Access the GHE Program Application here
Global Health Delivery (GHD) Project
Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
July 5-27, 2012

Application deadline extended through March 1, 2012!

About

GHE Program Brochure

2012 will mark the fourth year of the Global Health Effectiveness Program (GHE) at Harvard University. Supported by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), Harvard Medical School (HMS), and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, GHE attracts a diverse, international cadre of mid-career global health professionals who seek training in global health delivery concepts and skills. During the three week intensive summer session, participants in the program take three courses at HSPH: epidemiology and biostatistics (EPI505), principles of management in global health, and a case-based course in global health delivery (GHP532).

The GHE Program offers its students great value; tuition is charged for only two of the three Harvard faculty-led courses in the GHE program and five HSPH credits are earned. Throughout the program, students have numerous opportunities to connect with global health colleagues and peers, via conversations with guest speakers, brown bag discussions at lunch, and participation in a private web-based online community, where they can have discussions with classmates and access course materials and resources. To stay connected with fellow students, faculty, and program speakers after the conclusion of the program, students join the GHD Alumni community on GHDonline.org—enabling continued conversation and collaboration long after the course has concluded.

Goals and Purpose

Despite significant new global health resources, delivering effective interventions to patients who need them remains one of the greatest hurdles facing medicine and public health. To bridge the gap between knowledge and practice in global health, the Global Health Delivery (GHD) Project at Harvard aims to systematize the study of health care delivery and stimulate collaboration among educators, researchers, stakeholders, and implementers. The Global Health Effectiveness Program is one of GHD’s efforts to expand the educational opportunities in global health delivery, and to convene a new cadre of health professionals trained in the major concepts and skills in delivering value-based health care within their own contexts.

Major Areas of Focus/Program Topics

• Epidemiologic Methods
• Applications of Biostatistics
• Principles of Health Care Delivery in Resource-Poor Settings
• Decision-Making Skills in the Context of Politics, Economics, and Health
• Specific Global Health Issues and Scenarios
• Care Delivery Value Chains
• Leadership and Conflict Management Strategies
• Structuring Incentives
• Program Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation

Participant Profile

The GHE program seeks mid-career professionals who have a demonstrated commitment to global health and significant experience in global health organizations, with a substantial background in health care or a related field. Most of our students hold a doctoral or master’s degree in a health-related field and/or have at least three years of relevant experience. International applicants are encouraged to apply. A strong command of the English language is highly recommended.

Individuals who have previously applied to the GHE program and were not accepted are also encouraged to re-apply, as their work/training experience might have evolved over the past year. Individuals who have previously graduated from the GHE program are not recommended to re-apply, so as to allow new applicants the opportunity to experience the program.

Courses

The GHE Program requires students to take three courses at HSPH, each with a different teaching approach.

Epidemiologic Methods for Global Health (2.5 credits) covers introductory level epidemiology and a biostatistics primer. The seminar-style course introduces basic principles of statistics, with a specific focus on problems related to global health.

Introduction to Global Health Care Delivery (2.5 credits) engages students in the analysis of case studies that describe efforts to improve health care delivery in resource-poor settings. Classroom discussion of these cases illuminates principles and frameworks for the design of efficient and effective global health interventions.

Seminar on Management Perspectives in Global Health Delivery educates students in the fundamental principles of organizational behavior, strategy, operations management, leadership and financial accounting relevant for work in leading global health programs. This seminar is a series of lectures delivered by leading experts in global health that span a variety of disciplines. Students learn from experts’ first-hand perspectives and experiences in the field.

To supplement classroom learning, GHE students utilize a private GHD community on GHDonline where they can pursue discussions with fellow students and faculty, access course materials, share resources, and connect with past GHD alumni from all courses and programs thereby linking them to a larger community of global health implementers.

Course Directors and Faculty

Co-directed by Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, Joseph Rhatigan, MD, and Rebecca Weintraub, MD, GHE courses are taught by Harvard faculty and global health experts.

Mary Kay Smith-Fawzi, ScD
Epidemiologist, Partners In Health
Instructor, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Leads Epidemiologic Methods for Global Health

Rebecca Weintraub, MD
Executive Director, Global Health Delivery Project
Associate Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Instructor, Harvard Medical School
Leads Seminar on Management Perspectives in Global Health Delivery

Joseph Rhatigan, MD
Assistant Professor, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health
Leads Introduction to Global Health Care Delivery

Paul Farmer, MD, PhD
Kolokotrones University Professor, Harvard University
Chair, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Chief, Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Co-founder, Partners In Health (PIH)
Instructs Introduction to Global Health Care Delivery

Joia Mukherjee, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Partners In Health
Associate Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Instructs Introduction to Global Health Care Delivery

Cost

The cost of the courses, including HSPH registration and fees, will total approximately $5,000. This amount covers tuition, some but not all course materials, a graduation reception, and a signed Letter of Completion for fulfilling the course requirements. Please note that there is an additional cost to apply: the SOPHAS application requires payment of a $115 fee.

In addition, students are responsible for their living expenses, including lodging and meals, while in Boston, estimated at $2,500-$3000,  as well as the cost of their travel to and from Boston. Total expenses should total approximately $7,500-$7,750.

Financial Assistance
A very limited amount of need-based financial assistance for the program is available for residents of resource-poor countries.  This support would be applied to tuition and fees, but would not cover travel and living expenses.

Applicants are encouraged to pursue other additional scholarship opportunities and offerings through their employer, their home embassy’s cultural affairs department, ministry of education, funding organization, and/or local foundations or groups. Students may also visit the HSPH Student Financial Services (SFS) Funding Finder site for more financial aid options. This site is a resource listing for external funds; HSPH does not offer any funding. A list of some foundations offering educational scholarships may be found here (please note that this list is not exhaustive). Applicants must seek and secure any financial assistance needed prior to their arrival in the United States.

Eligible applicants may apply for an application fee waiver through the SOPHAS website. More information about the fee waiver can be found on the SOPHAS website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q Who is eligible to participate in this program and are there any prerequisites?
A The GHE program seeks mid-career professionals who have a demonstrated commitment to global health and significant experience in global health organizations, with a substantial background in health care or a related field. Most of our students hold a doctoral or master’s degree in a health-related field and/or have at least three years of relevant experience. International applicants are encouraged to apply. A strong command of the English language is highly recommended.

Individuals who have previously applied to the GHE program and were not accepted are also encouraged to re-apply, as their work/training experience might have evolved over the past year. Individuals who have previously graduated from the GHE program are not recommended to re-apply, so as to allow new applicants the opportunity to experience the program.

Q When will the 2012 Session of GHE be held?
A The 2012 session of GHE will be Thursday, July 5 through Friday, July 27, 2012.

Q What is the GHE Program like?
A The course work is very intensive and fast-paced. In the past, students have spent approximately three hours per night completing homework and preparing for class the next day. Students should not schedule other work commitments.

Q Where can I access the GHE Program application?
A The 2012 GHE summer program application will be submitted via SOPHAS, a common application for the schools of public health. In submitting the application, students agree to participate in and complete two 2.5-credit courses (a total of 5 credits) and one non-credit bearing course. You can log-in and start your application here.

(“SOPHAS is a service of the Association of Schools of Public Health, which represents the CEPH accredited schools of public health.” Reference: https://portal.sophas.org/)

Q What is the deadline to apply for the GHE Program?
A The deadline to submit an application to the GHE Program has been extended from February 1st, 2012 to March 1st, 2012.

Q How many letters of recommendation and/or references must I provide to complete the SOPHAS application for GHE?
A Although the SOPHAS application requests the general applicants provide three references, GHE applicants need only provide one. The remaining two letters of recommendation must be waived by following these steps:

• Select References
• Select Add New Entry
• Select Yes for waive the right
• Check the two agreement boxes
• Select any Title
• Enter LOR as the first name
• Enter Waiver as the last name
• Enter (and confirm) admlor1@hsph.harvard.edu as the email address
• Enter 617-432-1031 as the phone number
• Select Save
• Repeat these steps twice doing the exact same thing, except for the second time use admlor2@hsph.harvard.edu as the email address, and use admlor3@hsph.harvard.edu the third time.

Your reference(s) still must follow the procedure for submission as outlined in the SOPHAS application: “Reference(s) have to submit an online reference to SOPHAS. Please note that electronic-format references will receive notification immediately after they are saved in this section” of the application. “To avoid SPAM filters, please let your references know that they will receive an email from SOPHASINFO@SOPHAS.ORG so that they can allow this email address to be received.” (Reference: https://portal.sophas.org/)

Q Am I required to submit standardized testing scores (i.e. GRE, TOFEL, etc.) scores in order to submit my SOPHAS application?
A GHE applicants are not required to submit standardized testing scores to complete the SOPHAS application. The GHE version of the SOPHAS application is for a non-degree program, and therefore this information is not required.

Q How do I input information about my previous coursework in SOPHAS? Where do I attach my transcript and CV information in the application?
A Self-reporting your coursework and submitting official transcript(s) is highly recommended if you will be applying to a degree program this cycle or next. If coursework is reported, it is required that applicants send their official transcripts to SOPHAS, and copies (either official or unofficial) to ghe@globalhealthdeilvery.org.

If you wish to bypass coursework reporting, please complete the “Colleges and Universities Attended” section of the SOPHAS application as described here. Copies of transcripts should be appended to your CV and the whole document uploaded into SOPHAS. If the file you are attempting to upload is too large, simply upload your CV and send your transcripts to ghe@globalhealthdeilvery.org.

Q What do I write about for my Statement of Purpose and Objectives?
A For the “Statement of Purpose and Objectives” module in the SOPHAS application, please describe why you are interested in applying and how the GHE program may help further your professional goals.

Q How do I avoid making mistakes on my SOPHAS application?
A Please follow this link for more information on some of the common mistakes made on the SOPHAS application.

Q What is the cost of the program and is financial assistance available for applicants without funding?
A The cost of the courses, including HSPH registration and fees, will total approximately $5,000. This amount covers tuition, some but not all course materials, a graduation reception, and a signed Letter of Completion for fulfilling the course requirements. Please note that there is an additional cost to apply: The SOPHAS application requires payment of a $115 registration/submission fee. Students are also responsible for their lodging, meals, and other living expenses while in Boston, in addition to their round-trip travel to the United States.

A very limited amount of need-based financial assistance for the program will be available for residents of resource-poor countries. This support would be applied to tuition and fees, but would not cover travel and living expenses.

Eligible applicants may apply for a fee waiver through the SOPHAS website. More information about the fee waiver can be found on the SOPHAS website.

Students may visit the HSPH Student Financial Services (SFS) Funding Finder site for more financial aid options. This site is a resource listing for external funds; HSPH does not offer any funding.

Q What housing is available for students in this program?
A While the Program reserves a nearby dorm-format room block, students will need to arrange their own housing during the program. Lodging in one of these reserved rooms is $390 USD, per person, weekly or $65 USD, per person, nightly. Please refer to the Housing Resources Web page for some suggestions on finding housing. Please note that lodging, meals and other living expenses are not included in the tuition cost for the program.

Q Who can I reach for additional questions?
A Please send questions with detailed contact information by email to ghe@globalhealthdelivery.org. If you wish to speak with us over the phone, please call (617) 520-4437, between 9am and 10am (EST) or 4pm and 5pm (EST), Monday through Friday. We will respond as soon as possible.

Q Where can I read more about the GHE Program?

A Global Health Effectiveness Program: Training the Next Generation of Health Leaders, a feature highlighting the experiences of the 2009 students and guest lecturers, and their take on the classroom environment and teaching method.

Course Offers a World of Ideas for International Physicians, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Bulletin, August 21, 2009