation for providing excellent education for students, residents and community health care workers. Our fellow is expected to participate in our educational endeavors. Fellows participate in conferences, present interesting cases, and give formal lectures in international health topics to our residents and students. Fellows will also have ample opportunity to provide formal and informal educational sessions in various international settings.

Benefits:

Fellows receive a generous compensation package including tuition for educational activities (MPH, tropical medicine courses, etc.), travel expenses, evacuation insurance and CME funds. A 403(b) retirement plan and spouse and child tuition reimbursement plans are offered by the university.

Application procedure:

* Applicants must be graduates of an approved emergency medicine residency program

* Please email materials to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or mail to the address below. Please include:

• Cover letter
• Application form (download here)
• Letter describing your interests in international health
• Three letters of recommendation – Mailed directly to the fellowship program, one should be from your EM program director
• CV (please include USMLE scores and any relevant international experiences)

Please note that we take fellows on an every other year basis. We will not be recruiting a fellow for July 2013.

Please feel free to contact Seth Wright, MD if you have any questions about our program.

Seth Wright, MD, MPH

703 Oxford House

Department of Emergency Medicine

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 37232

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