UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON GLOBAL EMERGENCY MEDICINE AND RURAL HEALTH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Learning Objectives

1. Through an experiential and didactic curriculum, learn how to effectively advance the implementation of emergency medicine both domestically in resource-constrained IHS settings, and in an international, resource-limited setting 
2. Develop the skills necessary for effective program development and implementation in resource-limited settings (rural and international). This will include the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to the performance of a needs assessment, program evaluation, and principles related to humanitarian fieldwork (food security, water and sanitation, personal security, and refugee health).
3. Learn the principles governing effective humanitarian relief and disaster response through fellowship courses and if desired by the fellow through a 2nd year of field experience with an internationally renowned disaster relief agency
4. Develop research skills and if desired conduct a research or QA study culminating in academic publication or presentation to add to the growing body of literature focused on global emergency medicine and rural health.
5. Understand international public health issues, relationships between non-governmental and governmental organizations in disaster response, and the relationship between human health and human rights.
6. Develop leadership skills and gain exposure to best practices and role models in rural health leadership, management, health equity, and advocacy. through an inter-agency monthly exchange: Rural Equity, Leadership and Advocacy Exchange (RELAX),
7. Develop an understanding of basic principles of caring for patients with HIV, TB, neglected tropical diseases, and tropical infectious diseases through didactic curriculum within the fellowship and optional Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.

Curriculum Logistics and Specifics:

Coursework and monthly series you’ll participate in will round out the clinical education you receive through your care of patients in limited resource settings in the fellowship with the goal of building your expertise in the practice of rural emergency medicine both in the US and internationally. Our fellowship curriculum has a homegrown curriculum that consists of a monthly didactic series (Block schedule TBA) August through June and mainly geared towards first year fellows. This is considered mandatory unless you have a clinical shift, in which case you should let the FD know you won’t be able to attend. The curriculum for this is modular, with the fall module focused on AI/AN issues and Decolonization, winter=research, spring=clinical topics in global health, and GRH career topics interspersed throughout the year. We have several fellow led journal clubs (usually in Sept/Oct/Nov) and a final presentation by alumni/second years interspersed with lecturers from UW and ANTHC as well as outside. Monthly, we participate (optional) in a series called the Western Regional Social Emergency Medicine series, and this includes journal clubs (usually presented once per year by first year EM fellow) and lectures by faculty from the various institutions, as well as works in progress presentations of research for feedback. The institutions that participate are the IDHEAL fellowship from UCLA, Highland, Stanford and UW. Only the UWEM fellows (not IM fellows) usually participate in this series but all are invited. These occur midweek, once per month. Previous journal club topics have included articles on opioid use disorder, and alcohol use disorder in Native Americans. Monthly, we participate in Rural Equity, Leadership and Advocacy Exchange: RELAX, meeting with other fellows from the MGH and UCSF HEAL rural health fellowship programs. This lecture series started in 2019-20 and consists of lectures and discussion geared towards those who will practice as leaders in a rural health setting. In addition to these curricula which are shared together with the IM fellows, we have a Population Health Lecture Series within our UW EM residency program Thursday conferences that is considered core curriculum for the residency. You are encouraged to attend via zoom for topics that look interesting for you. Past speakers included Megan Moore on health care access, Margaret Greenwood Erickson from UNM re rural access to emergency care/IHS partnerships, Joe Zunt from Neuro ID on a global health topic in Global Emergency Medicine and Rural Health Fellowship 2 neurology, Regan Marsh from Partners In Health, and Kelly Doran on impacts of homelessness on health. Degree Programs/Certificates/Courses/Conferences: Your degree programs and certificates consist of a variety of courses which have been selected to support your learning: MPH vs DTMH: MPH by the London School of Trop Med or the GORGAS Course (Lima, Peru) will be paid for by the fellowship. Upon matching, you will discuss your choice with the fellowship director. Introduction to Social Medicine, Partners In Health (August, Yr 1) A weeklong course, held in Peru (locations vary), to learn introductory topics in social medicine/global health. Complex Humanitarian Emergencies (September, Yr 1) UW Seattle Dept of Global Health. Course Director is David Townes. You can audit this course for free, and there should be a zoom option. CUGH Conference (Winter/Spring-TBA Annually, Yr 1 or 2) Annual Consortium of Universities in Global Health conference. In this attached Word document you can find a list of other suggested conferences. Harvard Humanitarian Response Intensive Course (HRIC)- April, Yr 1 Two-week course given in Boston annually, a great overview of humanitarian response culminating in field experience and simulation of mass disaster event.

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