At Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital, we believe there has never been a time when it is more important to inspire and train American physicians to engage in global health careers whether they see themselves living internationally as a career, traveling for short-term trips, or being a strategic donor that supports the work that is necessary to improve the lives of women and babies around the world.

In 2017, 96% of all US OB/GYN residents said that global health was important to them, but only 18% of programs have organized programs that can help residents pursue their passions. That year, we set out to create an opportunity that will have longitudinal impact that is bigger than what one resident can accomplish independently in four years.

What does the global health track include?

The Global Health Track is a mentored, four-year experience that includes 1-2 residents from each class. We meet monthly during protected academic time to discuss a topic related to women’s global health. We want to provide excellent training in three areas:

• Public health basics such as statistics, program planning, critical appraisal, and evaluation
• Leadership development to help you know yourself and how to lead others cross culturally
• Clinical instruction for how to navigate the challenges of practicing in a low-resource environment

Our monthly didactics include a resident-led journal club and topical discussion that operates on a rolling four-year curriculum so that you feel like you are part of the program no matter when you start.

The track points towards an international elective in your third year. We partner with Kybele (www.kybeleworldwide.org), an NGO focused on improving care for mothers and babies through educational partnerships on their program called the Making Every Baby Count Initiative (MEBCI 2.0) in Ghana. This program is looking to improve the antenatal, intrapartum, and neonatal care in regional referral hospitals in Ghana in order to decrease neonatal mortality. Maternal mortality and morbidity goes hand-in-hand with neonatal care. We helped to design the obstetric portion of this grant and partner with local doctors, midwives, and other providers to implement the program at a large scale.

What are the values that shape your program?

1. We grow: Engaging in global health begins with your own personal growth that helps you to understand how your personality, giftings, and skillset can improve the lives of women and babies in our city and around the world.
2. We go: Part of this experience will involve traveling to our partner institution to put into practice the skills and knowledge you have gained in the program.
3. We sow: Our program is committed to a long-term strategy to strengthen and develop local healthcare providers so that they can provide high-quality care in their settings.