Our Curriculum
The Dr. Kelly DeScioli Global Child Health Pediatrics Residency Program at Baylor College of Medicine is a four-year program designed to shape future leaders in global child health. By combining rigorous pediatric training in Houston with a unique year-long clinical immersion at a global health site, our curriculum offers unparalleled educational opportunities, patient care experiences, and global networking. This curriculum is designed to equip residents with the comprehensive training and global health expertise needed to address the complex challenges of pediatric care worldwide.
Program Structure:
- 3 Years in Houston: Comprehensive pediatric training at Texas Children's Hospital and community health centers.
- 1 Year Abroad: A full year at a Texas Children’s Global Health Network site in Africa or Latin America, gaining firsthand experience in global pediatric healthcare.
Clinical Training in Houston
Residents spend the majority of their training at Texas Children’s Hospital, a state-of-the-art quaternary referral hospital and one of the largest children’s hospitals in the world. Residents also rotate through Harris Health sites that serve as safety-net hospitals and clinics for residents of Harris County, Texas. Our residents complete their 3-year general pediatrics training alongside BCM categorical pediatrics residents. Refer to the categorical training curriculum here.
Continuity Clinic
Residents provide patient care at continuity clinic sites that serve high numbers of patients living in locally under-resourced areas.
Advocacy and Teaching
Residents engage in advocacy projects and collaborate with faculty on initiatives ranging from global health to local child health policy. They also gain valuable teaching experience by mentoring medical students and participating in educational activities both in Houston and abroad.
Global Health Training 12-Month Clinical Immersion
Residents spend one year at a Texas Children’s Global Health Network site, working alongside local healthcare professionals to provide care in resource-limited settings. This experience is invaluable in developing the skills, knowledge, and cultural sensitivity necessary for leadership in global health. During their time abroad, residents have the opportunity to pursue a scholarly or advocacy activity with local mentorship.
Annual Global Health Network Meeting
During the year abroad, residents have the opportunity to attend the annual Texas Children’s Global Health Network Meeting in South Africa, where they can engage with global health leaders across the network and participate in discussions on the latest developments in the field.
Selected Scholarly Activity
Our trainees are involved in a myriad of research, community engagement, advocacy activities, leadership positions, and other scholarly work both during their time abroad and while in Houston. There is no shortage of global health-related opportunities and both our faculty and co-residents are a great resource on ways to get more involved.
Residents have the opportunity to pursue a scholarly or advocacy activity with local mentorship during their time abroad. This may take the form of a descriptive case series, a quality improvement or safety initiative, curriculum development, or another project deemed important to the resident, the faculty mentor, and the local community where the resident works.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of global health-related publications and projects our residents have done or have been involved in during residency.
Foughty, Z., & Silverstein, A. (2019). Family-Centered Care Across the Border: A Postmortem Reflection. Academic pediatrics, 19(5), 481-482.
George, P. E. (2018). The guilty mother. Pediatrics, 141(1), e20173521.
Ness, T. E., & Small, A. T. (2019). Do You See Me? The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 101(6), 1197.
Singer, T. (201). I’m a Physician. We must act on climate change in Houston for our health.
Singer, T. & Tabb, Z. (2020) Let patients continue to see doctor at home using technology after pandemic.
Tabb, Z. Here’s how to reverse the slide in share of Texas kids who have insurance.”
Tabb, Z. (2020). Learning to Swim. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 102(1), 9.
Tabb Z., Hyle L., Haq H. Pursuit to Post: Ethical issues of social media use by international medical volunteers. Dev World Bioeth. 2021;21(3):102-110.
Otto, Boniface, Paul E. George, Rebecca Mercedes, et al. Cryptococcal meningitis and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in a pediatric patient with HIV after switching to second line antiretroviral therapy: a case report. BMC Infectious Diseases 20.1 (2020). PMID: 31964348. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-4797-2
Ryakitimbo, A., Msekandiana, A., Tabb, Z., Kinabo, G., & Dow, D. (2019). A 12-Year-Old Tanzanian Boy With Headache: A Case Report. Global pediatric health, 6, 2333794X18822995.
Russell, E. A., Daza Atehortua, C., Attia, S. L., Genisca, A. E., Palomino Rodriguez, A., Headrick, A., ... & Thomas, J. A. (2020). Childhood malnutrition within the indigenous Wayuú children of northern Colombia. Global Public Health, 1-13.
George, Paul E., et al. Analysis of management decisions and outcomes of a weekly multidisciplinary pediatric tumor board meeting in Uganda. Future Science OA 5.9 (2019). PMID: 31608156.
Jasumback, C. L., Perry, S. H., Ness, T. E., Matsenjwa, M., Masangane, Z. T., Mavimbela, M., ... & Mandalakas, A. Point of Care Testing to Guide Treatment and Estimate Risk Factors for Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents and Young People with HIV in Eswatini. In Open Forum Infectious Diseases. ofaa052
Singer, T., Yuhao H. et al, (2019) Ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI for surveillance of pediatric cerebral arteriovenous malformations, Journal Neurosurgery of Pediatrics, Vol 24(4), 353-479.
Dow, D. E., Mmbaga, B. T., Turner, E. L., Gallis, J. A., Tabb, Z. J., Cunningham, C. K., & O’Donnell, K. E. (2018). Building resilience: a mental health intervention for Tanzanian youth living with HIV. AIDS care, 30(sup4), 12-20.
Vonasek BJ, Itaye, T, Mhango J, Dean AL, Kazembe PN. Socioeconomic factors associated with virologic suppression in children and adolescents living with HIV in Lilongwe, Malawi. J Public Health. 2020.
Vonasek BJ, Chiume M, Crouse HL, et al. Risk factors for mortality and management of children with complicated severe acute malnutrition at a tertiary referral hospital in Malawi. Paediatr Int Child Heal. 2020;9047.
Rees CA, Lukolyo H, Keating EM, et al. Authorship in paediatric research conducted in low- and middle-income countries: parity or parasitism?. Trop Med Int Health. 2017;22(11):1362-1370.
Lukolyo H, Rees CA, Keating EM, et al. Perceptions and Expectations of Host Country Preceptors of Short-Term Learners at Four Clinical Sites in Sub-Saharan Africa. Acad Pediatr. 2016;16(4):387-393.
Rees CA, Keating EM, Lukolyo H, et al. Mapping the Epidemiology of Kaposi Sarcoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Among Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2016;63(8):1325-1331.
Keating EM, Lukolyo H, Rees CA, et al. Beyond the learning curve: length of global health electives. Int J Med Educ. 2016;7:295-296. Published 2016 Sep 11.
Javier M, Akabwai G, Elyanu P, Kekitiinwa A. Third Line Compromise: Resistance in Ugandan Children and Adolescents Failing Second-Line. Accepted abstract at AIDS 2020 and INTEREST 2020.
Ness TE, Bedard, K, Oullette, L Hotez PJ, Weatherhead JE (2019) Maternal Hookworm Infection and its Effects on Maternal and Child Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. IDWeek 2019 (poster)
Ness TE, Simelane T, Korsa, A, Lukhele B. (2019) Evaluating and Optimizing Antibiotic Use in a Children’s HIV Clinic in Eswatini. 21st Annual BIPAI Network Meeting (poster)
Tupas K, Silverstein A, Nguyen D. Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatrics AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) Continuing Professional Development Program: Year Two. BIPAI Network Meeting. Johannesburg, South Africa. November 2019.
Small, A. et al “Innovative management of chronic poor adherence and ART failure in patients on Protease Inhibitors-based regimen - Baylor College of Medicine Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence Eswatini.” ICASA conference, Kigali, Rwanda, 2019. Poster
Small, A. et al “Reaching our Youngest Population: A Tailored Differentiated Service Delivery Model for Infants and their Caregivers Living with HIV in Mbabane, eSwatini.” AIDS 2020 conference, San Francisco, USA, 2020. Poster, Accepted
Vonasek BJ, Dhillon D, Dlamini S, Devezin T, Haq H, Sanders J, Kay A, Bacha J, Simon K, and Mandalakas A. Performance of tuberculosis symptom screening for children and adolescents living with HIV in six high HIV/TB burden countries in eastern and southern Africa. The Union World Conference on Lung Health. 2019 Nov 2; Hyderabad, India.
Russell EA, Daza Atehortua C, Attia SL, Palomino Rodriguez A, Headrick A, et al. Childhood Malnutrition within Indigenous Wayuu Children of Northern Colombia. Poster presentation at the 2019 International Pediatric Association Conference, Panama City, Panama.
Rees CA, Keating EM, Lukolyo H, Swamy P, Turner TL, Marton SA, Sanders J, Mohapi EQ, Kazembe PN, Schutze GE. Professionalism beyond borders: International host preceptors’ perceptions from two global health elective sites in sub-Saharan Africa. Pediatric Academic Societies Conference, San Francisco, CA, May 2017.
Keating EM, Lukolyo H, Rees CA, Swamy P, Turner TL, Marton SA, Sanders J, Mohapi EQ, Kazembe PN, Schutze GE. Benefit or burden? International preceptors’ perceptions of short-term global health elective learners at two sites in sub-Saharan Africa. Association of Pediatric Program Directors Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA, April 2017.
Pitt M, Anderson C, Cooper T, Hagen S, Houser L, Jacquet G, Lukolyo H, Peto H, Vercio C, Watts J, Butteris S. Making a Case for Simulation in Global Health: A Multi-Institutional, Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration to Expand SUGAR Beyond Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, San Francisco, CA, October 2016.
Lukolyo H, Rees CA, Keating EM, Swamy P, Schutze GE, Marton S, Turner TL. Perceptions and expectations of host-country preceptors of short-term learners at four clinical sites in sub-Saharan Africa. Association for Pediatric Program Directors Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 2016
Wobudeya E, Lukolyo H, Akello MG, Nakawungu R, Zewedde S, Nakanwagi A. Perceptions of health workers towards sputum sample collection from children for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in Uganda. The Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease World Conference on Lung Health, Liverpool, United Kingdom, October 2016.
Lukolyo H, Murungi M, Damba D, Mandalakas A, Kekitiinwa A. Clinical and Immunologic Profile of TB/HIV Co-Infected Children at a Pediatric HIV Clinic in Uganda. The Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease World Conference on Lung Health, Cape Town, South Africa, December 2015.
Rees CA, Slone JS, Lukolyo H, Keating EM, Scheurer ME, Mehta PS, Lubega J. Mapping the incidence of Kaposi sarcoma among children in sub-Saharan Africa. International Society of Paediatric Oncology. Cape Town, South Africa. 10/2015.
Kasozi I, Nalugo M, Lukolyo H, Murungi M, Kanywa JB, Tukei V, Kekitiinwa A. Outcomes of the sputum induction procedure at a large pediatric and adolescent HIV clinic in Kampala. Uganda Society for Health Scientists Annual Conference, Kampala, Uganda, August 2015.
Amodot S, Lukolyo H, Atungonza R, Kekitiinwa A. Integrating Early Childhood Development in HIV Care: Experiences from a Pediatric HIV Clinic in Uganda. Uganda Paediatric Association 11th Annual Scientific Conference, Kampala, Uganda, August 2015
| Resident | Location Abroad | Scholarly Project(s) | Graduating Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| David De Give | Malawi | Set up a clinician hot line to help with questions from the community about children with HIV | 2014 |
| Jennifer Werdenberg | Lesotho | Created inpatient protocols, pocket cards, and lectures for pediatrics in Lesotho | 2014
|
| Oluwakemi “Kemi” Ogundipe | Botswana | Converted clinic resources including forms and letters, HIV guidelines, and other medical resources into digital format and created new resources including visual diagnosis and patient handouts to be available for daily use by clinicians in Botswana | 2014 |
| Padma Swamy | Swaziland | Implemented the Jadelle implant for women living with HIV in a resource-limited setting in Sub-Saharan Africa; Concerns for drug interactions leading to unintended pregnancies – Presented at the International AIDS Society Meetings in Malaysia in July 2013 | 2014 |
| Shoba Reddy-Holdcraft | Botswana | Studied Cytophenias: abnormalities in blood counts. | 2014 |
| Agnes Hernandez-Grande | Swaziland | Implemented a program to help patient adherence with HIV medications and clinic appointments by setting up free reminder phone calls to their cell phones. | 2015 |
| Andrea Dean | Malawi | Helped set up a pediatric consultation line for HIV providers across Northern Malawi | 2015 |
| Paola Carrasco | Malawi | Created and delivered a training module for Nutritional Rehabilitation Unit (NRU) staff in Kamuzu Central Hospital based upon the latest WHO guidelines as well as the Ministry of Health guidelines for community management of acute malnutrition. | 2015 |
| Robert “Bobby” Ricketts | Lesotho | Wrote “Our Little Soldiers” – A book for children living with HIV | 2015 |
| Chris Pretorius | Botswana | Organized and funded a retreat for 60 adolescent patients to promote adherence and healthy living. | 2016 |
| Gregory Valentine | Romania | Studied mortality and lost-to-follow-up rates among HIV positive children at several sites in Sub-Saharan Africa | 2016 |
| Krishnan Subrahmanian | Botswana/Rosebud Indian Reservation South Dakota | Conducted a community-based assessment of childhood activity, nutrition, and school successes. | 2016 |
| Nathan Serazin | Malawi | Created a triage training program for clinic staff to recognize warning signs | 2016 |
| Heather Lukolyo | Uganda | Designed a randomized controlled study of an adherence intervention for HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy with virologic failure. | 2017 |
| Elizabeth Keating | Lesotho | Developed a health screening tool for use in orphanages in Lesotho and used it to screen 50 orphans. | 2017 |
| Lynda Aririguzo | Tanzania | Studied clinical outcomes of patients attending expedited clinic visits to improve efficiency of ART delivery among children | 2017 |
| Yi Wang | Lesotho | Studied treatment failure rates and associations among patients on second line antiretroviral therapy | 2017 |
| Chris A. Rees | Malawi | Studied clinical indicators of patients’ final clinical encounter before outpatient mortality in Malawi | 2017 |