Division of Biology and Medicine
Center for Global Health Equity

BRIGHT Pathway

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BRIGHT Pathway

The Brown Residency International and Global Health Training Pathway (BRIGHT) began as an interest group in global health. Originally founded by 4 Med-Peds residents in 2009, the pathway has now expanded to include all residents and fellows with a Brown affiliation. Through a collaborative, integrated approach, the program enhances resident and fellow exposure to the breadth of topics in global health, develops a community of global health scholars at Brown, and fosters mentoring relationships between residents, fellows and faculty.

The goals of the BRIGHT pathway include:

  1. Deepen understanding of global healthcare as it pertains to patients both locally and abroad with a particular emphasis on historically resource-poor nations and ethnic groups.
  2. Obtain experience in the practice of medicine in these settings.
  3. Pursue scholarly projects in preparation for long-term involvement in global health following post-graduate training.
We are pleased to announce that this year BRIGHT has partnered with the Center for Global Health Equity (CGHE). “CGHE is a multidisciplinary university-wide effort to reduce health inequities among underserved populations locally and worldwide  through education, research, service, and development of partnerships.” Through this partnership, we will facilitate more collaboration between faculty members, residents, fellows and members of the Brown community who are interested in global health. Kicking off the 2025-26 academic year, are the following activities (see our Events page for more details):

The BRIGHT (Brown Residency International Global Health Training) Pathway is a 2-year longitudinal program designed to create and support a multidisciplinary community of residents and fellows who are interested in making global health part of their career. The BRIGHT Pathway consists of quarterly meetings with guest speakers, along with a self-directed curriculum of core global health topics. Residents and fellows in the program are required to complete a scholarly activity and presentation prior to graduation. For those residents and fellows fulfilling these requirements, they will be granted a Global Health Certificate at graduation.

We are pleased to announce that this year BRIGHT has partnered with the Center for Global Health Equity (CGHE). “CGHE is a multidisciplinary  university-wide effort to reduce health inequities among underserved populations locally and worldwide  through education, research, service,  and development of partnerships.” Through this partnership, we will facilitate more collaboration between faculty members, residents, fellows and members of the Brown community who are interested in global health.

 

BRIGHT scholars will meet periodically throughout the year to discuss these topics in a collaborative interdisciplinary fashion to foster a rich community of discussion about global health topics. Residents and fellows are encouraged to share their own previous and current experiences and how they relate to the global health topics covered. BRIGHT residents and fellows will also participate in the Paul J. Galkin Global Health Grand Rounds series during the academic year.

Participants are expected to complete and present a scholarly global health project by the end of the 2 years. We recommend residents join during the last two years of their residency program. Participants are also required to attend 3 BRIGHT/GHI events per year. No prior global health experience is necessary to apply.

Thank you for your interest. The applications for this year are now closed. Please consider applying next year!

  1. Applications are sent out towards the end of the academic year through the respective residency and fellow programs for the next academic year. Applicants in good standing are encouraged to follow the directions on the application and return it by the deadline. Should you have any questions about the application process, please contact the BRIGHT resident or faculty directors who can assist you with any logistical issues you may encounter.
  2. Applications should include a letter of good standing from your program director, along with responses to the following two prompts to globalhealth@brown.edu.
    • Briefly describe what skills you would bring to the program (i.e. prior experiences working with different cultures or underserved populations, language skills.)
    • How will the BRIGHT program help you accomplish your career goals?
  3. Given that residents only have 2 years to complete the pathway and scholarly project, once selected, residents are strongly encouraged to start envisioning what their project may be and identify potential project mentors prior to the application for the program. They may contact their mentors to discuss their ideas prior to completing the application.

Please submit all questions and applications to globalhealth@brown.edu. Read full application here.

All scholars choose a scholarly project in an area of their interest. These can be research projects, clinical program development activities, or clinical reviews. Collaborative projects between scholars are also allowed and encouraged. The goal of the scholarly project is to provide an opportunity for scholars to deepen their knowledge of a specific area of global health. These projects can provide the seeds for future work that will continue after residency. Scholars select a mentor based on their interest area. The role of the scholar’s mentor is to assist with and review their project development as well as give additional advice where possible to help guide the scholar in the development of their global health interests.

Examples of Scholarly Projects

  1. Continuous electronic fetal monitoring compared with intermittent auscultation in a low-resource setting
  2. Analysis of serologic biomarkers as predictors of mortality in Ebola Virus Disease
  3. Creating a global child health consortium in New England
  4. Study of implementing spirometry on the wards at Moi Referral Hospital, Kenya
  5. Quality improvement initiative to improve refugee care within the Medical Primary Care Unit
  6. Review of screening for latent tuberculosis infection within the HIV care program in Rhode Island
  7. Review of literature related to Burkitt’s Lymphoma with focus on sub-Saharan Africa
  8. Educational program with goal of increasing provider awareness of and skills managing teen violence
  9. Community wellness initiative and creation of a safe walking path in Shiprock, NM on the Navajo reservation
  10. Development of a case-based learning pediatrics curriculum for Haitian medical students

Upcoming Events
Events @ Brown

08/11 2024 BRIGHT Resident Applications Deadline

Application Deadline: August 11, 2024
BRIGHT Pathway is a 2-year longitudinal program designed to create and support a multidisciplinary community of residents who are interested in making global health part of their career. BRIGHT Pathway consists of quarterly meetings with guest speakers, along with a self-directed curriculum of core global health topics.
Events @ Brown

07/24 BRIGHT Social

The Brown Residency International Global Health Training Pathway (BRIGHT) is hosting a social for interested students. It will be a time to meet residents and faculty who share an interest in global health. They will discuss BRIGHT, applications, and their partnership with the GHI (Global Health Initiative). Please RSVP.

BRIGHT Co-Leaders

  • Headshot of Neha Wadhavkar against a plain, neutral background. She is wearing a black blazer and smiling softly.

    Neha Wadhavkar

    Internal Medicine Resident
    neha_wadhavkar@brown.edu

    During her time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Neha first began developing her interest in global health through a medical study abroad opportunity in Santiago, Chile. There, she rotated through various hospitals, public and private, rural and urban, and began understanding how nuances of various cultures can influence practice patterns. She further pursued this curiosity and passion through working alongside an OB/GYN team in India to lead health seminars to women that were living in local slums, with the goal of not only empowering them, but also improving their access to basic health resources. While at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Neha was selected for the Distinction in Global Health pathway; her focus included spearheading culturally focused diabetes education sessions and improving self-efficacy for Latina women in her local community. Most recently while in her Internal Medicine residency, Neha has been focused on the intersection of gastroenterology and global health, and hopes to explore discrepancies and barriers to meeting appropriate screening guidelines. She is excited to share her enthusiasm for global health with fellow trainees at Brown University and to help shape the future of BRIGHT.

  • Portrait of Korede Yoloye wearing a white blouse with a black blazer against a gray background

    Korede Yoloye

    Pediatric Resident
    korede_yoloye@brown.edu

    At Boston University School of Medicine Korede explored her interests by providing culturally sensitive care and working with a diverse patient population. She worked with the psychology department to promote mental health awareness in the local African community through the HEAAL (Health and Mental Health Education and Awareness for Africans in Lowell) health fair. In addition, she was director of community development in the Global Health and Equity Program, a program that cultivated a strong global health community among students and faculty by increasing awareness about global health topics and events occurring locally. In residency,  she has continued to explore her interest in global health as part of the International Child Health Curriculum in Pediatrics and by joining BRIGHT. She is currently interested in neonatology, early childhood development and working to reduce health care disparities in low resource settings.

BRIGHT Faculty Directors