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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Pediatrics
Residents in pediatrics have the option of choosing a global health track for their residency training.
AMPATH photo of a mother and son

Pediatric Global Health

Global health is one of the main strengths of Indiana University School of Medicine. Residents can travel to established partnerships around the globe for one-to-two month electives to participate in clinical care, research, and other advocacy work. In addition, Indianapolis has many international pediatric populations served locally.

Residents are able to rotate in a variety of settings, with the Kenya partnership as an exemplary model of partnership in care for decades. The Department of Pediatrics also has alumni, connections, and opportunities in Nepal, Lebanon and Central America. Finally, specialized training can be provided for those interested in a potential career in global health via the interdisciplinary global health track.

Explore the Global Health Track

Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics: Community Rotation

Learn about the importance of the social determinants of health and local resources available to support Indianapolis patients and families, from Drs. Deanna Reinoso and Jill Helphinstine, directors of the community rotation at Indiana University School of Medicine. This rotation helps pediatric residents build skills in advocacy and brings awareness to how health inequities impact lives in Indianapolis and around the world.

Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics: Dr. Terry Vik

Learn more about Dr. Terry Vik, Professor of Pediatrics within the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at IU, and his experience improving leukemia and cancer care within IU’s Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH). Dr. Vik has worked with AMPATH for over a decade and was recently awarded a Fulbright Award to help start a Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Moi University in Kenya. Through the AMPATH partnership, IU Pediatrics offers opportunities for residents and trainees to be involved with global health related projects.

Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics: Dr. Chandy John

Hear Dr. Chandy C. John, Director of the Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health, talk about his experiences in global health. Dr. John describes the importance of partnerships and capacity building within global health research. His research is focused on malaria pathogenesis, immunology, and epidemiology in Uganda and Kenya, and he provides opportunities for IU trainees to be involved in this work.

Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics: Dr. Kristin Hem

Indianapolis is home to a diverse patient population, including a large number of Burmese refugees. Listen to Dr. Kristin Hem discuss her work at the Healthnet Barrington Clinic and the unique challenges that her patients face. The Barrington clinic is just one of our resident continuity clinics that sees diverse patient populations. The IU Department of Pediatrics values cultural humility and provides opportunities for residents to practice this skill longitudinally.

Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics: Drs. Zeina Nabhan and Riad Lutfi

Dr. Zeina Nabhan, Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Endocrinology and the Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education, and Dr. Riad Lutfi, Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, discuss our emerging partnership with the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. This partnership builds off of the long-standing relationship that Dr. Mark Turrentine, Chief of the Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery and Cardiopulmonary Transplantation Division, and his team have developed while leading humanitarian missions to repair pediatric congenital heart disease defects in children around the world. Learn about how a multidisciplinary team, including pediatric surgeons, intensive care specialists, cardiologists and nurses, are required for these surgeries to be successful.

Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics: Dr. Sherri Bucher

Helping Babies Survive is a program designed by the American Academy of Pediatrics to help train providers to reduce neonatal death in low-resourced settings. Dr. Sherri Bucher, Associate Research Professor of Pediatrics, discusses her work as the Country Mentor for Kenya’s Helping Babies Survive program and describes the origins of her NeoWarm invention to help regulate the temperature of premature infants. A number of trainees at both IU and Kenya have meaningfully engaged with Dr. Bucher’s research and training programs.