New residents from ten diverse specialties have been selected to join the Indiana University School of Medicine Interdepartmental Global Health Residency Track coordinated by the Indiana University Center for Global Health.
The interdepartmental Global Health Residency Track is a co-curricular, optional track for medical residents while they complete their specialty training. The global health track engages highly motivated residents to better understand the social, economic, cultural and environmental factors that contribute to health and disease throughout the world. The program equips residents to address health disparities and encourages long-term commitment to global health issues domestically and internationally.
Components of the track include quarterly half-day conferences, scholarly projects, mentorship by faculty members with extensive global health experience, and either an international field elective or local global health rotation. Many participants choose to complete their field experience at the AMPATH partnership in Eldoret, Kenya.
Residents join the program each spring, and this years’ group of inductees are highly qualified. “They have inspired and impressed me with their experience, passion, goals and compassion for people around the world,” said Jenny Baenziger, MD, assistant director of education for the IU Center for Global Health and coordinator of the global health track. “Each resident has unique gifts and things to bring to the track. For example, several were in the Peace Corps, one has a PhD with a thesis in malaria and pregnancy, one has an MPH, and most have traveled to diverse places around the globe.” She also noted, “We are excited to have residents from neurology and physical medicine and rehabilitation, which are new fields for the global health track.”
IU School of Medicine has established an expertise in global health and began the partnership in Kenya that became the AMPATH program nearly 30 years ago. “The global health presence at IU is one of the factors that set IU apart from other residency programs,” said John Underwood, MD, an internal medicine-pediatrics resident.“I am proud to be a part of an institution that has a global health presence and is committed to improving healthcare beyond its borders,” he added.
Residents in the Global Health Residency Track meet for quarterly educational conferences.
General surgery resident Anna Gillio, MD, agreed, saying, “When looking for a residency program I wanted one that would foster my interest in public and global health. I ultimately ranked Indiana University first based in large part on their partnership with AMPATH and learning more about the multidisciplinary residency track while applying to residency.”
The IU Global Health Residency Track is unique because the curriculum is designed to complement each participant’s residency educational mission and requirements. This approach allows residents to pursue their specialty education and passion for global service simultaneously. “I long assumed that the grueling schedule of residency would necessitate setting aside my interest in global health. It is exciting to imagine that instead, residency could serve as a chance for me to grow as a global health practitioner,” pediatrics resident Victoria Sharaf, MD, explained.
The 22 new residents in the track will join the classes ahead of them to make 61 residents and fellows in the global health track. They meet quarterly for half-day conferences and events such as the inaugural Global Health Scholars Day held in May. For more information about the residency track, contact Dr. Baenziger at jbaenz@iu.edu. Application for the track are accepted each year in January.
Global Health Track residents inducted spring 2019:
- Stephen Benzinger (medicine-pediatrics)
- Natascia Borsellino (family medicine)
- Sarah Boudova (obstetrics and gynecology)
- Carlos Becceril Romero (pediatrics)
- Brandon Budiman-Steinley (physical medicine and rehabilitation)
- Keno Carter-Guy (family medicine)
- Anna Gillio (surgery)
- Matthew Glick (medicine)
- Holly Harding (family medicine)
- Jordan Hartkorn (family medicine)
- Katie Hutchins (neurology)
- An Huynh (medicine-pediatrics)
- Arminder Johal (family medicine)
- Victor Lohla (emergency medicine)
- David Manring (medicine-pediatrics)
- Beth Nagel (medicine-pediatrics)
- Anna Pendrey Guillen (family medicine)
- Nematullah (Mati) Sharaf (medicine-pediatrics)
- Victoria (Torrey) Sharaf (pediatrics)
- Leah Stalnaker (triple board)
- Mitali Thanawala (pediatrics)
- John Underwood (medicine-pediatrics)
