About the IH Section Global Health Mentoring Program
The IH Section Global Health Mentoring Program is an initiative of the Global Health Connections Working Group to pair experienced global health professionals with student or early career professional members of the APHA IH Section.
This is a completely voluntary program for both mentors and mentees, so it is very important that participants read the following information and are prepared to undertake the recommended time commitment before completing an application.
This program runs January through September each year. The Global Health Mentoring Program emphasizes the personal and professional growth and development of student or early career professional IH Section members.
Qualifications and Time Commitment
Mentors must be members of APHA and the International Health Section. They must have at least 3 years work experience in the global health field.
Mentees must be members of APHA and the International Health Section. There is no specific education or work experience requirement for mentees.
Both mentors and mentees should be able to communicate via email or telephone one time per month. The total goal for monthly communications should be around 1-2 hours of total time, this includes emailing, speaking on the phone, completing tasks, etc.
Matching Process
Mentors and mentees both complete an application to participate in the Global Health Mentoring Program. The Global Health Mentoring Program Steering Committee is tasked with making the matches between mentors and mentee. Each mentor will be matched with 1 to 2 mentees to allow for a close mentor-mentee relationship. We make matches based on the available pool of mentors and mentees and the details included in the applications. It is in your best interest to complete the application with as much detail as possible to ensure you are matched with the best suitable mentee. We do our best to match individuals based on career interests but please note that this is not always possible.
Additionally, each mentoring cycle may vary in the number of applicants so mentor and mentee applicants are not guaranteed a match for each cycle. If you apply and are not matched, please apply again for the next cycle. There is no limit to the amount of times a mentee applicant can be placed with a mentor but efforts will be made to prioritize mentees who have not been matched previously.
Applications for the 2022 Global Health Mentoring Program (January 2022 – September 2022) will be accepted until Friday, December 10, 2021 at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time.
If you have any questions please feel free to email us at: ih.gh.mentoring@gmail.com
Mentor Application
Mentee Application
Global Health Mentoring Guidebook
Testimonials
“I’m very grateful to have had this opportunity. It was really helpful for me and I got a lot out of it. I hope this program is able to continue and benefit more students.” Mentee, 2017 Round 2 Pilot
“Excellent!” Mentee, 2017 Round 2 Pilot
“I couldn’t ask for a better mentor! The program overall is structured well. I have no suggestions for improvement at this time.” Mentee, 2017 Round 2 Pilot
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program. I have learned so much from my mentor and he has been an invaluable resource for me as I graduate and pursue jobs in global health. He has been incredibly supportive and has made time for me in the midst of his very busy schedule. I can’t say enough positive things about his mentorship and my experience in this program.” Mentee, 2017 Round 2 Pilot
Is this program limited to certain people? The only limitation that this program has is that participants, both mentors and mentees, must be members of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the International Health (IH) Section. This program is designed specifically for global health mentoring for members of the IH Section. Membership will be verified before matches are finalized.
Do I need to be within a certain age range? You do not need to be within a certain age range to participate. Mentors should have at least 3 years of global health experience, although most of our mentors have many more years of experience than that. Mentees can be students still in school (undergrad, grad, medical, etc.) or early career professionals. When we say early career professionals we just mean folks who are new to global health careers. You can be just starting out as a recent MPH graduate or someone who has worked for a number of years but is looking to do a career transition into global health.
I’m not sure if I would be a mentor or mentee. How do I decide? Typically mentoring relationships are between a mentor with many years of experience and a mentee who has little to no experience. However, we also recognize that mentees can also benefit from mentors who may be a few years into their career, and as such can offer mentees feedback on career steps they’ve recently taken in the current global health employment climate. If you feel like you are an early stage career professional who wants to be a mentor, please apply and note your experience on your application so we can ensure your match is a more junior mentee.
Can I apply to be both a mentor and mentee? Absolutely! We fully recognize that many people may be at a point in their careers where they could both provide guidance to mentees while also receiving mentoring from another person. If you feel like this is you, please complete both mentor and mentee applications and answer the questions specific to each role.
What profile of mentors/mentees are you looking for? By its very nature global health is a very broad, inter-disciplinary field. We are looking for mentors and mentees that reflect this broad range of diversity within global health. Regardless of your background, we are looking for people who can make a difference in global health.
How many mentor/mentee pairs do you accept each year? This number is entirely dependent upon the number of mentors we have each year. We fully recognize that mentoring is a voluntary task that our mentors take on, in addition to their already busy professional and personal lives. We work to ensure that each mentoring relationship is successful and that our mentors are able to give an appropriate amount of time to each mentee. Each mentor is given 1 mentee and some take an additional mentee as their time allows.
How can I ensure my mentee application is successful? Take the time to thoughtfully complete the application. This program is competitive and not all mentee applications may be selected for participation. It helps to clearly and concisely explain why you want to work in global health, what your global health goals are and how this mentoring program can help you achieve those goals. You do not need to have prior global health experience to participate, but you should be able to explain why you’ve chosen global health as a career field.
How are mentee applications evaluated? The Steering Committee ranks each mentee application by the following criteria: 1) global health interests and experiences; 2) motivation for engaging in the mentoring experience; 3) professionalism and effort demonstrated in the application; 4) commitment to the program. Each of these categories is weighted differently with commitment to the program (demonstrated by time availability and enthusiasm) typically scored with the most weight.
How are mentors and mentees matched? The highest ranking mentees are matched with mentors based on their areas of global health interest, academic background and geographic location. We aim to match based on using all of these categories; however, when that is not possible, matches will be made based on overlapping areas of global health interest.
What is the time commitment for mentors and mentees? We ask each mentoring pair to spend around 1-2 hours per month on mentoring activities. This includes things such as answering emails, speaking on the phone, completing tasks, etc. We ask you to clearly outline any time commitment challenges (extended absences, an overseas internship, etc.) you may have in your application and to your mentor/mentee during your first conversation.
What can I expect to get out of the program? Your mentor is there to offer you advice, guidance, support, networking opportunities, etc. The Global Health Mentoring Program is NOT a job placement program. This is a remote mentoring program and there are no specific requirements related to what each mentorship needs to accomplish, so the design of the mentorship is really up to each mentor/mentee pair. We hope that this framework allows flexibility in each mentorship to achieve the individual goals of both the mentor and mentee over the 9 month mentorship. We hope that mentors will gain satisfaction in helping guide the next generation of global health leaders in their careers. Insight into the global health field is incredibly useful for students and early career professionals, and gaining that insight from an experience global health professional can be invaluable.
IH CONNECT 