Deadline: January 21, 2025
Applications are open for the Global Health Media Fellowship 2025-2026 for Medical Students in the U.S. This unique opportunity provides medical students with up to 12 months of practical training in the fundamentals of journalism, communications, and global health reporting on a variety of media platforms in order to build a generation of physician-storytellers who can combat medical misinformation and shine a light on untold global health stories.
In order to overcome medical misinformation and build public trust, the world needs more physicians who are also versed in journalism and communication. This year-long fellowship, the first of its kind in the U.S., teaches physicians-in-training to use various media channels to advocate and inform on global health issues. The selected fellow learns how reporting on global health issues can impact health and human rights efforts, foundation and government health assistance, and individual health choices.
Through coursework, independent reporting, and a CNN internship, fellows gain an understanding of how to tell compelling stories and work with local, national and international media outlets in order to share valuable medical and global health information with the general public.
Program Overview
Each year, one fellow is chosen from a pool of students enrolled in U.S. medical institutions committed to a career in global health (candidates do not have to be from Stanford). This opportunity provides medical students with up to 12 months of practical training in the fundamentals of journalism, communications, and global health reporting on a variety of media platforms, including print, online, broadcast, and social and digital media.
Each fellow participates in three rotations over the course of their fellowship year. The fellow spends the fall quarter (September through December) on campus taking courses in Stanford’s Graduate Program in Journalism. In the winter, the fellow is embedded at CNN in Atlanta with Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s health reporting team to learn the fundamentals of health reporting and gain hands-on experience. In late spring, the fellow conducts a capstone project based on their interests and focused on developing the skills they most wish to hone to improve their global health storytelling and mass communication capabilities.
Benefits
- A modest travel stipend is awarded in addition to the fellowship stipend. Fellows receive a stipend from CNN during their internship portion.
Eligibility
- This fellowship is available to current allopathic medical and osteopathic (D.O.) students; the fellowship is not open to residents.
- Applicants must be currently enrolled in medical school at an institution in the United States to be considered.
- Fourth-year medical students interested in applying can opt to delay their residency and do a fifth year of medical school in order to be eligible.
Application
Finalists will be contacted and interviewed in mid-late February. A fellow is typically selected by early-mid March. The fellowship begins in September and runs through the following July.
For more information, visit Global Health Media Fellowship.
