Educational Opportunities through BUP

CGH facilitates summer research opportunities for Penn's 1st year medical and Masters of Public Health students.

The Center for Global Health coordinates global health research assistant opportunities for Penn medical and MPH students.  By engaging in ongoing global health research at Penn, these opportunities provide Penn students with insights into global health careers and scientific discovery while sharpening or gaining skill-sets useful in the field. Most of these opportunities are available in the summer, though some are open throughout the academic year.

When available, some of these opportunities will take place in Botswana where projects will utilize interdisciplinary student skillsets and provide students with valuable learning and mentorship opportunities while contributing to the work of established BUP primary investigators in the field.

For more information on research and other Global Health Experience opportunities, please visit the CGH Website. 

 

Global clinical rotations in Botswana are available for 4th year medical students at Penn. The Botswana Clinical Elective is an enriching experience providing exposure to multiple levels of healthcare in a low-resource setting.

 Applications for 2023-2024 are now OPEN. Deadline Jan 2, 2024.

The 6 week general medicine elective allows students to experience:

  • Understanding the importance of context when working in different settings
  • Diagnosis and management skills in a resource-limited area, including end-of-life care
  • Impact of culture on patient presentation, doctor-patient and team relationships, and the provision of medical care
  • Exchange of knowledge with other students, health professionals, and trainees
  • Spend time with dynamic, smart, resourceful University of Botswana and Penn faculty committed to working in resource-limited settings

View funding details.

There are opportunities for Penn and CHOP residents and fellows to complete a clinical rotation in Botswana.

There are various funding arrangements depending on what department you are from, but a few things remain the same across all programs.

  • All residents must commit to spending at least 4 weeks working in country and preferably 6 weeks (which usually requires using your vacation time).
  • All residents must register with the BHPC in order to practice medicine in Botswana. See instructions.
  • All residents must have the permission of the department, the approval of the BUP (contact Maria Hering), sign a risk and release, and adhere to all the other rules of BUP.

CHOP Residents: Contact Dr. Adelaide Barnes for more information.

Dermatology Residents: Contact Dr. Carrie Kovarik for more information. Dermatology residents work at Princess Marina Hospital and may work on outreach and other projects. (Note: That non-Penn dermatologists may be eligible to participate in this rotation under the Resident International Grant program with the American Academy of Dermatology.)

Family Medicine: Contact Dr. Margaret (Meg) Johnson Baylson for more information.

Internal Medicine: Contact Maria Hering for application information and other details. We accept ~10 medicine residents a year. Residents rotate at Princess Marina Hospital, teach University of Botswana and other trainees on the wards, and may go on outreach to area hospitals and clinics with BUP faculty. Global Health Medicine residents may also elect to do two rotations in Botswana. Contact Dr. Todd Barton and Dr. Carol McLaughlin for more information about the Global Health Equities track.

OB/GYN Residents: Contact Dr. Catherine (Trina) Salva for information. In general, OB/GYNs will spend their time working at our cervical cancer screening clinics.

Pathology Residents: Contact Dr. Kum Cooper for more information.

Radiology Residents: Contact Dr. Wally Miller for more information.

Surgery Residents: Contact Dr. Jon Morris for more information.

All other Penn residents: There MAY be an opportunity for you. Contact Maria Hering and your department head to see if there is funding available.

This opportunity is available to all matriculated Penn students who are not yet in their final year (i.e., are returning to Penn after the summer). BUP with Penn Global offers internships ideal for Penn students interested in public health, computer science, social science, and/or epidemiology who want to spend their summer contributing to meaningful public health research, honing their research skills, and making an impact in Botswana.

For more information about global research internship opportunities in Botswana, please contact Charlotte Beever.