Program Overview

The Stanford/Yale Global Health Scholars Program annually selects physicians during their residencies and career physicians for six-week rotations at one of our mentored sites.  Rotations are largely directed at clinical experiences, service and teaching, as opposed to research.

The funded scholars will receive, upon completion of the rotation, a travel award ranging from $3,000 – $4,500 based on their site assignment. This financial support will serve as partial reimbursement for roundtrip airfare to the rotation site, ground transportation to/from the airport, accommodation, licensing fees, visa costs, and program fees. Travel medicine costs will also be reimbursed. All scholars are required to participate in program evaluation upon completion of the rotation.

The Stanford/Yale Global Health Scholars Program main home page is managed by Yale. Visit the Yale page to access the application, to learn more about the history of the program, past scholars, and to view resources once accepted.

For more information, you can also contact Yosefa Gilon at ygilon@stanford.edu.

Eligibility

Physicians-in-training who will have completed at least their internship year of residency training in accredited US programs in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, or Emergency Medicine by July 2027 are eligible to apply for the 2027-28 program year. Very few applicants are selected to carry out a rotation during their PGY2 year; we prefer to send Scholars during their PGY3 or 4 years, when they have more to offer our partner sites. Applicants from US academic medical centers and community-based practices who are board-certified in any specialty are welcome to apply as Career Physicians. Chief Residents and Fellows from Stanford should apply as Career Physicians.

Sites

Established international program rotations sites:

• Church of Scotland Hospital (COSH), Philanjalo, South Africa (Stanford/Yale)
• Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda (Stanford/Yale)
• Sri Lanka: Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya in Kandy, Sri Lanka (Stanford IM residents only) | Learn more about this rotation site in this reflection by a recent traveler
• Central University Hospital in Kigali or Central University Hospital in Butare, Rwanda (Stanford/Yale)
• Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá in Bogotá, Colombia (Stanford/Yale) – IM advanced Spanish speakers only (demonstrated fluency in Spanish is needed)

Domestic/Indian Health Services sites serving the Navajo Nation:

• Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico (Stanford only)
• Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility in Chinle, Arizona (Stanford only)

Learn more about the Colombia, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda sites here.

Information Session

Stanford will be hosting an information session about the program and all of the sites on October 1st, 2026 6-7:30pm. Stanford Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, and Internal Medicine residents are welcome to attend. Register here to receive the Zoom link.

Timeline

• Deadline for 2027-28 applications: December 11, 2026
• Applicants will be notified of their status by March 2027 (If selected, Stanford Scholars will be required to attend the Pre-Departure Orientation in June 2027; the date will be included in the notification letter.)
• The rotation will take place between July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028

Application Process

The application process is managed byYale University. If you have questions specific to the application, please email ogh@yale.edu. This information can also be found on the Yale website.

Application components: 

• Both the Resident Application and Fellow or Career Physician Application are available for download in Microsoft Word format to be completed and printed.
• A current CV
• A PDF of an official 2×2 passport photograph (not a scanned selfie) (Please note the specific quality and size requirements for your passport photo.)
• Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from your Program Director if you are a resident or fellow. Click here for a description of what the Program Director needs to address in their letter of recommendation; please forward the directions directly to your Program Director.
• Signed letters on letterhead may be emailed directly to ogh@yale.edu. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that the letters of recommendation have been submitted.

Submitting your application:

Please send as many components of the application at one time as possible, instead of piecemeal. Send to the Yale Program Administrator by email.

• Email: ogh@yale.edu
• Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. To confirm the receipt of your packet, please email ogh@yale.edu.

Stanford applicants can apply to rotate at any of the sites. Please note that these rotations require a commitment of six weeks, which does include travel time to and from the US. The number of weeks for the rotation is not negotiable. We will make site and date assignments based on the information in the application and on the needs of our sites. Please plan on scheduling vacation before or after your rotation, not during.

Selection Criteria

Selection is based upon site availability, dates which residents and senior physicians are available for rotations, and desired experiences. Previous international health experience is not a criterion for participation at the resident level.