Global Health education has been an important part of the Boonshoft School of Medicine learning experience for two decades. All students can complete a Global Health clinical elective during their 3rd or 4th year of medical school. First year students can apply to be part of a select cohort and participate in additional longitudinal learning and training opportunities in the Global Health Scholars Program. Students may also align their goals with the Global Health M.D.-M.P.H. dual degree certificate program. Many BSOM graduates continue to participate and become future leaders in global health medical outreach and training in residency and beyond. Faculty from several specialties support the program as advisors, instructors, trip leaders, and mentors. Ethically minded and culturally humble, we aim to train the physicians of tomorrow to be ready for our global and local patient populations wherever they may be in the world.
Read about and meet our new directors.
Educational Opportunities
Meet Your Directors
Sydney M. Silverstein
Education and Current Position
I have a Ph.D. in anthropology that I earned from Emory University. As an undergraduate, I studied Art Practice at UC Berkeley. Currently, I am an associate professor in the Department of Population & Public Health Sciences here at WSU BSoM, and in addition to Global Health, I also co-direct the Dayton Street Medicine program.
What is your connection to global health?
After finishing my undergraduate studies, I worked at an educational nonprofit organization with many refugee and immigrant families, which sparked my interest in doing work related to global health. During my Ph.D., I did 18 months of dissertation research on substance use in Iquitos, Peru, with a Fulbright-Hays DDRG Fellowship. During my dissertation research, I had an affiliation at the Institution for Amazonian Research (Institución de Investigación de la Amazonía Peruana, or IIAP), where I continue to collaborate with researchers to the present day. I am passionate about understanding social and health issues in a global context, as well as exploring how research and work in a global context can improve our understandings of local issues. I continue to do research on substance use, mental health, and maternal health in Peru.
Why do you like working with students in the context of global health?
It is amazing to see how students' minds are expanded by a global health experience. I have learned so much from my time in Peru, and I feel lucky that I get to share that with students. International travel puts a lot of things in perspective, and I find that students return to their studies and their practice in the U.S. with renewed motivation and a fresh perspective on their work.
What is one memorable global health experience you have had?
My son was born during my dissertation fieldwork, so I actually experienced my entire pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period in Iquitos. While this was not an intentional “global health experience,” it gave me a much deeper (embodied!) understanding of how healthcare is mediated by culture, class, economics, and language, not to mention local healthcare infrastructures. I came to appreciate my training in anthropology in new ways that have carried forward in everything that I have done since! I also really enjoyed spontaneously swimming with Amazonian pink river dolphins with my crew from BSoM class of '29. =)
Anything else that you would like to share about you (hobbies, talents, interests)?
I love being an anthropologist at a medical school and sharing the perspectives of anthropology with medical students and residents. I also love reading fiction, taking long walks, and swimming in the ocean (or Amazonian rivers!). I also regularly practice Brazilian jiu jitsu.
Steven J. Repas
Education and Current Positions
- B.S. in Pharmacology from The Ohio State University
- M.D. from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
- M.S. in Pharmacology/Toxicology from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine
- M.B.A. from Wright State University Raj Soin School of Business
What is your connection to global health?
My first global health experience was when I was 14 years old! I went to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and it opened my eyes to global health and is where I found my calling for medicine. I have been participating in global health ever since!
Why do you like working with students in the context of global health?
Students have an intellectual curiosity that is contagious! It motivates me to learn more, look at new perspectives, and be better.
What is one memorable global health experience you have had?
Going deep into the Haitian countryside to do some pop-up clinics. There were a fair amount of pregnant women, and I was able to do point-of-care ultrasound and complete a basic OB ultrasound for those women. They had never received prenatal care, nor had they ever seen their baby on ultrasound. It was a very powerful, emotional experience that continues to motivate me to this day.
What else should we know about you (hobbies, talents, interests)?
I enjoy reading, shipwreck scuba diving, playing piano, and cooking! In my spare time, you will probably find me hanging out with my dogs Hans and Fritz, and my beautiful wife Emma.
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Support the Program
By donating to the Global Health Initiative Fund, donors provide funds to sponsor students in completing their international travel requirements. By donating, you are helping these students pursue their passion as global leaders. Please visit our website to learn more about our amazing students, program, and how you can donate online!