The Department of Emergency Medicine offers a Global Health Fellowship designed to prepare physicians for meaningful careers in international emergency medicine.
We recognize that health care is part of a global community. This program gives fellows a deeper understanding of culture, language, society, and the health disparities faced by populations around the globe. We believe that global health education broadens awareness and can reshape how we practice emergency medicine, engage with communities, and understand our impact on others.
Through the fellowship, recent residency graduates gain the knowledge and skills needed to advance emergency medicine in resource-limited settings. Graduates are well prepared to serve as leaders and experts in the field of global health.
“It’s hard to describe the intangible moments of personal growth in this experience.”
Fellows typically spend 8-10 weeks abroad, gaining hands-on experience in the logistics of working in resource-limited settings and developing a deeper understanding of the factors that shape health. Each fellow works closely with the fellowship director to design and carry out a project that aligns with their personal interests.
In addition to global fieldwork, fellows work a limited number of clinical shifts and devote the rest of their time to ongoing education and practical global health experiences.
Program Highlights
- One-year program including formal training in global health with a graduate capstone course at UW–Madison, one of the world’s top-ranked research and academic institutions.
- Flexibility and focus on fellow’s interests and may include work in clinical care, capacity building, teaching and/or research.
- Robust institutional resources and activities through the UW Global Health Institute and collaborative, interdisciplinary work. UW–Madison is highly engaged with the international community on wide-ranging topics, including health systems and the intersection of health, climate, and equity.
- Teaching and curriculum development opportunities through ongoing global health resident education in the Department of Emergency Medicine and longitudinal resident didactics, pre-departure orientation for interdisciplinary global health electives, and other resident-led projects.
- SAEM-approved. Fellows that complete an SAEM-approved fellowship are considered by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine to have earned the standard qualifications and skills of an emergency medicine fellow in the specialized area of training and will receive a certificate of approval upon completion.
Compensation & Benefits
Our total rewards and employee services packages go beyond traditional benefits to help you balance your work and life needs. Packages include comprehensive health and supplemental benefits, a competitive salary, travel funds, and support to pursue education. Learn more about GME Compensation and Benefits 
Program Details
Available Positions: 1-2
Program Length: 1 year
Start Date: July 1, 2026
NRMP Match: Yes
Accreditation:
SAEM-approved
Advanced Degree: Graduate Capstone Certificate
Appointment: Clinical Instructor
Moonlighting: Available
Fellowship Structure
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Clinical Care
Faculty, fellows, and residents have participated in projects at carefully vetted partner sites and organizations, including:
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UW Global Health Institute
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Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda – Training clinicians in point-of-care ultrasound and conducting research with the Mbale Clinical Research Institute and Atlas International
- Kigali, Rwanda – Point-of-care ultrasound clinical research and teaching at University Central Hospital of Kigali and African Health Sciences University
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San Lucas Mission, Guatemala – Clinical care and teaching
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World Health Organization (WHO) – Basic Emergency Care course
- Indian Health Services
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International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
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United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – Crisis Bureau Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility teams
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Lima, Peru – Establishing clinical ultrasound
Education
We support fellows in enrolling in the Graduate Capstone Certificate program at the UW Global Health Institute, as well as in taking relevant coursework at UW or other institutions. Examples include:
- Health Emergencies in Large Populations (HELP) course at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Building a Career in Global Emergency Care conference at the University of California–San Francisco, the nation’s only WHO Collaborating Centre for Emergency and Trauma Care
Research
Fellows often build on scholarly projects started during residency and receive strong support to present and publish their work nationally. Our fellows have an excellent track record of contributing to the field through research and academic scholarship.
Examples of past projects include:
- A COVID-19 Response Grant focused on accurate communication in underserved minority communities
- Authorship of book chapters
- Publications in journals such as Pediatric Emergency Medicine Reports and the African Journal of Emergency Medicine
- Abstract presentations at national and international conferences, including AIUM, AfCEM, and the International Conference for Emergency Medicine Physicians in Peru
- Mentoring medical students on summer research projects
The BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine conducts innovative clinical and translational research and is dedicated to supporting the growth of junior investigators. Learn more about our research enterprise.
Teaching
As Clinical Instructors in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, fellows build both clinical and teaching skills. Fellows will:
- Present at least one lecture during the department’s weekly didactic conference
- Teach in the hands-on ultrasound workshop for the UW Fundamentals of Global Health course, an annual one-week, multidisciplinary program that gives residents a broad introduction to global health issues
- Have the opportunity to work with medical students on a Global Service Learning elective in rural Guatemala
- Have the option to teach in other UW SMPH electives, such as wilderness medicine
Ongoing global health projects in the department
We collaborate with partners worldwide to provide clinical care and education, build capacity, conduct research. While our ongoing projects are focused on clinical work and teaching in East Africa and Central America, fellows with connections in other regions may propose individual field projects. Learn more »
Global Health Faculty
Jessica Schmidt, MD, MPH
Fellowship Director
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
Director of Global Emergency Medicine
Director of Wellbeing
Dr. Schmidt earned her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a Master of Public Health in epidemiology and biostatistics from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She completed her emergency medicine residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and pursued an ultrasound fellowship at Denver Health Medical Center, focusing on ultrasound and global health.
Her academic interests include emergency ultrasound, global health, and resident education. She leads the Global Health Pre-departure Course for all UW Health graduate medical education trainees and has studied, taught, or worked in Belgium, Ethiopia, France, Guatemala, Mali, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Thailand, and Uganda. Dr. Schmidt has also co-developed a web-based toolkit, Global Point of Care Ultrasound: A Technical Guide, to provide resources and education for learners using ultrasound in low-resource settings.
A two-time U.S. Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Schmidt is advancing point-of-care ultrasound projects in East Africa. She partners with Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, the Mbale Clinical Research Institute, and Atlas International in Uganda to develop training and research programs. She also collaborates with the University of Rwanda to improve diagnostic accuracy for children with suspected pneumonia.
Colleen Andrews, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
Dr. Andrews attended the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and completed her emergency medicine residency and chief residency at Stroger Hospital of Cook County. She then pursued fellowship training in global and local health equity at Boston Medical Center, with a focus on immigrant/refugee health and women’s health.
While at the UW SMPH, Dr. Andrews completed the Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health (TRIUMPH) program, which integrates community, clinical, and public health skill development for medical students dedicated to working in underserved communities.
Janis P. Tupesis, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Board of Directors, UW–Madison Global Health Institute
Dr. Tupesis is involved in projects to establish graduate medical education programs in resource-limited settings in Liberia, Ethiopia, and South Africa, collaborating with multiple academic partners. Since 2018, he has worked with the World Bank and the Association of African Universities on the Africa Centers of Excellence for Development (ACE Impact) Project, supporting health-focused postgraduate training centers across West Africa.
He has served as a volunteer consultant for the World Health Organization’s Emergency, Trauma, and Acute Care Programme and is a founding member of the Academic Consortium for Emergency Systems (ACES), which supports WHO’s work on emergency care. Dr. Tupesis also serves on international education committees with IFEM, AFEM, ACEP, and SAEM’s Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA). His contributions have been recognized with the GEMA Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) and the Order of IFEM (2020) for his lasting impact on global emergency medicine.
Fellowship Alumni
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Brittany Kotek, MD (2024-25)
Dr. Kotek earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin. Her interests include clinical work and research with underserved communities, particularly in promoting women’s health.
Select Activities and Contributions
- Taught workshops at African Health Sciences University, including EM, ICU, pediatrics, mass casualty preparedness, and simulation-based learning at King Faisal Hospital.
- Attended the African Conference on Emergency Medicine (AfCEM) in Botswana.
- Defended her capstone presentation on “Access to Emergency OB Care in Rural Guatemala” and continued coursework for the UW Global Health Institute Capstone and Certificate Program.
- Served as faculty on two Guatemala Service Learning trips (summer 2024 and 2025).
- Contributed to ongoing research, including a scoping review of Competency-Based Medical Education in Africa (with Dr. Westergaard and colleagues) and a review of perceptions of care during short-term medical mission trips in Guatemala.
Ashwath Gunasekar, MD (2021-22)
Dr. Gunasekar earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin. His clinical and academic interests include international medicine, humanitarian response, and health systems development.
Select Activities and Contributions
- Completed the Health Emergencies in Large Populations (HELP) course through Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
- Traveled to Uganda to provide point-of-care ultrasound training for local clinicians and conduct a needs assessment for children with sickle cell disease. He later presented this work at the Department of Emergency Medicine’s weekly educational conference.
Travis Wieland, MD, MA, MSc (2021-22)
Dr. Wieland pursued a diverse academic path before entering medicine. After completing language training at the University of Pennsylvania, he studied Classics at the University of Edinburgh and international relations at the University of Chicago. His time living and working abroad inspired him to combine his passion for global affairs with a career in medicine.
He earned his medical degree at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he served as chief resident and a Global Health Scholar with the UNC Office of Global Health Education.
Dr. Wieland’s academic work extends beyond global health. He has coauthored chapters for Pocket Tintinallion on allergy, anaphylaxis, and traumatic shock, and published on pediatric facial lacerations in Pediatric Emergency Medicine Reports. He has also served as a trainer for the World Health Organization’s Basic Emergency Care course in Kenya and Rwanda.
Ilan Kolkowitz, MD (2020-21)
Dr. Kolkowitz earned his medical degree from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics.
Select Activities and Contributions
- Medical expert for a Wisconsin Partnership Program COVID-19 Response Grant focused on improving communication in Black, Latinx, and American Indian communities in Dane County.
- Presented scholarship from his Uganda residency project at a national ultrasound conference (Feasibility of Mixed Clinician Training in Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Acute Cardiopulmonary Pediatric Conditions in Eastern Uganda).
- Completed the UW Global Health Institute Capstone Certificate program.
- Lecturer for the UW SMPH Wilderness Medicine elective.
- Instructor for the ultrasound simulation workshop in UW Health’s Graduate Medical Education Fundamentals of Global Health course.
- Presented “Fever in the Returning Traveler” at the department’s weekly didactic conference.
Daniel Summers, MD, MPH (2020-21)
Dr. Summers, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Guatemala, earned his MPH in epidemiology of microbial diseases with a focus on global health at the Yale School of Public Health. His graduate research included vector-borne diseases, statistical modeling, and GIS applications. He received his medical degree from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, where he gained international experience in Iceland and hurricane relief work in the Bahamas.
His academic interests include international medicine, humanitarian response, neglected tropical diseases, and geospatial tools for disease mapping.
Select Activities and Contributions
- Served as an academic consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on global PPE supply chain challenges during the pandemic, developing a framework for PPE design, ventilator repair, and response strategies in five countries.
- Instructor for the ultrasound simulation workshop in UW Health’s Graduate Medical Education Fundamentals of Global Health course.
- Medical expert for a Wisconsin Partnership Program COVID-19 Response Grant aimed at strengthening communication in Black, Latinx, and American Indian communities in Dane County.
- Presented on malnutrition at the Department of Emergency Medicine’s weekly didactic conference.
Arthur Chiu, MD (2019-20)
Dr. Chiu graduated from the University of California–Berkeley, earned his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College, and completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics.
Select Activities and Contributions
- Completed the UW Global Health Institute Postgraduate Capstone Certificate Program
- Participated in field work at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda and Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal
- Attended the World Health Organization (WHO) Basic Emergency Care training course
- Took part in the ACEP Global Fellows Boot Camp and the Building a Career in Global Emergency Care conference at UCSF, the nation’s only WHO Collaborating Centre for Emergency and Trauma Care
- Taught in the UW Global Health Predeparture course and at the DEM residency conference
How to Apply
Application Process: Interested candidates should submit their application through the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s Global EM Fellowship Application portal. This program participates in the NRMP Match.
Candidates must have graduated in good standing from an ACGME-accredited emergency medicine residency program and must be board-certified or board-eligible in emergency medicine.
Please direct application process questions to:
Kristina Maynard
Emergency Medicine Fellowship Coordinator
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
kmaynard@medicine.wisc.edu