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RAMS Roadmaps-Senior Med Student

 

Early Years: Building Foundations in Global Health

  • Develop your personal motivation and area of interest in global health - whether clinical, research, education, health systems development, or humanitarian response.
  • Seek mentorship early. Many opportunities exist outside emergency medicine (EM), so engage with faculty in other disciplines.
  • Get involved in local public health initiatives, student-run clinics, and advocacy groups. Sustainability in global health starts with local impact.
  • Participate in available global health tracks or concentrations.
  • Use summer breaks to engage in global health projects or research.
  • Explore funding options such as the Benjamin H. Kean Travel Fellowship in Tropical Medicine or the Global Health Corps Fellowship.
  • Attend conferences and publish or present research findings.

Year Off Planning

If you want to take a year off between MS3/MS4, start looking at opportunities now. This can be a hugely rewarding experience and establish a foundation for your career in global health, however they often require preparation on developing a research project with a mentor within the program prior to the application deadline.

Later Years: Deepening Engagement

  • Take electives that enhance your global health knowledge and further define your area of interest or niche. Examples include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epidemiology elective, the Indian Health Service (IHS) Medical Student Clerkship, or The Practitioner's Guide to Global Health.
  • Research residency programs with strong global health opportunities. Leverage your growing network and mentors to gain the inside perspective and current and future programmatic opportunities.
  • Continue mentorship engagement and seek networking opportunities through organizations like SAEM's Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) International Committee, or the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association (EMRA) International Committee. If you're going to the SAEM Annual Meeting, check out the Speed Mentoring event.
  • If considering a research year, apply for structured programs early.