Global Health Equities Track Rotation

Botswana, Princess Marina Hospital, Gaborone

Over the past two decades, Penn has developed a strong relationship with the Princess Marina Hospital, the Ministry of Health in Botswana, and the University of Botswana to support efforts in medical education, research capacity, and direct patient care. Rotating resident responsibilities will include joining the clinical care team for internal medicine patients at Princess Marina Hospital, a busy public hospital in the capital, Gaborone. Residents will be expected to help with intern and medical student education and supervision. A major goal of the Penn-Botswana partnership is to build sustainable, quality health education and work with health providers and the government of Botswana to strengthen health care at Princess Marina Hospital and throughout the country.  Please see the Botswana UPenn Partnership website for additional details.

Indian Health Service (IHS), Navajo Health, Tsehootsooi Medical Center in Fort Defiance, Arizona

Understanding that global health is in our backyard, this resident elective rotation at the Tsehootsooi Medical Center in Fort Defiance, AZ provides the unique opportunity to work with a culturally rich Navajo population with staggering health disparities within our own borders. A large number of patients deal with challenging psychosocial factors and may not have electricity, running water, indoor plumbing or transportation. In addition to the privilege of working with Navajo patients, the rotation allows residents to explore future job opportunities. Already, several of our recent graduates have jobs with the Indian Health Service.

“Ft. Defiance strives for full-spectrum quality care using a culturally competent, interdisciplinary approach. Providers manage a variety of common illnesses, including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. In addition, there is a high incidence of inflammatory arthritis, interstitial lung disease and other diseases specific to the population, including infectious diseases such as Hanta Virus, Bubonic Plague, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tuberculosis. Specialty clinics in Cardiology, Pulmonology, HIV, Hepatitis C/GI, local jail and a special needs group home are all available on site. In-house specialist including General Surgery, ENT, Optometry, Dentistry, Orthopedics, OG/GYN, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine are available for immediate consultation. There is a team of social workers and mental health specialists, public health nursing, Community Health Aides, Home-based Care services, Rehabilitation (Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists), Diabetes Educators, Pharmacists, Dietician/Nutritionist and Wellness/Fitness Specialists available for consult. Also on site, is an innovative Adolescent Care Unit, which is an inpatient psychiatric unit for Native American Youth with the emphasis on Traditional, Cultural Healing in conjunction with Psychiatry, group, individual and family therapy. Lastly, there are designated hotlines in place to major universities and participating institutions for phone consults with sub-specialists in the management of complex patients. Our goal is to provide excellent care with cultural and community awareness.”

Indian Health Service (IHS), Apache Nation, Whiteriver Indian Health Service Unit, Arizona

This is a primary care and public health elective rotation with resident responsibility for the care of patients in the acute/hospitalized setting, emergency department, and outpatient settings. The Whiteriver Indian Health Service Unit is a 40 bed “critical access” facility providing inpatient and outpatient services to the 17,000 members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe with 120 clinic visits/day and 36,000 ER visits/year including 1000 transfers to higher levels of care. The teaching staff at Whiteriver consists of physicians in the specialties of family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, and medicine/pediatrics. The rural nature of Whiteriver and the range of specialties offers rotating residents a range of learning opportunities. The lack of sub-specialists on-site provides a first-hand view of the complexities of primary care in a rural setting. Residents will also go to our stand-alone clinic in Cibecue, seeing a combination of acute and chronic care. In the ER, residents will care for a full spectrum of illnesses including stabilization of critically ill patients and traumas. Residents will have an opportunity to do home visits with public health nurses and see the community’s care outside of the healthcare facility. Housing and meals are provided.

Rwanda - Butaro District Hospital, Cancer Center of Excellence

In collaboration with the Rwanda Ministry of Health, the non-profit organization - Partners in Health, and Penn oncology faculty, residents rotate at the Butaro district Hospital and support clinical, education, and research projects at the Center of  Excellent for Cancer Care at Butaro.  

Dominican Republic (For Med/Peds Residents), Consuelo

In partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Global Health Programs, GHE residents in combined Medicine and Pediatrics may rotate in the clinics affiliated with CHOP’s Global Health Programs in the Dominican Republic, which include time in the clinics of Niños Primeros en Salud in Consuelo; outreach efforts with Haïtian migrants in the sugar cane bateyes with Medicines for Humanity; and time at Clinica de Familia - a community-based HIV clinic in La Romana.

Please see the CHOP Global Health Center website for additional details on Niños Primeros en Salud and their partners - Clinica de Familia and - Medicines for Humanity