Overview
The UW Department of Ob/Gyn has a long history of collaboration, advocacy, research and training in global health. Our residency program is committed to advancing health equity in our local community as well as globally, and we seek to train structurally competent and self-reflective practitioners, researchers and leaders in Global Health. Seattle is a vibrant setting for training in Global Health, with the UW Department of Global Health, PATH, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Center for Global Infectious Disease Research and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in our backyard. We offer a variety of opportunities for global health education, training and service for residents.
Resident Training
Global Health Pathway in Ob/Gyn
The University of Washington (UW) Global Health Pathway in Ob/Gyn is designed for residents who are considering a career in global health and wish to continue global health research, program work, or teaching pursuits during and beyond residency.
Residents must apply to this program during their intern year. Interested residents should reach out to Dr. Elizabeth Harrington, the Pathway Director, to discuss their goals and project ideas. Global Pathway residents will focus their resident research efforts and elective time on global health, participating in relevant coursework and the Clinical Education Partnership Initiative (CEPI) rotation in Naivasha, Kenya.
Global Health Leadership for the Clinician Course (GH 575)
Based in the Department of Global Health, this is a 1-month course designed for residents interested in careers in Global Health. providing the skills necessary to become future leaders in this field. The course is available once a year (typically mid-September to mid-October) and can be taken by residents accepted into the Global Health Pathway or by special approval. The course is designed to prepare learners for leadership roles in global health, and is comprised of several components, including field visits to local GH organizations, lectures, case-studies and small group discussions, and focuses on three major areas: 1) Global Health Knowledge, 2) Global Health Leadership Skills, and 3) Clinical Skills in Resource-Limited Settings. The course promotes diverse global voices and a decolonial lens.
Global Health Lecture Series
As part of the residency education curriculum, a Global Health lecture series is given each year. This series is topic- and/or region-based (e.g., HIV/STIs, gender-based violence, cervical cancer prevention) and is designed to broaden and extend the Sexual and Reproductive Health Equity and Justice curriculum in the Ob/Gyn residency. The series includes a journal club and lectures by local experts from organizations like PATH, I-TECH, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Health Alliance International.
Global Health Elective in Naivasha, Kenya
Residents in good standing will have the opportunity to participate in a global health elective during their 4-week, third-year elective block. Our department partners with the Clinical Education Partnership Initiative (CEPI), which is a collaboration between the Naivasha County Referral Hospital in Naivasha, Kenya, the University of Nairobi, and the UW. In partnership with trainees from the University of Nairobi, residents from various UW departments (Medicine, Ob/Gyn, Surgery, Pediatrics, etc.) work under the supervision of a UW Internal Medicine Global Health Chief Resident based in Naivasha and alongside Kenyan health care providers. They gain experience working in the Kenyan health system, and collaborate in managing patients in outpatient and inpatient settings (including a high-volume maternity care unit) who present with medical issues commonly encountered in Kenya. Residents’ primary role is as an educator in the clinical space, providing clinical teaching to medical students, nurses, clinical officers and interns at the hospital. Educational settings include bedside teaching, presentations on specific topics, active participation in morning reports, review of journal articles, and curriculum development. Dr. Harrington is the faculty lead for the Ob/Gyn CEPI rotation.
Global Health Research
Our faculty are actively engaged in many organizations and in research dedicated to improving reproductive health in domestic settings as well as in countries in Africa, South America and Asia: preterm birth, hypertension in pregnancy (preeclampsia), utilization of mobile technologies to improve maternal and child health, ultrasound in pregnancy, family planning, infectious diseases, sexually transmitted infections, vaccine development/coverage, and community health. Residents are able to work with faculty on global health projects to fulfill their research requirement.
UW Global Center for Integrated Health of Women, Adolescents, and Children
UW Global WACh, the UW Global Center for Integrated Health of Women, Adolescents and Children, is an integrated effort between Global Health, Ob/Gyn and Pediatrics. Global WACh leads innovative research, education, and service to support sustainable improvements in the health of communities.
Faculty Currently Working Internationally
Our faculty participate in research and policy initiatives in more than two dozen countries.
- Elizabeth Harrington, MD - Kenya - adolescents and reproductive health
- David A. Eschenbach, MD - Kenya
- Linda Eckert, MD - Kenya, Namibia, worldwide - policy development, HPV vaccine, cervical cancer screen guideline development
- Michael G. Gravett, MD - Sub-Saharan Africa (Zamibia, Kenya), South Asia (India, Bangladesh) - adverse pregnancy outcimes including preterm birth, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and fetal growth disturbances
- Florian Hladik, MD, PhD - Kenya, South Africa, Thailand - prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases around the global, especially HIV
- Kristina Adams-Waldorf, MD - Sweden, Caribbean, Latin and South America - pregnancy infections, ultrasound training
- Elizabeth A. Bukusi, MBChB, MMed, MPH, PhD - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania