Many doctors choose to complete residency at Indiana University School of Medicine because they aspire to care for patients in underserved communities both locally and globally. The global health pathway brings together these residents from diverse specialties to better understand the social, economic, cultural and environmental factors that contribute to health and disease throughout the world.
Pediatric resident Nicole Hicks, MD, said, “One of the reasons I elected to pursue residency here at IU was the robust domestic and international global health experiences that are available. I have had the unique opportunity to work at the Eskenazi Health West 38th clinic throughout my intern year and I believe this opportunity has helped to further solidify my interest in this area. At the same time, it has encouraged me to pursue avenues to fill my knowledge gaps in caring for immigrant and refugee populations.” Hicks is one of 15 residents to be accepted into the pathway this year.
The pathway, which began in 2011 as one of IU's first "tracks" for residents, is one of five two-year co-curricular certificate programs. Residents in the global health pathway, led by the Indiana University Center for Global Health Equity (IUCGHE), meet quarterly to learn about global health issues and receive mentorship from IU faculty members with global health experience. Each resident completes either an international field elective or local-global health rotation as well as a scholarly project in order to earn the pathway certificate.
Jenny Baenziger, MD, associate director of education for the IUCGHE and coordinator of the global health pathway said residents are invited to apply for the Global Health Pathway in their first postgraduate year but may apply in subsequent years if they have at least two years of residency remaining. “The global health pathway broadens the residents’ experience and perspective and gives them critical knowledge and skills to better care for their patients whether they are in Indianapolis, rural America, or countries around the world.”
“In residency, an often very busy time in our lives, the global health pathway provided a way to continue fostering my passion for global health equity,” said Meera Iyengar, MD. “I hope to use the knowledge gained to collaborate with local partners and create sustainable health infrastructure in lower resource settings, both domestically and internationally.”
Residents completing all pathway requirements this year are:
- Oluwatobiloba Adenuga, MD (family medicine)
- Mishaal Ather, MBBS (pediatrics)
- Grant Callen, MD (pediatrics)
- May Elbanna, MD (radiation oncology)
- Bistees George, MD (internal medicine)
- Meera Iyengar, MD (medicine-pediatrics)
- Ashley Maveddat, MD (internal medicine)
- Juhi Ramchandani, MD (medicine-pediatrics)
- Kyle Warren, MD (medicine-pediatrics)
- Patrick Wurster, MD (ophthalmology)
- Gabriella Shofner, MD (family medicine)
Additional residents who participated in the pathway include:
- Abena Bruce, MD (obstetrics and gynecology)
- Nadia Gidia, MD (obstetrics and gynecology)
- Katherine Klemkosky, MD (pediatrics)
- Sumeet Toor, MD (neurology)
- Shivani Vasudeva, DO (obstetrics and gynecology)
- Fatima Yadudu, MD (obstetrics and gynecology)
- Sarah Yates, DO (internal medicine)
As one cohort of resident graduates, a new cohort joins the pathway. “I am confident that the global health pathway will provide a rich and comprehensive platform to further develop the skills and knowledge necessary for effective global health leadership,” added family medicine resident Karmjot Hundal, DO. “I am eager to engage with the diverse perspectives and experiences offered by the program, contributing to and learning from a community of like-minded individuals committed to making a positive impact on a global scale.”
New residents joining the pathway are:
- Sierra Anderson , MD (family medicine)
- Yanira Paola Castellanos Espinoza, MD (family medicine)
- Sarah Fortna, MD (internal medicine)
- Evan Thielen, MD (pediatrics)
- Fariba Rana, MD (internal medicine)
- Marissa Foster, DO (radiation oncology)
- Nicole Hicks, MD (pediatrics)
- Lian Hnin, DO (family medicine)
- Karmjot Hundal, DO (family medicine)
- Marcia Celeste Diaz Pardave, MD (family medicine)
- Rayanne Pancoast, DO (internal medicine)
- Rashed Dahabrah, MD (family medicine)
- Ricardo Serrano Poblete (psychiatry)
- Dylan Stolz, MD (medicine-pediatrics)
- SharadhiThalner, MD (pediatrics)
Applications for the global health pathway are accepted each year in the spring. For more information contact Dr. Baenziger.
