With limited global health opportunities available in Houston, Texas Children’s Global Health and the Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatrics AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) offer graduate-level students a unique opportunity to gain exposure and begin building a career as global health professionals.
Supported by Chevron, the Global Health Internship Program is an extension of Texas Children’s and Baylor’s teaching missions that opens the door for underrepresented students who not have had previous experience in global health. To ensure more inclusivity and promote candidates who are women and people of color, the recruitment and application processes have been intentionally refined to reach a wider candidate pool that includes students across a variety of academic disciplines.
Interns are paid for their service and work day-to-day on global program management, operations and implementation – along with primary projects in marketing and communications or education and training.
“We started this program to address not only the lack of global health graduate internship opportunities in the Houston area, but also to enable students of all academic disciplines and socioeconomic backgrounds access to the field of global health,” said Taylor Napier-Earle, manager, Global Health.
Napier-Earle manages and precepts the internship program with Global Health colleagues Catriona Gates, senior coordinator, marketing and communications; Adam Gibson, manager, Global Health; and Dr. Diane Nguyen, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Department of Education, Innovation, and Technology.
“Often times, students with means to travel internationally are those who access global health. We want to reframe this narrative and promote a broader and more sustainable understanding of global health. Global health work can be done from one’s home country, often in one’s own backyard,” Nguyen said.
Support from Chevron provides interns a paid career and educational experience that has, in turn, increased the diversity within the applicant and intern pool.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic impacts communities around the globe, we are reminded each day of how crucial health care professionals are to society,” said Mamadou Beye, General Manager Corporate Affairs, Chevron Middle East, Africa, South America Exploration and Production Company. “Chevron is proud of its more than a decade-long partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine to help prepare students be the best in their fields and strengthen the health sector around the world.”
Focused on education and opportunity
More than 140 applicants – the most competitive pool in the internship’s 6-year history – sought the 2021 Global Health internship.
Though only two finalists were ultimately selected, the team piloted a coaching process to support all interested candidates and give them a professional development experience. As part of this effort, 25 applicants opted in to receive support from a pool of coaches that included faculty from Baylor College of Medicine and other institutions.
“Students have variable access to professional development through their universities or personal networks. By providing the opportunity for candidates to pair up with a faculty member who coaches them one-one-one on how to effectively write a cover letter, resume and prepare for an interview, we aim to reach those who may not have this support,” Nguyen said. “We want to offer all the candidates who apply a learning experience to hone practical, real-life skills, regardless of selection.”
As a former Global Health intern now working as part of the team full time, Gates can draw a straight line from her internship experience to her current role in supporting and helping to shape the program for future students.
“The exposure to global health programming, philanthropy, and partnerships and the skills I developed around collaboration, communication, and project management have been invaluable to my global health career,” she said.
Meet the 2021 Global Health interns!
Cam Huynh
McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center
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With her sights set on a career in medicine that focuses on global and education, Cam Huynh found the Global Health internship to be an ideal opportunity to complement her Master of Public Health degree curriculum. The experience solidified her decision to pursue this career path – and taught her that self-reflection is an important skill to master as a life-long learner.
What prompted you to apply for and accept this internship with Global Health? “I wanted to gain experience in application of public health skills. Global health/international medicine has always been an interest of mine, so I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to work with Texas Children’s Global Health.”
What would you tell other graduate students about interning at Texas Children’s? “The internship is well structured with a learner-centered approach. The opportunity allows for self-directed experience and expression of creativity. Team members and preceptors are knowledgeable, welcoming and dedicated.”
Kai Lockhart
LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas
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After spending the first year of her master’s program working on a research project focused on intercultural health care and maternal health in Latin America, Kai Lockhart knew she wanted to learn more. Stepping outside her comfort zone and immediate area of expertise, she took a chance and applied to join the Global Health program.
What is one thing about your future career path or this health care focus that you learned from your internship experience? “I learned how to turn the skills and experiences I have into applicable skills for a global health focus. I was very nervous to apply to this internship because unlike many other applicants I was not pursuing an MPH and I did not have other health care experiences. However, I have now learned that my skills and background are still useful and applicable in this work.”
What is one thing you learned about yourself this summer thanks to your internship experience? “I learned that I am capable of much more than I give myself credit for. I think for a lot of students and professionals, specifically women of color, we tend to be hard on ourselves and face a lot of imposter syndrome. With the support and encouragement of the preceptors, I learned to not only be confident in my work but also give myself grace.”