Global Health Concentration

Introduction

The Global Health Concentration is designed for students who anticipate studying, identifying, and solving public health problems in a global environment. It seeks to provide students an interdisciplinary set of skills; to prepare students to recognize biomedical, social, economic, and other factors that affect health; and to identify, design, monitor, and implement interventions that address health disparities. Most students graduating with this concentration are fully prepared to work in international settings and organizations. The Global Health concentration takes full advantage of the great breadth of Global Health related courses and scholarship at Tufts, which values active citizenship and internationalism.

Learning Objectives

We aim to provide students with educational and practical experiences that will allow them to understand, promote, and participate in global health initiatives, understand and analyze different health-related approaches used around the world, and to participate in solving the health challenges of the globe. We anticipate our graduates will be well prepared to work in both private and public organizations focused on global health issues and solutions, evidencing ethical conduct, cultural sensitivity and values of active citizenship.

Competencies

Upon successfully fulfilling the requirements for this concentration, Master level graduates, at an entry level position in global health will be able to:

Core concepts in global health systems and regulations

• Understand international health issues, international health regulations and international health organizations
• Describe the major global health problems and potential economic, social and ecological determinants and possible solutions to those problems
• Compare different health and socioeconomic profiles of countries from different levels of development

Global health research methodologies, approaches and tools

• Identify and effectively utilize data resources available in international public health settings
• Understand and interpret health indicators
• Design and implement needs assessments in international public health settings
• Design and apply analytical tools for management and evaluation of global health programs

Global health practices

• Demonstrate ability and leadership for public health program and implementation in international settings
• Produce clear and comprehensive technical reports about global health matters
• Demonstrate ability to communicate effectively in a culturally-sensitive manner and in a multicultural variety of international settings

Concentration Leader

Odilia I. Bermudez, PhD, MPH, LND
Director, Global Health
Associate Professor, Dept. of Public Health and Community Medicine
Odilia.bermudez@tufts.edu

Other Concentration Faculty

Jeffrey K. Griffiths MD MPH & TM
Associate Professor, Dept. of Public Health and Community Medicine
Jeffrey.Griffiths@tufts.edu

Enkuatash (ENKU) Kebede-Francis, PhD, MS, MEd
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Public Health and Community Medicine
Enku.Kebede_Francis@tufts.edu

Christine Wanke, MD
Professor, Dept. of Public Health and Community Medicine
Christine.Wanke@tufts.edu

Janet E.A. Forrester, PhD
Associate Professor, Dept. of Public Health and Community Medicine
Janet.Forrester@tufts.edu

Mkaya Mwamburi, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Public Health and Family Medicine
Mkaya Mwamburi@tufts.edu

Dean Harris Berman, MD reflects on his global health experience as a Peace Corps volunteer, and discusses the mutual benefits Tufts shares with Christian Medical College in Vellore, India.
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