How To Prepare For A Career In Global Health As A Premed
/Learn how to successfully become a global health MD by taking the right steps as a premed to prepare for this unique, yet challenging career field.
Becoming a global health professional is one of the most rewarding careers for Medical doctors.
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Introduction
While some premed students aim to “think globally, act locally,” some prefer to do just the opposite. Helping advance medicine around the world appeals to many professionals, but medical doctors are given unique opportunities to train, treat, and cure in even the most remote or underprivileged areas by pursuing global health.
If you have a passion for charity and helping to make a difference in the world, a career in global health may be for you, and you’ll want to start preparing now.
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Part 1: What is global health?
What started as hygiene and tropical medicine and grew into public health and international health has further evolved to create the fairly new branch of medicine we call global health. A 2009 study by Jeffrey Kaplan et al. formally defined global health as follows:
“an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global health emphasizes transnational health issues, determinants, and solutions; involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration; and is a synthesis of population-based prevention with individual-level clinical care.”
Essentially, the most important elements of the global health field are interdisciplinary and international cooperation; working towards equity in medicine; building partnerships and infrastructure to create lasting change; and medical research that aims to improve medicine and the techniques or technology used to apply medicine. As you can see, this is all very “big picture” stuff. You might not be an individual superstar within global health, though you may be on a superstar team with dozens or even hundreds of other people from around the world. People who work in global health often view themselves as just one small piece to the puzzle of supporting lasting human wellness.
Money, public perception, education, accessibility, and practicing medicine are all wrapped up in the concerns of global health workers. If you join this field, there are many ways you could contribute and many types of people you will meet, from soldiers building temporary shelters to political leaders struggling to control an outbreak to nurses and doctors learning while working in field hospitals.
Global health truly requires a worldwide effort to improve medicine for everyone. It’s a noble—albeit challenging and stressful—profession that’s growing in popularity and is supported through numerous programs at some of the most prestigious medical schools.
What kinds of medical careers are available in global health?
Because there are many different roles that must be filled within global health, you’ll easily be able to fit your career into this field. However, this variety also means it may be difficult to pinpoint exactly where to begin when planning to enter the workforce. Here are some of the best career options for physicians who want to work in global health.
Policy Analyst: In this role, you’d be tasked with reviewing new laws, policies, and regulations to provide insight into how they may affect the world of medicine. It’s perfect for political science enthusiasts and doctors with good public speaking skills.
Program Manager: As a Program Manager, you’d find yourself handling programs like vaccine rollout efforts for a specific area and new training development, along with overseeing the construction of a new medical center in a remote area and other interdisciplinary projects.
Global Health Consultant: In this role, you’d be called upon by a wide variety of clients from public and private institutions to give medical expertise and insight on projects, ideas, solutions, or other medicine-related requests.
Epidemiologist: This research-heavy career is ideal for people who would like to work specifically with managing, curing, and eradicating diseases.
Global Health Educator: While this career can be as straightforward as teaching at a public or private academic institution, it can also be a role where you travel to train doctors and nurses serving in remote and underprivileged areas.
Physician: The most traditional role on this list, being a global health physician involves working in field hospitals, remote areas, and underprivileged areas. It’s a fantastic opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individual people or communities.
Medical Scientist: A global health career as a medical scientist means researching basically everything other than epidemiology. You’ll be working to improve current medicine by examining potential efficacy and delivery methods, or perhaps finding a workaround for treatments that require rare or expensive materials.
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Part 2: What to study for a career in global health
Since there are so many ways to support global health efforts, there are just as many ways to study for a career in the industry. While you might find it easy to shape your studies into a pathway to success within global health, it’s perfectly normal to experience decision paralysis or to simply be unsure of what specific direction you’d like to take with your post-graduate career.
There are a few standard options—safe choices that will cover most everything you need to know about being a global health MD in general—and more specialized options that could help drive you towards a specific geographical area or a certain type of work environment.
B.A./B.S. in global health
Global health exists as an undergrad major at many schools across the country. The nice thing about pursuing this academic route is that there will be significant overlap between the degree requirements and most med school requirements.
Most global health programs are available as bachelor’s degrees in both science and arts. Enrolling in a B.S. program will make it easier to meet all of your premed requirements while choosing to pursue a B.A. will expose you to a wider breadth of knowledge. You should make the choice between these two options based on your ability to manage extra work and whether you have an interest in medicine-adjacent education (for example, public policy or socio-economics).
The goal of a global health undergraduate program is to provide you with an education that combines social science and humanist perspectives with basic medical science so that you can understand the full picture of human health in the world. As such, some of the required courses look a bit different from science-heavy majors such as cellular biology.
Some programs will only ask that you complete one or two courses about sociology in regard to medicine, alongside your general education classes. Courses like Duke’s “Health, Demography, and the Life” or Harvard’s “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Cares? Reimagining Global Health” will be easy to use as filler for your premed requirements.
Other programs will flood your schedule with courses that seemingly have nothing to do with your premed studies but that will certainly help you during your post-graduate career. In this case, you may be busy taking courses on the politics of medicine, technical writing, public speaking, climate change, or the history of disease, medicine, and various treatments.
These differences are exactly why it's important to consider what exactly you would like to get out of your premed major. While a B.A. in global health may give you a better handle on your eventual career, it won’t be worth it if you burn out or let your med school application suffer because you’re overly busy. On the other hand, a B.S. may not give you a clear-enough picture of what challenges await you in the field. Plus, every school will have slightly different requirements, so you should research the global health programs available at the specific institutions you want to attend to determine which degree is best for you.
MD-PhD dual degree
Applying to MD-PhD programs might be a great idea if you’re looking to do any kind of research, which is the focus of many global health roles. While most MD-PhD programs are even more rigorous than typical MD programs, they allow for flexibility in your studies throughout your premed years. You’ll still need to focus on premed requirements, but if you wish to pursue another subject, it won’t be wasted time and will likely help admissions committees understand your broad academic goals.
The AAMC has some information about choosing MD-PhD programs with a focus on social sciences and humanities, making it easier to determine whether this path is right for you. With this degree path, you’ll end up with your MD and a PhD in a specialty of your choice. Common specialties for global health professionals include things like applied public health epidemiology, medical anthropology, bioethics, and other subjects that marry sociology and medical science.
In general, this type of program will lead you to do a good mix of research, teaching, and patient care. Within the realm of global health, you can expect an MD-PhD program to prepare you for the variety of environments you’ll be working in, whether that be a field hospital, teaching new techniques to experienced doctors and nurses, or administering treatment to underprivileged patients.
Our guide on MD-PhD programs can help you get started down this path towards helping advance medicine through elite research projects.
Global health adjacent degrees
Aside from these two options, there are other areas of study that can help you as a global health professional. As with any premed major decision, choose something that you’re actually passionate about and that will help tie into your ultimate goals, since you might be asked about your choice of major during the medical school admissions process. Popular undergraduate degrees for global health professionals include:
International health & tropical medicine
Public relations
Technical communication
International business
Health services administration
Public policy
Sociology
Anthropology
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Part 3: How to gain experience in global health
Due to the philanthropic nature of global healthcare, many students are able to gain experience in the field well before applying to med school and throughout med school.
Most schools are partnered with NGOs, government organizations, non-profits, and other groups interested in promoting or supporting global health. We encourage you to visit your premed advisor or a member of leadership from your school’s global health department (or club, if your school doesn’t have a dedicated department) to inquire about available opportunities.
Most notable are field opportunities. These options involve traveling to remote or underserved areas in the U.S. or abroad to help support and learn from medical staff treating patients in need. They’re very popular as options during school breaks (summer and winter) and as a productive way to spend a gap year.
Summer and winter programs can be somewhat inconvenient for premed students, as many individual programs do not fulfill global health degree time requirements and those that do ask you to commit to a full work schedule for weeks, leaving little time for MCAT study or other extracurricular activities.
However, these programs can provide you with a long-term view of how global health work affects people, communities, and the medical professionals serving them. Since you often need to complete a winter and summer session (each taking a few weeks in most cases) you’ll benefit from spending a large chunk of time at the site and then returning months later to see how some patients might have recovered, how previous problems may have developed or been solved, and how certain projects have come to fruition. It’s a fantastic way to get a snapshot of what working in global health is like without having to sacrifice whole semesters’ worth of time.
Longer programs can run anywhere from a few weeks to a full year and are perfect for those looking for an adventurous and productive gap year helping others. As gap years become more popular, many schools have created programs for premed students to study global health, including Princeton. Global health programs are serious commitments that involve you living far from home in remote areas either in weeks-long bursts or for consecutive months, and a gap year can help you determine if this is the right path for you.
These programs also provide you with a long-term view of the daily operations of global healthcare. A full year of supporting a community through assisting medical professionals, learning about the interdisciplinary factors that affect global health, and seeing first-hand the unique struggles certain areas or demographics face can have a profound effect on you as a physician. Your experiences may lead you to pivot your goals to more closely align with a specific issue you saw, narrow down your career goals, or feel more confident than ever in your chosen path.
As we mentioned, there are likely numerous available programs through your school and community, making it easy to find one that fits your schedule. However, not all programs are created equal and there are some red flags to look out for when enrolling in one:
“Pop-up clinics” that cause issues in remote areas by undermining the efforts of local medical professionals.
Programs promoting unscrupulous medical practices, such as letting untrained students perform procedures.
Programs whose stated goals are related to spreading ideologies or recruiting new members for a religious or political group.
Speak with your premed advisor for local opportunities or partnerships between your school and vetted global health programs. If you aim for a program where you can learn from global health professionals in facilities whose sole focus is global medicine, you’ll find the right program for you.
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Part 4: Which med schools should you apply to for a global health career?
Unfortunately, there’s no publicly available data on which schools produce the most global health physicians. Most med schools have established global health courses, partnerships, and programs to help facilitate graduates’ global medicine career goals, so if you’re determined to enter this industry you can succeed at almost any medical school.
However, U.S. medical schools have been ranked based on their global health and welfare programs by Peterson’s. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 med schools for global health careers and what they have to offer.
Acceptance Rate: 1.2%
Average GPA/MCAT: 3.75/514
Reason for Rank: Vanderbilt’s commitment to global health initiatives extends far beyond the university and into extensive programs that support efforts from undergraduates to post-doctoral experts. The Vanderbilt University Medical Center offers a plethora of resources for MD students looking to enter global health, making it easy to take on interdisciplinary studies and gain hands-on experience with professionals actively working in the field.
Acceptance Rate: 6.3%
Average GPA/MCAT: 3.94/521
Reason for Rank: Johns Hopkins University established its Center for Global Health in 2006 with the motto, “Transcending borders for world health” and continues to aim to cross borders between disciplines, languages, countries, governments, funding streams, drug availability, education, health care, and more through the collective knowledge of the school. Their global health programs heavily focus on interdisciplinary studies and collaboration between academic departments. They also offer specialized training programs such as the Global Health Pathway Program and the Emerging Women Leaders in Global Health (EDGE). Overall, Johns Hopkins prioritizes providing MDs with a greater understanding of the many moving parts that make global health work.
Suggested Reading: How to Get Into Johns Hopkins Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
3rd: Duke University
Acceptance Rate: 2.9%
Median GPA/MCAT: 3.9/520
Reason for Rank: Duke University School of Medicine started their Global Health Study Program in 2008 after many requests from their medical students. Their program has a dual focus on research and clinical exposure, collaborating with the Duke Global Health Institute to facilitate research opportunities for students at Duke’s global health field sites, international partners, and other locations offering appropriate opportunities. Drawing from their community roots, Duke faculty members from a variety of specialties are connected with students as project mentors to help students make the most of the advanced research facilities available during their third-year thesis project. This school may be a perfect fit for you if you’re most interested in the application and distribution of medical research within existing global health efforts.
Suggested Reading: How to Get Into Duke Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
Acceptance Rate: 3.5%
Average GPA/MCAT: 3.9/519
Reason for Rank: Harvard Medical School is one of the most prestigious universities in the U.S., so it isn’t surprising that they also excel at global medicine through their Global Health Institute. Ranked as the #1 medical research school by US News, Harvard’s cutting edge facilities make it easy to study and expand medical advancements. With the equally famous law school alongside the medical school, Harvard also specializes in educating global health MDs about public policy and laws related to medicine. Harvard’s Global Health Institute offers a rich, interdisciplinary environment where medical students can grow into medical research specialists to explore, discover, and legalize innovative solutions to public and global health issues.
Suggested Reading: How to Get Into Harvard Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
Acceptance Rate: 2.6%
Average GPA/MCAT: 3.87/515
Reason for Rank: UCSF’s Institute for Global Health Sciences is hyper-focused on two important branches of global health: epidemiology and health inequities. Another school with renowned research facilities, many members of this institution are actively working on eradicating diseases that have plagued humans for far too long, such as malaria. In addition to this, UCSF aims to create more equitable healthcare coverage through research, policy, and clinical work in remote or underserved areas. Med students can take full advantage of UCSF’s wide breadth of knowledge by applying to their Global Health Pathway program.
Suggested Reading: How to Get Into UCSF Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
6th: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 1.8%
Median GPA/MCAT: 3.92/520
Reason for Rank: Northwestern’s Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health was born from two successful predecessors: the Global Health Initiative Fund and the Center for Global Health, both of which were formerly a part of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM). What makes Northwestern a top choice for global health is its deep commitment to fostering global health MD students. In fact, nearly half of Northwestern’s MD students participate in their global health program. While normally this would cause immense competition for experiential opportunities, Northwestern actually boasts 18 international rotations and programs available for doctoral students, as well as a swath of other opportunities through various partnerships.
7th: Emory University School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 2.9%
Average GPA/MCAT: 3.7/514
Reason for Rank: Based in Atlanta, Georgia alongside the CDC, Emory University’s Global Health & Equity Office gives students unique opportunities to see global health work in action. The school has traditionally focused on clinical outreach, research partnerships, and global health education, but since the pandemic, they’ve redoubled their efforts with improved global health education programs. For example, in 2021, Emory University School of Medicine created a new two-year comprehensive, multidisciplinary curriculum on global health themes called GLOBE. Furthermore, the teams at this school are constantly looking to innovate medicine, and they have a particular interest in healthcare equity in underserved communities.
Suggested Reading: How to Get Into Emory Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
Acceptance Rate: 1.4%
Median GPA/MCAT: 3.89/517
Reason for Rank: Stanford’s Center for Innovation in Global Health offers three distinct programs to prepare medical students for a career in global medicine. The Scholarly Concentration in Global Health gives students hands-on experience with research and dealing with external factors such as governmental policies. The Organization for Global Health aims to spread awareness and educate people at home and abroad about the various health challenges communities around the world are facing. Lastly, Stanford offers a unique medical program called the Global Health Media Fellowship which is “designed to teach physicians-in-training to use various media channels to advocate and inform on global health issues.”
Suggested Reading: How to Get Into Stanford Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
9th: University of Michigan Medical School
Acceptance Rate: 5.6%
Average GPA/MCAT: 3.88/518
Reason for Rank: The University of Michigan Medical School is dedicated to expanding health around the world through their Office of Global REACH (Research, Education and Collaboration in Health). This program focuses on educating students and offering hands-on experience while supporting international collaboration efforts. Their determined focus on international engagement is exemplified by the fact that during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 their medical students were able to travel and assist medical professionals in just over a dozen countries.
10th: UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Acceptance Rate: 2.2%
Average GPA/MCAT: N/A
Reason for Rank: UCLA is known for its vastly diverse student body. As such their school of medicine aims to help create equitable healthcare and provide medical support abroad in underprivileged areas. There are two distinct programs for med students to study global health: the Global Health Equity Pathway and the non-competitive Global Health Equity Concentration. Alongside these overarching programs are individual courses, experiential learning opportunities, and even a student chapter of Doctors Without Borders.
Suggested Reading: How to Get Into UCLA Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
Final Thoughts
Global health is considered a noble field to pursue, but there are a lot of unique opportunities for practicing and researching medicine, so it’s perfect for curious, adventurous physicians who want to make a difference in the world.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.
