Distinction In Global Health

This prestigious and rigorous program will support and recognize Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students who show exceptional interest, leadership, and commitment to global health initiatives. Students will distinguish themselves by assuming a significant level of responsibility in the collaborative planning, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of a focused, sustainable global health initiative.

Students who are accepted into this program and who fulfill all requirements as certified by the DGH committee will receive diplomas at Commencement stating that they have graduated with "Distinction in Global Health."  

Students will learn to identify health issues of concern to international communities and explore the root causes (historical, social, cultural, environmental, economic, and political factors) of health issues.

They will learn to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate tools to assess the extent of an identified community health care problem, existing resources, and gaps in resources in order to determine the most appropriate intervention.

They will design and implement an intervention.

They will learn to evaluate the effectiveness of their health intervention.

Working in partnership with the global health community in designing a sustainable and culturally appropriate intervention that directly impacts an underserved, at-risk or vulnerable global health population is the final and ultimate goal of DIGH.

To learn more about the requirements, see link.

Applications for DIGH for the Class of 2027, 2026, and 2025 are now open. Application Due February 29th, 2024

Finalists will be emailed on TBD

Robert Wood Johnson Student Distinction Projects 

2023

• Rachel Patel- Efficacy of teledermatology as a means to diagnose and treat neglected tropical skin diseases in the Amazonian region of Colombia
• Kelsey Thompson-Creation of the RWJMS HIPHOP-Asylum Clinic, a Medical Student-Led Asylum Clinic for Central and Northern New Jersey 
• Fady Soliman- Using Machine Learning to Predict Mortality Risk in COVID-19 Patients undergoing surgery
• Alexandra Schmidt - Finnish Maternity Care as a Potential Model for the USA: Preliminary Results, Limitations, and Future Directions
• Niharika Bhatia- The U.S . Initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health: The Impact on the Outcomes of STEMI in New Jersey

2022

• Yasmine Hossam Elfarra and Christina G. Fakes- Cardiovascular Disease and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Syrian Refugees Determining the Implications of PTSD Symptoms on Cardiovascular Disease in the Syrian Refugee Population in Amman, Jordan. 
• Jaineel Kothari- Treatment and Cultural Differences for Chronic Disease Management in America and China: A Survey on Hypertension Treatment and Student Research Experience Abroad. 
• Shane S. Neibart- Assessment of Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Infrastructure in Belize.
• Marlena E. Sabatino- Access to Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in Columbia: A Population-based Study.
• Sophia Toles- Combating the Global Tobacco Epidemic: A Comparison and Discussion of Strategies and Successes of the United States and Brazil.
• Neha Wadhavkar- Improving Self Efficacy in Larina Women and Type 2 Diabetes: Global and Local Populations. 

• Efua H. Bolouvi- The Feasibility of Developing Culturally Acceptable Sexual and Reproductive Health Education.
• Samatha J. Cheng- Patterns of Food Allergy Among Hispanic Children of Central New Jersey.
• Aaron Lulla- Research and Cultural Experiences in Chile.
• Ardi Knobel Nuevo Mendoza- Finacial Risk Protection from Impoverishing and Catastrophic Expenditure Due to Surgical Care in Columbia.
• Catherine Tedeschi- GSRU Expansion to Arad, Romania: Surgical Volume and Access Research.

• Zachary Berlant-Social and Economic Determinants Affecting Surgical and Obstetric Care at Hospital San Vicente de Paul in Medellin Columbia.
• Kalyani Dhar- A Comparative Study Between HIPAA Practices in America and India 
• Fernando Ferrera- The Global Surgery Unit (GSRU): A model for Dissemination and Implementation of Surgical World Development Indicator 1 Data Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation in Cali Columbia. 
• Elizabeth Ginalis- The Global Surgery Research Unit of Latin America Indicator Research Collaboratory: An Action Model for Lancet Commission on Global Surgery Indicator Collection and Systems Research Implementation in Columbia. 
• Ankita Gore- The Scope and Role of Inaccurately Reported Race and Ethnicity in Trauma Research.
• Nupur Gulati- Latent Tuberculosis Infection Beliefs and Testing and Treatment Health Behaviors Amongst Non-US Born South Asians in New Jersey: Patient and Physician Practices. 
• Girija Hariharan- Columbia vs. the United States: Health Care Reform Over the Last Three Decades. 

• Zina Model and Dhaval Mehta- Feasibility of Prospective Prehospital Process Improvement and Data Collection in Cali, Columbia. 
• Ethan F. Pearlstein- The Abuse of Psychiatry Globally: A Little Known Historical Example from Francoist Spain.
• Deesha Sarma- Assessing the Strength of the Surgical System in Medellin, Columbia.
• Bo Tang- Applying Cultural Competency: The Framework for Improving Patient Outcomes by Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare. 
• Aisha Van Pratt Levin- Health Passport to Healthy Living (HPHL).
• Pooja Pendri- Current public health infrastructure for eye care in the state of Hyderabad, Telangana India, and identifying unmet needs in eye care delivery.