Skills to be Successful in Global Health
Global public health professionals work in various settings such as government agencies, international organizations, hospitals, educational and research institutions, for profit and non-profit organizations and a variety of other workplaces. The type of organization and the scope of work will impact what skills employers look for when hiring prospective employees; however, there are several essential qualities, skills, and competencies that are desirable to all employers.
- Communication skills
- Strong work ethic
- Teamwork skills
- Initiative
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Analytical skills
- Flexibility/Adaptability
- Computer skills
- Technical skills
Having strong skills in any of the aforementioned areas will help you understand the core values of the organization, interact effectively with other team members, analyze problems and develop efficient recommendations to achieve the ultimate goal(s) of the organization.
You may have searched for internships or job opportunities in global health and seen the phrase "international work experience required". You might have wondered how to get international experience if the positions require that you already have it. There are various ways to gain meaningful international experiences to advance your global health career. International public health experience can come in various forms such as internships, short term consultancies, university sponsored or credit-based programs, and/or volunteering with community organizations, among other options.
When researching opportunities, ask yourself what skills or knowledge you will gain and practice during the experience, and how these skills and knowledge relate to your career goals. These experiences should not just be resume fillers, but should show and confirm your interest, motivation, and commitment to the field of global public health.
Although early overseas experiences often provide limited financial rewards, they offer invaluable opportunities. Try to view these internships and other abroad experiences as an investment in your career. International experiences offer excellent networking opportunities and can connect you to contacts who may be critical to furthering your global health career. Another way to gain meaningful international experience is to participate in short-term educational exchange and service-learning opportunities.
Visit the Resources for Global Health Opportunities for more information on internships and educational exchange trips sponsored by the Center, and other international programs.
If there are outside constraints that limit your ability to intern or volunteer overseas, begin your global public health experience in your own community. Try to find opportunities to volunteer or work with immigrant or refugee communities in your local area, learn a new language that will enable you to work in multiple countries all over the world, immerse yourself in cultural experiences and events, or take a class in global health to be informed about leading global public health challenges and innovative solutions to address these problems. For example, our Center offers a Graduate Certificate in Global Health Studies.
- Global Health Delivery Online (Online community to learn, connect, and discuss with other health care professionals about challenges in health care delivery)
- Women Leaders in Global Health Initiative (WLGHI) (Initiative of the Global Health Council (GHC) to support increasing access to leadership positions for women in global health through advocacy, networking, mentorship, and capacity building)
- The Lancet Global Health Journal (Open access journal that covers critical health issues around the world)
- Global Health Science and Practice Technical Exchange (GHTechX) (An annual day-long event for global health professionals and students that is free and open to the public)
- Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) (Connect with professors in other countries for collaborative projects and discussions)
- Global Health Virtual Roundtables (Participants can explore pressing challenges in the field of global health through bimonthly panel events featuring global health experts from 5+ countries)
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) (Free, web-based educational materials on a wide variety of topics)
- Global Health NOW (Daily email summary of the latest global health news from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)
- Global Health with Dr. Greg Martin (Global health and public health teaching videos and videos about how to acquire necessary skills and experience in global health)
- This Week in Global Health (TWiGH) (Weekly live global health show featuring Dr. Greg Martin and global health experts, students, and young professionals)
Organizations Working in Global Health
Due to the scope and intensity of global health challenges, no single country or agency can work alone to tackle these issues. Multiple international agencies and institutions help shape global health polices and fund, implement, and evaluate programs. International and multinational organizations and their regional offices, government agencies, private foundations, universities, and other global health organizations work together to improve public health outcomes, provide technical expertise, and employ new strategies to enhance the constantly evolving practice of public health.
Type of Agency | Examples |
---|---|
Multilateral (UN) agencies | WHO, PAHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA |
International financial and economic institutions | World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) |
Bilateral Aid and development agencies | USAID, Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) |
Government agencies | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |
Contractors and consulting firms | Management Sciences for health (MSH), John Snow Inc, Abt Associates, Task Force for Global Health |
Foundations | The Rockefeller Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation |
Public private partnerships | Global Fund, Gavi The Vaccine Alliance, Stop TB, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Measles and Rubella Initiative, Alliance for Malaria Prevention |
Faith-based organizations | World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, Islamic Relief Worldwide |
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) | Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders |
- Abt Associates
- African Population and Health Research Center
- American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
- APHA
- CAMRIS
- CARE
- Carter Center
- Catholic Relief Services
- Clean Cooking Alliance
- Clinica de Familia la Romana
- Coffey
- CONCERN Worldwide
- CSIS
- CTG Global
- Curamericas Global
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
- Doctors Without Borders
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)
- EngenderHealth
- FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- FHI 360
- GAVI
- Ghana Health and Education Initiative (GHEI)
- Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
- Global Communities
- Global Fund for Women
- Grand Challenges Canada
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California
- Helen Keller International
- IBTCI
- ICF
- IDB - Inter-American Development Bank
- Integrity Action
- International Center for Research on Women
- International Food Policy Research Institute (HarvestPlus)
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
- International Medical Corps
- International Rescue Committee
- International Society for Urban Health (ISUH)
- International Youth Alliance for Family Planning (IYAFP)
- INTERSOS
- IOM - International Organization for Migration
- IPAS
- ISGlobal
- Jhpiego
- Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU CCP)
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
- Karna
- Management Services for Health
- Massachusetts General Hospital- Division of Global Health
- Medtronic
- Mercer
- Mercy Corps
- Mount Sinai Health System
- No Means No Worldwide
- Operation Smile
- Options Consultancy Services
- Oxfam
- Partners In Health (PIH)
- Path
- Peace Corps Response
- Peer Health Exchange
- Plan International
- Ponce Health Sciences University/ Ponce Research Institute
- Population Services International (PSI)
- Public Health Institute (PHI)- Global Health Technical Professionals Project (GHTP)
- Relief International
- Rotary International
- RTI International
- Save the Children
- Search for Common Ground
- Social Impact
- Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR)
- StrongMinds
- Swiss TPH
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)
- The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
- The Global Fund
- The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II)
- The Kresge Foundation
- The National Academies- Board on Global Health
- Timmy Global Health
- Triangle Global Health Consortium
- UCSF Global Programs for Research and Training- Healthy Mothers Intervention
- UN Foundation
- UN Women
- UNAIDS
- UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- UNICEF Malawi Country Programme
- UNICEF- United Nation’s Children’s Fund
- Unite For Sight
- United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
- URS (University Research Co., LLC)
- USAID
- Vital Strategies
- Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)
- World Health Organization
- World Health Organization- Global Malaria Programme
- World Health Organization- The Global TB Program
- World Vision International
See Resources for Global Health Opportunities below for additional opportunities for employment, funding, internships, and fellowships in global health.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Advancing Health Around the World, to receive information about current job openings in global health.
Resources for Global Health Opportunities
The opportunities within global health vary and there are several paths you can take to gain experience or pursue a career in global health. Current opportunities for internships, fellowships, or jobs can be found by searching current openings with specific organizations working in global health or via job boards. This page also includes resources for various funding opportunities to allow you to further your experience in global health or help fund an unpaid international experience or internship.
Please reach out to John Justino, Director of the Center of Global Health for more information about global health careers and choosing a career that is best for you!
- Emory Rollins School of Public Health Job Board
- Global Health Council
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health Job Board
- CORE Group
- Explore Health Careers
- Fogarty International Center
- Versatile PhD
- Devex
- ReliefWeb
- AidBoard
- The Communication Initiative Network
- DevNet Jobs
- Global Jobs
- NGO Job Board
- Global Health.gov
- Humentum Job Board
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have valuable skills and experience, making them highly employable. Employers provide current openings, available to only these individuals. For more information, please review a list of current job postings open to RPCV.
RPCVs are also eligible to apply for and complete meaningful Peace Response assignments in their sector of expertise. For more information, please refer to the Peace Corps Response website for open positions and more information.
- ASPPH/CDC Public Health Fellowship Program (Opportunity for masters and doctoral graduates in public health to gain practical public health experience)
- Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health (Designed for candidates who are currently enrolled in medical school or in a graduate-level program and who are interested in global health)
- USAID Fellows Programs (USAID Fellows generally spend one or two years working in Washington, D.C., or in USAID Missions around the world)
- WHO Internship Programme (Offers a wide range of opportunities for students and recent graduates to gain insight into the technical and administrative programmes of WHO)
- AIF Banyan Impact Fellowship (Immersive bi-national volunteer service program, facilitating exchange and collaboration between young professionals from India and the U.S.)
- Fogarty International Center – Non-NIH Grants & Fellowships (Global directory for non-NIH grants and fellowships)
- Public Health Online (Various opportunities for graduate scholarships, grants, fellowships, and specialized scholarships)
- American Association of University Women - International Fellowships (Funding opportunities for graduate and postgraduate women in the United States and around the world)
- The Commonwealth Fund (Fellowship and grant opportunities to improve health care policy and practice)
- Initiatives for Women (IFW) Funding from UAlbany (IFW awards generally range from $500 - $2,000 and enable women students, staff and faculty to realize their academic and career potential)
- Rotary Foundation Grants (Grants support a wide range of projects, scholarships, and training that Rotarians are undertaking around the world)
- UAlbany Office of International Education and Global Strategy (Provides resources for international students, global academic programs, and international grants and scholarships)
- Global Health Travel Award (Contact John Justino for more information, awards range from $500 - $1,000)
- Alternative funding (Online crowdfunding such as Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and FundMyTravel)