Considering applying to be a GHC fellow in the U.S.? Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about joining our community of leaders.
You must:
Yes! The fellowship program is designed to be done alongside your full time position. In fact, it is a eligibility requirement to be in a full-time non-clinical public health role when applying. Content is designed for real-world application, and workshops and learnings will take place during your work day. We encourage you to have a conversation with your supervisor to see if the fellowship is the right fit for you.
We hope that fellows stay with the same organization for the duration of the fellowship. If you are expecting to transition out of your current workplace (e.g. to pursue a full-time graduate program or a new job) within the next year, please apply to the U.S. fellowship during a future cycle.
Our program is intended to enable fellows with resources and insights they can apply immediately, followed by opportunities for reflection and learning. We also expect to leverage fellows’ supervisors for insights and support during the fellowship year.
That said, we know that unexpected transitions happen and we’ll work closely with fellows who transition out of their current workplace to determine whether it makes sense for them to continue in the fellowship community or not. That will be determined on a case-by-case basis, considering fellows’ new opportunity, their capacity, and their ability to fully engage with the fellowship.
Onboarding to a new organization is an intensive activity. We want to ensure that fellows have the capacity to fully engage with the fellowship. Furthermore, we want to ensure that fellows have had time to build strong relationships with their supervisor and peers, in order to gain useful feedback from them during the fellowship, and support to apply new tools and insights as a result of their participation in the fellowship.
With the anticipated departure of a significant percentage of the public health workforce over the next five years, there is an urgent need to prepare existing leaders who will soon move into managerial and executive roles. These leaders will be critical in training and retaining new staff and building a fit-for-purpose public health workforce.
Public health is defined by The American Public Health Association as efforts to promote and protect the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play. While public health typically refers to study or practice with a specific population focus, global health centers focus on collaborative efforts towards achieving health equity for all people. Health inequities are not isolated experiences, and our local public health efforts contribute to accomplishing health equity globally.
There is no tuition! Travel to retreat locations, lodging costs, and most meals for the in-person retreats will be covered by GHC. If accepted, participation in all components of the fellowship program is mandatory, unless otherwise noted.
Cohorts are designed to maximize individual learning and grow the networks of our fellows. The typical cohort size is 25-50 fellows.
The fellowship is designed to be a hybrid approach, with monthly virtual learnings and connection opportunities, and two in-person retreats throughout the program year.
No, you will receive online access to all necessary class materials to prepare for each class. You may print materials if you would like.
We understand that fellows occasionally have unavoidable conflicts with training sessions. However, attendance to all workshops and retreats is mandatory. A detailed program calendar is shared prior to fellowship start. We have seen time and again how integral attendance is to the learning experience of fellows and the cohort as a whole. That said, in some cases, we can work with you to make up select missed workshops given advance notice.
On average, you can expect to spend 1-2 hours preparing for the monthly training, primarily reading articles and completing prep work that will be incorporated into workshops, shared in advance of workshops. You will also have one 1 hour self- scheduled virtual gathering in a small group of co-fellows monthly.
Yes! Our global community is a critical network for sharing new perspectives, ideas, and opportunities in global health. We’ll design virtual opportunities for fellows to convene across continents so that all fellows have the chance to understand their domestic health system through a global lens. Additionally, U.S. fellows will join our 1,300+ alumni community, which regularly engages across borders through our robust alumni program.
The co-fellow model has been a fundamental aspect of the GHC experience since our inception: bringing diverse colleagues into an intimate professional relationship fosters perspective-sharing, opportunities for learning, and access to unique networks, resources and ideas. Historically, co-fellow pairs came from different national backgrounds, but worked at the same organization during the fellowship year. This continues to be the model we promote in sub-Saharan Africa.
The implementation of this model will look different in the U.S.: we have tightly bonded small groups (3-5 fellows each), across multiple lines of difference (e.g. gender, geography, race/ethnicity, sector). This design creates opportunities for learning through multiple lenses.
Candidates can expect to hear back from us no later than June 2024. We look at every application and appreciate your patience as we intentionally select our next cohort year!
No, unfortunately, we won’t be able to allow deferrals; however, you are welcome to apply to future cohorts as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
You can begin to prepare your application ahead of the opening of the application period! To view a sample of the U.S. Fellowship Application, click here.
We thank you for your support of emerging global public health leaders. You can make a donation here.
We’ll send periodic updates from our leaders working on the frontlines of global health around the world and share opportunities to get involved in the movement.
Global Health Corps is a leadership accelerator mobilizing a powerful network of health equity changemakers, 1200+ strong and growing.
