Unlocking Global Health: A Research Guide for MD Graduates in Residency

Understanding Research During Residency in Global Health

Research during residency is one of the most powerful ways to shape a career in global health. For an MD graduate interested in international medicine, engaging in structured, meaningful research projects can:

• Strengthen your competitiveness for an allopathic medical school match–aligned fellowship (e.g., global health, infectious diseases, health policy)
• Prepare you for an academic residency track or academic faculty role
• Build skills in critical appraisal, data analysis, and implementation science
• Help you contribute ethically and sustainably to partner communities abroad and in underserved U.S. settings

Whether you see yourself practicing in a low‑resource rural clinic, working with an NGO, or leading a global health residency track, the experiences and networks you build through resident research projects will be central to your trajectory.

This article will walk through how an MD graduate can strategically pursue research during residency in global health: what it looks like, how to find opportunities, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to translate residency research into long‑term career impact.

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Why Research Matters for MD Graduates Interested in Global Health

How Research Shapes a Global Health Career

For an MD graduate residency path focused on global health, research is not just an academic box to check; it is a tool for understanding and improving care in complex systems. It can:

1. Deepen your understanding of health inequities
   Research forces you to move beyond surface impressions. You learn to ask:

   • Why are tuberculosis outcomes worse in certain districts?
   • What social determinants drive delayed presentation in maternal emergencies?
   • How do policy, financing, and infrastructure affect patient outcomes?

2. Build methodological skills that translate globally
   Skills like:

   • Designing a study with limited resources
   • Collecting and cleaning data in real-world settings
   • Interpreting results in cultural and systemic context
     are essential whether you’re working in international medicine abroad or in marginalized communities at home.

3. Improve your competitiveness for future training and jobs
   Fellowship directors in global health, infectious disease, emergency medicine, family medicine with global health emphasis, and public health value:

   • Evidence of sustained global health commitment
   • Peer‑reviewed publications or significant abstracts
   • Experience with cross-cultural or low-resource research settings These indicate that you can navigate complexity, collaborate across disciplines, and complete projects.

4. Position you for an academic residency track or faculty role
   If you see yourself as a clinician‑educator or clinician‑scientist, early research during residency is vital. It can demonstrate:

   • Ability to design and execute resident research projects
   • Interest in curriculum development (e.g., global health teaching modules)
   • Potential to obtain grants and mentor future trainees

Research vs. Service: Why Both Matter

Global health attracts people who want to “do” — to provide direct care, run clinics, or respond to crises. Research can feel distant from that mission.

However, when done ethically and collaboratively, research is a form of service:

• Evaluating whether an intervention really improves outcomes prevents ineffective or harmful programs.
• Documenting inequities with data helps local partners advocate for policy changes.
• Understanding implementation barriers (e.g., medication stockouts, staff shortages) leads to more durable solutions.

Frame research as rigorous problem-solving for real-world needs, not as an abstract academic exercise.

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Types of Research Opportunities During Residency in Global Health

Research during residency in global health can take many forms, and not all require large grants or extended time abroad. Below are common, realistic formats for busy residents.

1. Clinical Outcomes and Epidemiologic Studies

These projects examine patterns of disease and outcomes in specific populations.

Examples:

• Retrospective chart review of sepsis outcomes in a district hospital ICU in East Africa
• Analysis of delays in presentation for obstetric emergencies in a rural referral center
• Study of tuberculosis treatment default rates before and after a policy change

Why they’re feasible for residents:

• Often use existing clinical data
• Can be done with limited additional funding
• Work well with statistical support from your home institution

2. Quality Improvement (QI) and Implementation Science

QI projects are highly practical and directly tied to patient care.

Examples:

• Implementing a triage protocol in an emergency department in a low-resource setting and measuring its impact on wait times and mortality
• Reducing missed postpartum hemorrhage diagnoses through a standardized checklist
• Improving continuity of care for HIV patients through SMS reminders or community health worker engagement

These projects can evolve into implementation science, a more formal research approach focused on how to effectively adopt best practices in real-world settings.

Benefits for an MD graduate focused on global health:

• Immediate clinical relevance and ethical clarity
• Often highly valued by partner institutions
• Good foundation for describing “impact” in your CV and fellowship applications

3. Health Systems, Policy, and Financing Research

If you’re interested in international medicine at a systems level, health policy or health systems research may be a strong fit.

Examples:

• Evaluating the effect of user fees vs. fee exemptions on clinic attendance
• Modeling workforce needs for rural physician deployment
• Examining the impact of national insurance schemes on maternal health access

Residents can contribute by:

• Secondary data analysis (demographic health surveys, WHO data, national registries)
• Policy briefs under mentorship of health policy experts

4. Medical Education and Capacity-Building Projects

Global health residency activities often incorporate teaching and training. These can become research projects.

Examples:

• Evaluating a new simulation-based curriculum for neonatal resuscitation for nurses in a district hospital
• Assessing knowledge retention after an evidence-based medicine workshop series for local physicians
• Studying the outcomes of a “train-the-trainer” program for community health workers

These projects are particularly valuable if you’re considering an academic residency track with an education focus.

5. Mixed-Methods and Qualitative Research

Numbers alone rarely capture the complexity of global health. Qualitative or mixed-methods research can explore people’s experiences, beliefs, and barriers.

Examples:

• In-depth interviews with women about barriers to facility-based deliveries
• Focus groups with community health workers about task-shifting challenges
• Mixed-methods evaluation of stigma and adherence among adolescents with HIV

Qualitative methods demand training and mentorship but can be very feasible with careful planning and clear protocols.

6. Research Based in U.S. Settings with Global Health Relevance

You don’t have to leave the country to contribute to global health. Work with:

• Immigrant, refugee, or asylum-seeking populations
• Underserved rural or urban communities with limited access to care
• Indigenous communities disproportionately affected by chronic disease

Examples:

• Evaluating access to culturally appropriate prenatal care for refugee women in a U.S. city
• Studying language barriers and emergency department utilization among non-English speakers
• Investigating vaccine hesitancy and community-based interventions in migrant populations

These projects still align strongly with global health principles and are often easier logistically during residency.

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Finding and Selecting the Right Research Opportunities

Step 1: Clarify Your Goals and Constraints

Before committing to any resident research projects, be explicit about:

1. Time

   • How many hours per week can you realistically commit?
   • Does your program offer protected research time, or a research block?
   • Are there elective months that can be dedicated to a global health residency track or international rotation?

2. Location and Travel

   • Do you want (or need) an in-country international experience?
   • Are you limited by visas, family responsibilities, or finances?
   • Could a hybrid model (remote collaboration + shorter trips) work?

3. Career Direction

   • Are you leaning toward an academic residency track or more toward clinical/global NGO work?
   • Do you envision future fellowship training (e.g., ID, EM, FM, OB, pediatrics) with a global health focus?

Your research choices should align with your realistic capacity and long-term goals.

Step 2: Map Out Potential Mentors and Programs

Strong mentorship is the single most important factor for success in research during residency.

Where to look for mentors:

• Your institution’s global health center, international medicine office, or department of global health
• Faculty in departments with known global programs (ID, pediatrics, OB/GYN, family medicine, emergency medicine)
• Visiting faculty from partner international institutions
• Alumni from your program active in global health

Questions to ask potential mentors:

• What global health research projects are currently active?
• What roles have prior residents played?
• How many residents have published or presented under your mentorship?
• What support is available (biostatistics, IRB, funding, travel stipends)?

Aim to find a primary mentor with content expertise (e.g., maternal health, TB, EM in low-resource settings) and, ideally, a secondary mentor with methods expertise (e.g., epidemiology, qualitative research, implementation science).

Step 3: Evaluate Specific Projects

When offered a potential project, evaluate it through four lenses:

1. Feasibility During Residency

   • Is the study design realistic given your time and schedule?
   • Are data already being collected, or must you build a system from scratch?
   • Are key approvals (IRB, local ethics review) already in place?

2. Ethical and Partnership Considerations

   • Is there meaningful involvement and leadership from local partners?
   • Will the project build local capacity or benefit the host community?
   • Is there a plan for results dissemination locally (not just in Western journals)?

3. Scholarly Output Potential

   • Is the research question novel or clearly relevant?
   • Are there clear endpoints (abstracts, posters, manuscripts)?
   • Does the mentor have a track record of helping residents publish?

4. Alignment with Your Interests

   • Does the topic genuinely interest you (e.g., maternal health vs. NCDs)?
   • Does it fit your envisioned career path (e.g., health systems, education, infectious disease)?

Step 4: Consider Joining Ongoing Projects

Starting a brand-new project can be challenging during residency. Joining an existing study can offer:

• Faster onboarding and data access
• Established workflows and approvals
• Clear deliverables and timelines

Your role could be:

• Leading a secondary analysis
• Taking on a specific sub-aim
• Leading manuscript preparation for a key outcome

This is a highly efficient route to publication and skill-building.

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Practical Steps to Conduct Successful Research During Residency

Planning: From Idea to Protocol

1. Refine Your Research Question Use the FINER criteria:

   • Feasible
   • Interesting
   • Novel
   • Ethical
   • Relevant

   Example:
   “Does implementing a nurse-led triage system in a rural emergency department in Country X reduce median wait time to initial assessment and in-hospital mortality within six months?”

2. Choose an Appropriate Study Design

   • Retrospective chart review
   • Prospective cohort
   • Before-and-after QI study
   • Cross-sectional survey
   • Qualitative study (interviews/focus groups)
   • Mixed-methods project

   For residents, simpler, well-executed designs are usually better than complex, underpowered ones.

3. Engage Local Partners Early

   • Co-create the research question with clinicians and administrators on-site
   • Identify local co-investigators with ownership of the project
   • Ensure the study addresses a locally prioritized challenge

4. Navigate Ethical Review In global health research, you often need dual IRB approval:

   • Your home institution IRB
   • Local/national ethics committee where the research occurs

   Start this process early; it can take months.

Execution: Managing Time and Data

1. Integrate Research into Clinical Workflows

   • Collect data while on service when appropriate
   • Use simple, standardized forms (paper or tablet-based)
   • Train local staff and residents on the data collection process

2. Build a Data Management Plan

   • Use secure tools (REDCap, institutional secure servers)
   • Define variables, data dictionaries, and quality checks
   • Clarify who has access and how data will be de-identified

3. Schedule Regular Check-Ins

   • Meet with your mentor(s) monthly, even if brief
   • Maintain communication with local partners via email or virtual calls
   • Use these meetings to adjust workflows, troubleshoot, and maintain momentum

Analysis, Writing, and Dissemination

1. Access Biostatistical Support

   • Use your institution’s biostatistics core if available
   • Learn basic statistical software (e.g., R, Stata, SPSS) if feasible
   • For qualitative work, consider NVivo, Atlas.ti, or simpler coding approaches

2. Create a Manuscript and Abstract Timeline

   • Target specific conferences (CUGH, ASTMH, specialty global health meetings)
   • Work backward from submission deadlines
   • Divide writing tasks among co-authors

3. Prioritize Equitable Authorship

   • Include local collaborators as co-authors from the start
   • Consider local partners as first or senior authors when appropriate
   • Ensure manuscripts and presentations reflect local context and priorities

4. Disseminate Locally

   • Present findings at local hospital meetings or national conferences in the partner country
   • Share concise summary reports in the local language where possible
   • Use data to inform local policy or QI initiatives

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Building a Long-Term Global Health Research Trajectory

Aligning Resident Research with Future Plans

Your research during residency can become the foundation for:

1. Fellowships in Global Health or Related Subspecialties Strong applications often highlight:

   • A focused area of interest (e.g., maternal mortality, HIV care continuum, emergency systems)
   • 1–3 completed resident research projects with clear outcomes
   • Evidence of leadership in an academic residency track or global health residency track

2. Academic Careers If you aim for an academic position:

   • Seek projects that can evolve into a coherent research theme
   • Build a portfolio of original investigations, not only case reports
   • Look for mentorship from faculty with R01-level funding or major grants

3. Global Health Leadership Roles NGOs, government agencies, and international organizations value:

   • Data literacy and the ability to interpret research to guide programs
   • Experience translating findings into practice or policy
   • Cross-cultural collaboration and ethical partnership experience

Strengthening Your CV for the Allopathic Medical School Match and Beyond

Even if you have already matched into an MD graduate residency, ongoing research strengthens your trajectory for:

• Future fellowships
• Subspecialty training
• Competitive global health tracks and positions

Include:

• Peer‑reviewed papers (with clear authorship order)
• Abstracts and posters at major global health and specialty conferences
• Leadership roles in global health interest groups, electives, or curricula
• Mentorship or teaching roles in resident research projects for juniors

Funding and Support

Seek out:

• Internal departmental or global health center seed grants
• Travel awards for global health conferences
• Institutional training grants (T32, D43, Fogarty or equivalent) where applicable
• Small grants from specialty societies’ global health or international medicine sections

Even modest funding can support data collectors, translation services, or local dissemination events—key for robust and ethical work.

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FAQs: Research During Residency for MD Graduates in Global Health

1. Do I need extensive research experience before residency to succeed in global health research?

No. While prior research can help, many MD graduate residency programs expect to train you further. What matters most is:

• Genuine interest in global health
• Willingness to learn methods
• Consistent effort and follow‑through
  If you lack experience, focus on joining existing projects with strong mentorship and clear roles.

2. Can I do meaningful global health research without traveling internationally?

Yes. You can:

• Work with immigrant and refugee populations domestically
• Partner remotely with international teams using existing datasets
• Study global health–relevant issues such as access to care, health systems, and implementation science in U.S. underserved settings
  These projects are fully legitimate within international medicine and global health, and often more feasible during residency.

3. How many projects should I aim to complete during residency?

Depth usually matters more than sheer number. A realistic goal for many residents is:

• 1–2 substantial projects that lead to at least one publication or major presentation, plus
• Possibly a few smaller contributions (e.g., co-authorships, QI abstracts, case reports)
  Choose quality, relevance, and completion over a large but unfinished portfolio.

4. How can I avoid “parachute research” and ensure my work is ethical?

Key principles:

• Engage local partners from the start in defining questions and methods
• Ensure local ethics approvals and follow local regulations
• Prioritize projects that strengthen local capacity or address identified needs
• Share results locally and support local co-authorship and leadership
  Ask yourself regularly: “Who benefits from this research, and how?” and adjust accordingly.

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Research during residency can be the turning point that transforms an interest in global health into a sustainable, impactful career. By choosing feasible, ethical projects, working with strong mentors, and staying focused on the needs of partner communities, you can use research not only to advance your career, but to meaningfully improve health in the settings that need it most.