Overview
The University of Washington Fogarty Global Health Fellows Program in Peru offers U.S. graduate and post-graduate students in the health sciences practical experience designing and conducting clinical research in Peru. The greatest strength of our site is the wide variety of geographic locations (coast, mountains, and jungle), extensive network of mentors throughout the country and attention to mentoring to help each Scholar or Fellow develop the skills necessary to complete a research project. Our mentoring provides the framework for clinical research in any specialty of medicine, public health or veterinary medicine. I invite you to learn more about our site and explore the accomplishments of our prior Scholars and Fellows.
Joseph R. Zunt, MD, MPH
U.S. Site Director
Mentoring
The interests of our prior trainees have been quite varied. We believe that an integrated team provides the most effective form of mentoring. Dr. Silvia Montano (based in Lima) and Dr. Zunt will provide overall guidance to each trainee, assisting with arranging clinical and research opportunities, developing research protocols and IRB applications, and serving as resources for any questions or problems that may arise. After determining individual’s research interests, we introduce the trainee to potential mentors at UPCH, UNMSM and INMENSA and at clinical sites.
Meetings with UW PI: At the beginning of the year, Dr. Zunt will schedule virtual meetings with each trainee on a weekly basis via Skype. These meetings serve to discuss transition to life in Lima, choice of clinical sites for research and training, development of research protocols and IRB applications. As the year progresses and trainees develop relationships with Peruvian colleagues, Skype meetings occur less frequently. Dr. Zunt travels to Peru four times per year and meets with each trainee individually while in Lima, and in a group for a social event – including dinner.
Meeting with international program site director Dr. Silvia Montano also meets with trainees in Lima on a regular basis. During the first weeks in Lima, Dr. Montano introduces the trainees to site mentors at their assigned institution (UNMSM, UPCH, INMNESA/IMPACTA) as well as potential mentors in their areas of interest. Trainees typically receive mentoring from Drs. Zunt and Montano, the site mentor and 1-2 clinical research mentors at the clinic or hospital where research is performed.
