How to Choose the Fellowship That is Right for You
Of the important decisions we have to make in life, career development calls for critical thinking. One thing that all fellowship applicants or job seekers must remember is that getting a job offer is one thing. Deciding if the job is right for you is another. Choosing the wrong job or wrong company will certainly […]
Social Innovation for Global Change – ‘The Next Mile Project’
Throughout my education and previous work experience I had limited exposure to the concept of social innovation or social entrepreneurship. The Centre for Social Innovation defines social innovation as “the creation, development, adoption, and integration of new concepts and practices that put people and the planet first”. The Next Mile Project (NMP) is a shining […]
Bursting Bubbles: Musings of a Sector Switcher
“It’s rare, you know, to have people like you! Sector Switchers!” I nodded appreciatively at my smiling coworker, despite that being the first time I had heard the phrase. Sector switcher? It sounds kind of fun, I thought. Like a name for a spy. “Agent Sector Switcher.” Sadly, I am not a spy (though I do […]
The Superwoman of the Mukuni Health Center
Just a short 20 minute ride east of the bustling tourist town of Livingstone lies a royal village called Mukuni. There is still an acting chief of the tribe, whom you can visit for a price, as he sits on a stump of an elephant’s leg that doubles as his chair. Another touted tourist adventure […]
I Was Here: Reflections on Gentrification and Community Health in Washington, D.C.
In early October, the Washington City Paper published an article entitled, “Developer Pitches a Private Version of New Communities in Brentwood,” about a set of urban renewal plans targeted at the Brentwood Shopping Center and Brookland Manor housing complex in Washington D.C.’s Northeast quadrant. The article makes a comparison between the strip mall’s exterior, described […]
The Drum Major Instinct: Rethinking Leadership in Global Health and Beyond
Atlanta, Georgia February 4th, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his final sermon with a clear and lasting message: serve, don’t lead. In particular his reflections centered on the concept of “the drum major instinct,” our collective need as individuals to feel validated by our achievements. To lead and inspire not for the greater good […]
Connecting My Past to My Future
I almost jumped with joy when my supervisor told me to join the SmartCare team on a trip to the Copperbelt Province to provide technical support at rural health clinics that would act as ‘model sites’ for the implementation of SmartCare. SmartCare is an electronic computer based system that allows patients to seek medical […]
The First Quarter: 128 Brains are Better than One!
Fall brings with it the excitement of new beginnings and a renewed sense of purpose, and we are certainly feeling that energy at GHC! Each weekend over the past 6 weeks, our 128 current fellows joined together in each of our placement countries for their first GHC Quarterly Retreat. This is the first time our fellows […]
Chronicling Our Year of Growth with #Selfies
I think most fellows join Global Health Corps not just to make the world a better place, but to also make themselves better people. One indicator of this is that the fellowship year is designed to be one of growth, both personally and professionally. I know that I accepted my fellowship position because I believed […]
Innovating toward the end of malaria: What actually works?
Cross-posted from MakingMalariaHistory.org Malaria evolved along with humans over 60,000 years ago and has plagued and killed people ever since. For just as long, humans have been looking for ways to prevent infection and eliminate the disease. Tools and knowledge have evolved to combat malaria in the past several hundred years: quinine’s protective properties against […]