Saving Mothers – MCH Internship Opportunity in Guatemala – June 2019 Start
Opportunity Type: Internship Opportunities, Public Health OpportunitiesLocation: Santiago, Guatemala
Salary: Not provided
Opening Date: May 08, 2019
Closing Date: May 31, 2019
Contact Email: joliveira@savingmothers.org
MCH Internship Opportunity in Guatemala
Do have at least two years of medical school education? Are you proficient in written and spoken Spanish? Are you willing to live in Guatemala for 10-12 months? If you are, this is an excellent internship opportunity for you.
Planned start: June 2019
Background:
Each year, Saving Mothers in Guatemala provides an opportunity to a medical student or medicine graduate to serve as the Research Fellow and Programs Coordinator. For 10-12 months, this individual will be living in Santiago Atitlan. They will be responsible for overseeing the daily activities and monitoring and evaluation of the School of POWHER, a program which trains Mayan traditional birth attendants. Through this experience the fellow has the opportunity to observe the maternal health arena in a low-resource setting. They will also be developing crucial skills in building trust and partnership with community stakeholders, while sharing some of the scientific knowledge of female reproduction and birth.
Job Responsibilities (includes but is not limited to):
- Provide on-ground support to local office staff as they complete activities related to the POWHER training program including recruitment of new students and monitoring student progress.
- Serve as the liaison, providing newsletter and e-mail updates from Guatemala to headquarters in the United States.
- Complete prenatal care home visits and evaluate student progress as they advance through the program.
- Assist local staff in tracking high-risk pregnancies in the communities in Sololá, Guatemala.
- Work with local health officials, doctors, and nurses to continue to bridge the gap between traditional healers and biomedicine practitioners.
Job Requirements:
- Proficiency in written and spoken Spanish.
- Willingness to travel and live in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala for 10-12 months.
- At least two years of Medical School Education.
- Strong communication and organizational skills.
- Highly motivated individual who is an independent worker.
More on Information on Saving Mothers-Guatemala:
Saving Mothers is a non-profit organization that aims to address disparities in pregnancy-associated mortality and morbidity worldwide. With their valued community partners, Saving Mothers has developed several programs to alleviate these maternal and neonatal health inequalities in Guatemala, Kenya, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
More specifically, Saving Mothers in Guatemala has made great strides to diminish maternal-health related inequities in the highlands of Guatemala. In the more rural areas of the country the maternal mortality rate double that of the more urban areas due to sociocultural and economic factors. The organization has partnered with local hospitals, other NGOs, and the ministry of health to close this gap. For the past 4 years, Saving Mothers has built and supported a program titled Providing Women’s Health Outreach Education and Resources, the School of POWHER. The school is a 3-month intensive training program that allows traditional birth attendants from Mayan communities, also known as comadronas, to learn about reproductive biology, perinatal care, and warning signs for high risk pregnancies. Graduates of this program then return to their home communities where they can utilize the skills they attained in school and refer families to the birthing center while also continuing their culturally valued birthing practices. Graduates of the program are additionally provided with continuing education and are encouraged to teach and help train following classes of comadronas.
If you would like to learn more about this position:
Please provide a cover letter and CV to Jes Oliveira at joliveira@savingmothers.org.
This opportunity was shared by the MCH Section of APHA, so please contact the listed person for further information.