UNIVERSITY COALITIONS for GLOBAL HEALTH

This section gives an overview of global health career options, provides resources on where to go for more information, and highlights the work of global health professionals from various sectors. Check out the links below for more information:

• Interviews with global health professionals
• Global Health Career Resources
• Finding Work in Global Health: A Practical Guide for Job-Seekers or Anyone Who Wants to Make the World a Healthier Place, by Garth Osborn and Patricia Ohmans, 2005.

What Types of Careers are available in Global Health?

The choices include health-care practitioner, educator, researcher, grant or contract maker or what might be termed “change agent.” This last choice, works primarily to change the attitudes, behaviors and practices of organizations or groups of individuals.

Who’s Hiring?

International Organizations - World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, UNICEF, etc. These organizations usually require specialization and prior professional experience.

Government Agencies (http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ ) - U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the Peace Corps, and others. Here there are more opportunities for internships and entry-level positions, especially in the CDC.

Academic Institutions - an increasing number of universities are developing global health programs, which means they need more professors! This can mean job stability and global health research.

Not-for-profit/non-governmental Organizations - there are many organizations that fall into these broad categories:

• Relief Organizations – such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF), International Red Cross, CARE, etc., help with famines, refugee crises. Non-physicians hold most permanent staff positions, while fully qualified physicians do much of the short-term work. The opportunities for students to gain experience in these types of organizations is generally limited.
• Advocacy Organizations – The Global Health Council, HealthGAP and Global AIDS Alliance are just a few examples of the growing field of global health advocacy work. Positions with these mostly U.S.-based organizations provide the opportunity for the travel weary to contribute to the field of global health.
• Faith-based Organizations – Denominational charities and health facilities exist, including large ones such as Church World Service, the Aga Khan Foundation and World Vision.

Consultant Organizations – The trend toward government contracting for assistance programs has given rise to consulting organizations such as, John Snow Inc., University Research Corporation and Family Health International. Pay and benefits are usually good and there are opportunities both for long- and short-term overseas assignments.