Global Health and Electives
As a department we strive to have a culture that encourages each individual resident to pursue electives that match their interests. We feel this time is critical for self-growth, exploration, and professional development. There is one month of elective in the curriculum in the PGY-3 year. This month allows residents to pursue their academic/medical interests to meet their self-identified learning needs within women’s health care. It is common for residents to create international electives or pursue additional interests in sub-specialty areas. The electives, therefore, are arranged by the residents themselves. PGY-3’s may take advantage of the Kaiser Permanente Global Health Program. The mission of this program is to enable our clinical staff and residents to participate in medical care at various locations around the globe.
There is funding for the PGY3 elective that could include airfare/lodging. The program director must approve the rotation, Kaiser’s Global Health program must deem the site appropriate (eg. safety/resources), and together with the Director of Graduate Medical Education, you will need to verify attending supervision. Underserved sites in the United States are also eligible and are subject to the same requirements. Funding for electives within the United States is also available. We fully encourage every resident to take advantage of their elective to truly engage in the world of medicine that exists outside of what we do here in our program.
Residents in our training program have fully taken advantage of these opportunities. Over the past 10 years (2013-2023) they have participated in the following locations:
- International electives: Nicaragua; Nepal; Zambia; Costa Rica; Guatemala; El Salvador; Kenya; Honduras; Mexico; Mali; Ecuador; Philippines; Vietnam; Botswana; India; Uganda; Colombia; Ghana; Ireland; Italy
Faculty Role Modeling and Mentorship
We have many faculty who role model and mentor residents for service. They are involved in supporting local, national and international service projects.
Whenever possible faculty reach out to residents to join them on international trips, not only during elective rotations but also as part of Educational Leave. In recent years Drs. Huibonhoa, Cosca, O’Campo, Weiss, Mirsky, Norrell, and Torrente have done work in: Guatemala; Ethiopia; Rwanda; Philippines; Haiti; Honduras; Nicaragua; and Colombia.