Virtual Global Health Elective
The CFHI Virtual Global Health elective offers inter-professional trainees a unique opportunity to build key Global Health competencies. Students will explore global and public health issues broadly, highlighting how health systems around the world deliver healthcare in a variety of environments, examining cultural interplays, developing agility for making health care decisions in diverse settings, and expanding self-awareness.
Participants will learn how communities are addressing their most pressing health challenges, including chronic disease, maternal-child health, infectious disease, and reproductive health, all while gaining insights into the public health realities internationally, reverse innovation, and interplays of international development and health. Also, they will face the novel concept of planetary health, its scientific and ethical basis, and its foundational principles and frameworks. Additionally, tangible skill development includes critical reflection, cross-cultural effectiveness & adaptability, and health systems comparatives.
This elective is intended to be a full-time, four-week commitment. The elective contains both live sessions with peers and international faculty members and self-paced readings, assignments, and group work. Participants will produce a final e-portfolio compiling all completed assignments and serving as a key component for successful elective completion.
You can email CFHI Virtual Programs Coordinator, Gonzalo Claure, gonzalo@cfhi.org with questions.
Cost
For students located in high-income countries, the tuition is $495. For students located in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), the tuition is $250.
Scholarships
CFHI offers two types of full tuition scholarships for either students in a refugee condition or students in finantial need. Visit the scholarship section in our website to know about the elegibility criteria for both scholarships and to access the scholarship application form.
Duration
CFHI’s faculty draws on international leaders in academic, community-based, governmental and non-governmental sectors. Meet a sample of CFHI’s amazing team below! A finalized list of faculty and facilitators will be updated prior to the elective start date.
Dr. Charles Chineme Nwobu is a Public Health Physician in Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive, Sexual and Child Health and a Development Specialist. He holds a Master’s in Public health for development from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and was a student ambassador of this leading institution in public health. He also has a certification in International Development from the prestigious University of Cambridge, UK. He additionally holds a BSc in Medical Sciences and a medical degree (MBChB) from the University of Ghana Medical School. He has experience working in the public and the private health sector in Ghana as a Physician - Family/General Practitioner mostly in Maternal and Child Health. He is a strong global health advocate with prior experience working as a regional leader in the global health organisation IFMSA (International Federation of Medical Students Associations) where he served as the IFMSA Regional Coordinator for Africa for two consecutive years and next as the Alumni Relations Support Division Director. He is part of the Junior Doctors Network (JDN) of the World Medical Association (WMA). Along with serving as CFHI’s Medical and Program Director for Ghana, he also currently serves as a steering and working committee member of an international network known as CHIFA (Child Health and Rights Information for All), with the head office based in the U.K. In the African region, he currently serves as one of the chosen consultants in the expert community of the current African Union Youth Envoy.
Dr. Geoffrey Anguyo is the Founder and Executive Director of CFHI’s local partner, a Ugandan non-profit organization that prides itself on the creation of an “Activated Community." Dr. Anguyo has been practicing medicine for over twenty years in Uganda, working in government hospitals, private clinics, and through non-profit healthcare delivery. His specialty is HIV/AIDS. Dr. Anguyo grew up in Northern Uganda. As a child, his family was displaced by political violence, fleeing to Congo DRC. These early experiences were formative, and today Dr. Anguyo remains committed to developing practical solutions to improving healthcare and livelihood in Uganda. Dr. Anguyo is currently working on his Doctorate in Public Health at Bath University in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Jessica Evert straddles international education and the medical profession. As Executive Director of Child Family Health International (CFHI) she leads one of the largest and most well-respected Global Health experiential learning organizations, with over 40 programs in 11 countries, and over 200 collaborating universities. Dr. Evert is Faculty in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where she instructs in Global Health and community-based underserved care and helped develop, as well as completed, the Global Health Clinical Scholars residency track. Dr. Evert is a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Medicine and is a longtime advocate for health-related international education quality and ethical standards. She is author and editor of multiple chapters, articles and books in global health with a focus on education, ethics, and asset-based engagement, including the seminal texts, including Global Health Experiential Education: From Theory to Practice, Developing Global Health Programming: A Guidebook for Medical and Professional Schools, 2nd Ed, Global Health Training in Graduate Medical Education, 2nd Ed and Reflection in Global Health: An Anthology. She helped develop the Forum on Education Abroad's Standards for Health-Related Undergraduate Programs. Dr. Evert is a recipient of Global Health Education Consortium's prestigious Christopher Krogh Award for her dedication to underserved populations at home and abroad. Dr. Evert's research and advocacy areas of focus are the ethics of global educational engagement, competency-based international education, health disparities, asset-based programmatics and reflection.
Mary White, PhD, taught medical and public health ethics and global health for 25 years at the Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, retiring in 2020. Her global health experience includes teaching in medical schools and working with NGOs in Ethiopia and Uganda. Most of her global health publications to date address global health education and research ethics. She has participated in this virtual elective with CFHI since 2021. Ongoing interests include palliative care, global health humanities, and global health education.
Renzo Guinto, MD DrPH is the Chief Planetary Health Scientist and Co-Founder of the newly established Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Concurrently, he is the Associate Professor of the Practice of Global Public Health and Inaugural Director of the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine in the Philippines. He is also a member of the National Panel of Technical Experts of the Climate Change Commission of the Philippines, and convener of Planetary Health Philippines – a community of Filipino planetary health advocates, scholars, and practitioners for exchanging ideas, forging collaborations, and advancing the new discipline of planetary health. Renzo is also a member of the Advisory Circle of Child Family Health International and teaches the seminar on planetary health in its virtual elective program.
An Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leader and Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow, Renzo is a member of several international groups including: Lancet–Chatham House Commission on Improving Population Health post COVID-19 (University of Cambridge); Lancet One Health Commission (University of Oslo); Advisory Council of Global Health 50/50 (University College London); Advisory Board of Climate Cares (Imperial College London); and Climate Resilient and Sustainable Health Systems Thematic Working Group of Health Systems Global. Renzo has served as consultant for various organizations including: World Health Organization; WHO Foundation; World Bank; USAID; GIZ; ASEAN; International Organization for Migration; Health Care Without Harm; and Philippine Department of Health. He also sits on the editorial boards of The Lancet Planetary Health; PLOS Global Public Health; Journal of Climate Change and Health; and Journal of Migration and Health.
Renzo obtained his Doctor of Public Health from Harvard University and Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines Manila. He has traveled to and lectured in nearly 60 countries and 100 universities across the world; published more than 150 articles in scientific journals, books, and popular media; and directed and produced short films that communicate the message of planetary healing to the world. In 2020, Renzo was included by Tatler Magazine in its Gen.T List of 400 leaders of tomorrow who are shaping Asia’s future.
The Virtual Global Health elective is a full-time commitment that includes 2-5 hours per day of mandatory attendance and engagement at approximately 6 seminars per week. Generally, most live sessions take place between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm (US ET). You will be attending lectures, participating in small-group sessions and projects, as well as making formal presentations. The self-paced off-line activities of the course include completing readings and assignments, all of which are managed in Google classroom.
By the end of the course, you will have created an E-portfolio, a compilation of your assignments, learning, and perspectives acquired. We encourage the inclusion of written and creative multimedia reflections. The E-portfolio serves as one of the primary tools for evaluating your performance in this class, in addition to attendance, engagement, and participation during the live sessions.
Please find a sample schedule listed below.
Week 1
Monday
Orientation to CFHI Virtual Global Health Elective (1 hour)
Asynchronous review of pre-readings and materials (3 hours)
Planetary Health live session 1: The Birth of a New Discipline (1.5 hours)
Tuesday
Asynchronous review of pre-readings and materials (4 hours)
Global Health Ethics Live session 1: Clinical Ethics in Intercultural Settings (1.5 hours)
Completing Assignments (2 hours)
Community engagement Live Session 1: Ghana – Health and health systems (1 hour)
CQI Project (7 hours)
Wednesday
Intersectoral Global Health Live session 1 (1.5 hours)
Group work (2 hours)
Thursday
CFHI Directors Seminar: "What is Global Health? Essential Definitions, Frameworks & Ethics" (2 hours)
Online training modules (3.5 hours)
Friday
Round Tables: "Health Systems and Universal Health Coverage" (1.5 hours)
Teaching Assistant office hours (1 hour)
WEEK 2
Monday
Asynchronous review of pre-readings and materials (3 hours)
Planetary Health live session 2: Principles and Frameworks (1.5 hours)
Completing assignments (2 hours)
Tuesday
Asynchronous review of pre-readings and materials (4 hours)
Global Health Ethics Live session 2: Public Health Ethics (1.5 hours)
Completing Assignments (2 hours)
Community engagement Live Session 2: Ghana – Transactional sex (1 hour)
Transactional sex project (7 hours)
Wednesday
Intersectoral Global Health Live session 2 (1.5 hours)
Group work (2 hours)
Thursday
CFHI Directors Seminar: "Health Systems and Primary Care" (2 hours)
Online training modules (3.5 hours)
Friday
Round Tables: "Current Health Challenges and Priorities" (1.5 hours)
Teaching Assistant office hours (1 hour)
WEEK 3
Monday
Asynchronous review of pre-readings and materials (3 hours)
Planetary Health live session 3: Climate change and Human Health (1.5 hours)
Completing assignments (2 hours)
Tuesday
Asynchronous review of pre-readings and materials (4 hours)
Global Health Ethics Live session 3: Research Ethics (1.5 hours)
Completing Assignments (9 hours)
Community engagement Live Session 3: Uganda - Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (1 hour)
Wednesday
Intersectoral Global Health Live session 3 (1.5 hours)
Group work (2 hours)
Thursday
CFHI Directors Seminar: "Interculturalism & Cultural Humility" (2 hours)
E-portfolio draft submission (5 hours)
Friday
Round Tables: "COVID-19 Global Perspectives" (1.5 hours)
Teaching Assistant office hours (1 hour)
WEEK 4
Monday
Asynchronous review of pre-readings and materials (3 hours)
Planetary Health live session 4: Advancing Planetary Health: From Knowledge to Action (1.5 hours)
Completing assignments (2 hours)
Tuesday
Asynchronous review of pre-readings and materials (4 hours)
Global Health Ethics Live session 4: Humanitarian Aid (1.5 hours)
Completing Assignments (9 hours)
Community engagement Live Session 4: Uganda - Health Systems in Uganda and HIV/AIDS (1 hour)
Wednesday
Intersectoral Global Health Live session 4 (1.5 hours)
Group work (2 hours)
Thursday
CFHI Directors Seminar: "Planetary Health" (2 hours)
E-portfolio draft submission (5 hours)
Friday
Round Tables: "Intercultural Approaches to Healthcare Delivery " (1.5 hours)
Teaching Assistant office hours (1 hour)
Complete Global Engagement Survey & CFHI Virtual Program Evaluation (1 hour)
Final e-portfolio submission (10 hours)
This elective is built for senior/advanced health professions trainees including residents, physician assistant trainees, NPs, pharmacy final year students, and other advanced health professions trainees.
CFHI Virtual Global Health Electives have the following learning objectives and competency development goals:
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With respect to patients and populations, articulate the relationship between health and the social determinants of health.
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Demonstrate an understanding of cultural and ethical issues in working with and learning within the context of underserved populations.
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Demonstrate an understanding of barriers to health, as well as healthcare delivery strategies and systems in low-resource settings, and how these influence access to care.
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Demonstrate a commitment to professional behavior in cross-cultural settings and a respect for differences in knowledge, practices, and culture.
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Identify the major causes of morbidity and mortality affecting global populations and health disparities between populations.
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Utilizing validated tools assess, reflect on, and develop in quantifiable terms multiple dimensions of intercultural effectiveness.
The above framework was developed for post-graduate medical education, however it encapsulates the educational approach required for advanced undergraduate medical education. Utilizing this model, CFHI Virtual Global Health Electives blend multiple education modalities embedded in an ethically-informed approach to pedagogy and practice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What type of student is eligible to take the Virtual Global Health Elective?
Advanced clinical health professions trainees including final-year medical, nurse practitioner, dental, physician assistant, pharmacy, allied health students, and residents/fellows.
What are the elective start and end dates?
2023: February 6- March 3, April 3-28, July 3-28
What topics are covered in the elective?
The elective curriculum develops competency in pillars of global health, ethics, planetary health, intersectoral global health, and health systems comparatives. To learn more, please read the full course description above.
How many hours per week do the faculty teach online (live) classes?
Live class sessions are between 10-12 hours per week, generally in the mornings (U.S. Eastern time), with a few afternoon sessions. Students are expected to attend to all live sessions. However, a student is unable to attend a class, they are expected to watch a recording of the missed sessions.
Who are the teaching faculty?
CFHI draws from its global team who are health care professionals, NGO leaders, faculty members, and individuals deeply committed to their communities and imparting their global health-focused work. To review faculty bios, click on the Faculty & Facilitators tab below.
What is the cost of the course?
For students located in high-income countries, the tuition is $495. For students located in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), the tuition is $250.
Are there any scholarships offered by CFHI for the elective?
Yes! There is a full tuition scholarship for students who are displaced, and students in financial need.
Where do I apply for the elective? Is there an application deadline?
To submit an applicaton, click on the "Apply Now" button on the right hand side of the screen and follow the prompts.
If I have further questions, who do I contact?
Gonzalo Claure, CFHI Virtual Programs Director, gonzalo@cfhi.org
Tania Martínez, Virtual Elective Teaching Assistant, tania@cfhi.org