Global Health Travel Awards for Postgraduate Medical Residents

Applications for the Global Health Travel Awards for Postgraduate Medical Residents are evaluated on a rolling basis. Expect a response from the GHP office within 15 business days of receipt of the application.

Established in 2015 by the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) program and McGill Global Health Programs (GHP), this award supports McGill medical residents and fellows pursuing their global health interests through an elective or research project. While purely clinical electives can be proposed, research-oriented projects are given preference. The elective or research work must be conducted in a low- or middle-income country, or among underserved populations in Canada (i.e. Indigenous populations). Awards will be given for 4-week or 8-week clinical electives or research projects at varying amounts awarded by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences upon the recommendation of the Director of GHP and Associate Dean for PGME.

**Please review the Global Health Travel Awards General Instructions and Eligibility Requirements prior to preparing an application.**

Eligibility

• Any registered McGill University medical resident or fellow (any year, any specialty) in good standing is eligible to apply.
• The elective or research work must be conducted in a low- or middle-income country, or among underserved populations in Canada (i.e. Indigenous populations).
• Travel completed before applying for this award is not eligible.

Evaluation criteria:

1. Educational Merit: The applicant’s essay clearly and explicitly articulates the educational merit of the placement/practicum/elective or research project. The placement or research project itself appears to offer rich and engaging learning opportunities. (5 points)
2. Degree of Self-Reflection: The applicant’s essay demonstrates strong self-reflexivity about their interest in the placement/research project and what they hope and expect to learn through the experience. (5 points)
3. Consideration of Ethical Implications: The applicant provides a thorough understanding on the ethical implications related to their placement/research project in a low-resource setting. (5 points)
4. CV: The applicant’s CV demonstrates an academic and/or extra-curricular background that provides a suitable foundation for the proposed project. (2 points)
5. Style of presentation: The applicant submitted a well-written essay and organized application in line with the instructions provided. Information is consistent across each component of the application (essay, CV, letter, and budget). (2 points)

Application Instructions

Note: Applications must be submitted as one PDF file, containing all of the following components in the order presented below. Please title the PDF using your first name and last name e.g. “Jane Doe.pdf”)

• Essay (2-3 pages max)
  • Briefly describe your elective/research project (e.g. site, timeframe, planned activities). If you are traveling with other residents or faculty from McGill please specify.
  • Why are you interested in taking part in this project? What do you hope to gain from the experience? How does this project link to your career path or ambitions?
  • Discuss how you are preparing for your travel—both in terms of general safety precautions and learning related to the norms of your destination site (i.e. culture, religion, language, politics, clinical practices, etc.).  
  • Discuss the potential impacts that your presence as a medical resident or fellow hailing from North America and completing a placement in a low-resource setting could have on the local community or site, and the inherent ethical considerations.
• CV
• Signed letter from the host organization or local supervisor (at your destination site) demonstrating the host's acceptance of your visit.
• Budget (see template below)

Please provide a budget using the following template. If a line item is not applicable please write "N/A".

Application materials should be submitted via the Global Health Travel Awards for Postgraduate Medical Residents application form (link opens a new window). Applicants will need to log in with their McGill email and password in order to see the form.

Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds.