School is never a replacement for hands-on work experience. Thankfully, a number of fellowship programs can help students transition from the classroom to a career in global health.
Although many of these fellowships require students to be situated abroad, all of them are sponsored by U.S.-based organizations. Non-U.S. citizens may apply to most of these programs if they are attending a graduate or postgraduate school or have work authorization in the United States. An exception is the Global Health Corps Fellows Program, which allows nationals of Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania or the U.S. to apply.
Global health fellowships focus on a range of work, from conducting academic research to implementing health aid initiatives. Most programs require an advanced degree in public health, medicine, business or international development, and some offer opportunities for undergraduates and midcareer professionals to get their feet wet in this field.