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Frequently Asked Questions

  • First-Round Application Process

    What should the personal statement discuss?
    This should discuss your interest in global health, relevant past experiences, motivation for applying to the program, and how the program will enable you to achieve your career goals.
    What should be included on my CV?

    The CV should detail your education/training, awards/honors, work experience, research experience, service, publications/conference presentations/abstracts, personal interests.

    Does everyone need to submit an official transcript?

    For applicants who are currently enrolled in a graduate program, an official transcript is requested. For those who are not currently graduate students, a transcript is not required.

    Who should I request letters of recommendation from?

    Letters of recommendation should be from you current mentors or supervisors and should describe personal and professional strengths, accomplishments, leadership potential, the impact that the fellowship will have on career development, and likelihood of success as a global health practitioner.

    What should the personal statement discuss?

    This should discuss your interest in global health, relevant past experiences, motivation for applying to the program, and how the program will enable you to achieve your career goals.

  • Second-Round Application Process

    What will happen if I am selected for the Second-Round Application Process?

    Upon selection for the Yale Program, the Yale CMB Program Manager and Program Director will contact you and provide detailed instructions regarding the Second-Round Application Process. You will be invited to review the LMIC site descriptions on the Yale Program website and can email the Yale and LMIC site co-mentors of the sites to see which one might be a good fit for your skills/career interest. The Yale CMB Program Manager and Director will also be available to help you identify sites that would be a good match. Your First-Round Application materials will be forwarded to the Yale Program and will ultimately be taken into consideration together with your Second-Round Application materials.

    After the exploratory process above, you will be able to arrange virtual interviews with the co-mentors of up to two LMIC sites to have a more in-depth discussion so you can get to know the mentors and site better, discuss potential project and training opportunities, and for the mentors to assess your background and English language skills.

    After this stage, if the mentors are in agreement, you will finalize your LMIC site choice, and prepare your Second-Round Application materials. As described, these will include a preliminary project proposal of up to 1000 words, and a training plan of up to 600 words. Finally, the Yale and LMIC co-mentors will submit letters (1 page maximum) confirming their support of you and the proposed project and training plan.


    Is it okay if my preferred LMIC site listed on the First-Round Application changes during the Second-Round Application process?

    Yes, because applicants can only reach out to site mentors during second-round of the application process, we expect that the preferences may change after the applicants and co-mentors have had a chance to have more in-depth communications.

    Should I contact the LMIC mentor first or the Yale Mentor?
    You will receive more information about this in the LMIC site introduction online meeting. In general, we recommend you reach out to both mentors after the site introduction online meeting to express interest. Each site may have a different system for responding to inquiries and you may hear back from the U.S. or LMIC site mentor first depending on the co-mentors’ specific approach at that site.
    What criteria will be used to judge my application?

    Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee, who will score the candidate based upon 1) the applicant’s CV and genuine interest and commitment to a global health career, 2) strength of letters of recommendation, 3) quality and feasibility of applicant’s project proposal, 4) quality and feasibility of the applicants training plan 5) the applicant’s personal statement, 6) publications or other equivalent professional products, 7) English language abilities, and if applicable other language abilities, 8) evidence of adaptability to diverse cultural and physical environments abroad based on the personal statement, letters of recommendation and interview.

    What if multiple candidates apply to the same LMIC site?

    Only one fellow can be assigned to one co-mentor pair for each LMIC site (although it is possible for two fellows to work with different sites with different co-mentors in the same country). All applications will be scored by an independent reviewing committee and if there are multiple applicants for the same site, the candidate with the strongest application, taking into account all the selection criteria, will be matched to that site.

  • Travel, Visa, Health Insurance & Safety

    How will costs for travel, health insurance and immunizations be covered?

    All travel arrangements will be booked by the Yale CMB Program Manager through Yale’s travel service, Egencia. These costs will be covered directly by the program. Yale-CMB Fellows will be covered by Cultural Insurance Services International and includes the International SOS Global Assistance Travel program which provides urgent/emergency medical care and medical/security evacuation services. In terms of travel safety, all Yale employees are asked to register their travel outside of the U.S. on the Yale University Travel Registry (International SOS Travel Tracker) prior to departure and this process will apply to Yale CMB Fellows as well.

    What support will the program provide for Visas to the U.S. and LMIC?

    CMB fellows will need to obtain visas for both the U.S. as well as the LMIC site. Upon being selected as a Yale CMB fellow, the China-based program-operating institution (PKUHSC) and the Yale Office of International Students and Scholars (https://oiss.yale.edu/) will assist with the on-boarding process for the fellow at Yale. As part of this process, letters of support and guidance regarding the acceptable types of visas for the U.S. will be provided. The visa for travel to the LMIC site can be obtained in China, after arrival in the U.S., or upon arrival at the LMIC country depending on the specific requirements of the LMIC site. In addition to the Yale CMB Program, the Yale/LMIC co-mentors and LMIC host institution will provide guidance to each fellow to ensure the visa is obtained in a timely manner. If a special immunization is required (e.g. Yellow Fever) for entry into the LMIC site, it can obtained as part of the preparations for travel in China or upon arrival in the U.S. The trainee will submit visa application and immunization invoices to the Program for reimbursement.

    What support will be in place in case security issues arise during the course of the fellowship

    All Yale CMB Fellows will be registered with the Yale University Travel Registry prior to departure to the LMIC site. This resource is part of the Yale International Toolkit, which provides assistance to Yale faculty, students, post-docs and staff conducting international activities: https://world-toolkit.yale.edu/. This toolkit serves as the Yale community’s central point of access to resources at Yale and elsewhere that support international activities. It also provides information and tools to enhance safety and reduce risks, including travel alerts and links to resources for international travelers (e.g. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, U.S. State Department website, etc.).

  • Fellowship Stipends

    What stipends are provided by the program?

    The Yale Program will provide a living stipend, project stipend and training stipend:

    • Living Stipend: For each Yale Program trainee, a total of $35,568.00 USD will be provided to cover the general costs of living in the U.S. and LMIC country for the duration of the 1-year fellowship period. This will be paid to the trainee in U.S. dollars, via monthly direct transfer. The trainee will be able to open a U.S. bank account until arrival in the United States or can choose to have the funds transferred to a Chinese bank account that accepts foreign currency.
    • Project Stipend: For each trainee, a total of $15,000.00 USD will be provided to cover costs associated with design, implementation and completion of the trainee’s project and any subsequent costs analysis/dissemination of findings. Dissemination costs may include submission of abstracts to conferences, publication fees. Funds to cover local project costs at the LMIC site can be transferred to the collaborating institution via a subcontract, if necessary, to facilitate direct payments to local vendors. Otherwise, invoices for such payments made will be submitted by the CMB fellow to Yale and reimbursed to the fellow’s designated bank account.
    • Training Stipend: $8,000.00 USD will also be budgeted per trainee to cover costs of any specific training materials/equipment, software, books, workshops/short courses that the trainee and mentors agree would be directly relevant and important for the career development of the trainee and/or success of the project. Funds to cover local training costs at the LMIC site can be transferred to the collaborating institution via a subcontract, if necessary, to facilitate direct payments to local vendors. Otherwise, invoices for such payments made will be submitted by the CMB fellow to Yale and reimbursed to the fellow’s designated bank account.

  • Logistical Aspects of the Fellowship

    What will my official status be at Yale during the fellowship year?
    All CMB fellows will be official members of the Yale Community, and have Yale email addresses and IDs. Trainees at the post-doctoral level will be considered post-doctoral fellows at Yale. Trainees at the pre-doctoral level (but post-bachelor’s level) will be considered post-graduate associates at Yale.
    How will I find accommodations at Yale and the LMIC site?

    Prior to the start of the exchange the program team and faculty will assist the CMB fellow to identify suitable accommodations. At Yale, housing will be off-campus and a series of resources exist including the University’s off-campus housing website (https://your.yale.edu/work-yale/campus-services/campus-living), a Yale off-campus housing Facebook page, Yale International Scholars email listserv and wechat group, the Yale Graduate Club (https://www.graduateclub.com/Home), and more. The U.S. and LMIC co-mentors and past global health fellows that have traveled to the LMIC site will assist the CMB fellow identify housing at the LMIC site based upon the fellow’s housing priorities.

    How will I get around at Yale and the LMIC site?
    Most fellows will live in the New Haven area near campus. A free Yale campus shuttle is available for all Yale-affiliated persons (https://your.yale.edu/work-yale/campus-services/parking-and-transportation-options/shuttle) and will provide an easy method of getting to different parts of campus, and to the grocery store. Transportation at each LMIC site will vary based upon the site, and the U.S. and LMIC co-mentors and prior global health trainees will assist the CMB fellow in identifying the best mode of transportation for the fellows’ daily activities.
    What if COVID-19 or another unanticipated crisis interrupts my ability to carry out my proposed project/training plan, or my ability to travel to the LMIC site during the fellowship year?
    There is always the potential for unanticipated crises to interfere with fellowship plans. The contingency plans for each fellow will be made on a case-by-case basis taking into account the nature and anticipated duration of the crisis. The fellow will be supported by the Yale CMB Program Manager and Director, the Yale Office of Students and Scholars, and the resources through the Yale International Toolkit during this process. The Yale CMB Program and faculty will actively monitor the COVID-19 situation at the participating LMIC sites, as well as other health and safety issues. As described above in the section on Safety, all CMB fellows will be registered on the Yale Travel Registry and in the event that a safety situation arises while the fellow is at the LMIC site, they will be immediately notified, and assistance provided to ensure a safe return to Yale. Yale has longstanding experience managing these situations both pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19.
    What will the Pre-Departure Orientation in Beijing involve?

    All selected CMB Global Health fellows will attend a one-week pre-departure training in Beijing that will be taught by faculty from Yale, LSHTM, and PKUHSC; mentors from LMIC sites; and invited speakers from other global health related institutions in China. The pre-departure training will provide fellows with a comprehensive understanding of global health as well as individualized guidance and support based on each fellow’s project topic and LMIC training site. The structure of the training is as follows:

    Module One: Global Health Knowledge and Skills

    • Introduction to global health
    • Health inequalities
    • Framing Public Health
    • Global health governance and diplomacy
    • Global health conventions and agreements
    • Decolonizing global health: history and legacy
    • Leadership in global health
    • Social Innovation

    Module Two: Experience Sharing

    • WHO
    • USAID
    • China CDC
    • China medical teams
    • NGOs

    Module Three: LIMCs Sites Dialogues

    • Each site that is participating in the program will provide an overview about the health priorities of the country, the structure of the healthcare system, existing global health partnerships and collaborations and the projects that the accepted fellows will be working on.
    What will the Yale CMB Program Orientation involve?
    While at Yale, in addition to training activities organized by their Yale mentors, fellows will participate in a series of longitudinal orientation activities organized by the Yale Program Leadership. Specifically, in-person group meetings will be arranged every two weeks with all the fellows, consisting of a practical session focused on preparatory skills for their research and field work experience, followed by an interactive global health discussion and dinner with members of the Yale global health faculty. In addition, networking events will be organized with other trainees on campus from concurrent global health programs and institutes at Yale.

  • Mentorship Teams & Project Proposal

    Can you clarify the co-mentorship structure?

    For each LMIC site, a U.S. mentor (faculty at Yale) and an LMIC mentor (affiliated with the LMIC institution) will provide co-mentorship for the CMB fellow. The Yale and LMIC mentors at each LMIC site have a pre-existing collaborative relationship and prior experience mentoring global health trainees. The co-mentors will guide the CMB fellow in project design and execution, facilitating connections with local collaborators, advise the fellow with preparing regulatory and administrative paperwork related to the project, help troubleshoot obstacles that arise, ensure the training plan is carried out, and provide overarching advice and networking opportunities for a career in global health. At the outset of the fellowship year, the CMB fellow will develop a set of goals that the co-mentors will help the fellow work towards over the course of the year.

    Can my supervisor in China be part of the co-mentorship team?

    Yes, for trainees who have a mentor in China with content or methodological expertise in the trainee’s field of proposed study, the program also welcomes involvement of the Chinese mentor in the trainee’s fellowship activities (although it is not compulsory for an application to be successful). In such cases, the Chinese mentor could participate in email discussions with the potential LMIC site mentors and join the discussion during the proposal and training plan development stage. The mentors would not participate in the interview as the goal of the interview is for the U.S. and LMIC mentor to be able to assess the individual qualities and skills of the applicant.

    Will I design an independent project (after discussing with my co-mentors) based upon my area of interest? Or will I participate in an existing project led by the co-mentors (and/or the co-mentors’ team)?

    Both are possible, depending on the specific background/experience of the CMB fellow, and the existing opportunities at the LMIC site. In some cases, it may make sense to develop an independent project related to the work of the LMIC site. In other cases, the best training opportunity may be for the CMB fellow to develop an aspect of a larger, ongoing project at the site that could benefit from the particular skillset of the CMB fellow. This will be discussed directly with the co-mentors during the proposal development stage.

    If I already have collaboration or connections in the proposed LMIC site, can I include these connections in my project design?

    Yes, it is possible to develop a project that helps strengthen pre-existing connections/collaborations at the LMIC site. However, whether this would be feasible/practical should be discussed directly with the co-mentors during the project development stage.

    What are the program requirements for successful completion of the fellowship program?

    At the end of the fellowship year, all fellows will participate in a virtual meeting of the CMB Programs to present their accomplishments during the year. Each fellow will also need to complete a fellowship progress report summarizing the project and training goals that were met, and a joint fellowship evaluation report will be submitted by the co-mentors. Trainees will be encouraged towards the end of their fellowship year to submit abstracts of their work for formal presentation at an international-level conference or workshop (the conference can be in China provided audience/scope are deemed international), however because the scope and objective of each fellow’s project may vary, this is not a requirement for successful completion of the program.

    Should CMB be recognized as the funding source in papers arising from the fellowship year?

    Yes, all publications submitted during or after the fellowship year that were funded by the CMB Program should acknowledge the CMG Global Health Leadership Development Program as the source of funding.

  • Post-fellowship

    After the fellowship, will I receive a certificate from Yale?

    All those who successfully complete the fellowship will receive a certificate of recognition from the China Medical Board. Yale CMB Fellows will also receive a certificate from Yale University School of Medicine upon successful completion of the program confirming their post-doctoral or post-graduate appointment at Yale. The CMB fellowship is not a degree-granting program.

    What if I want to extend my fellowship after completion of the program?

    The current program is a 1-year fellowship program only. Under special circumstances, trainees that have shown exceptional productivity and promise for a career in global health during their fellowship year may apply for a renewal grant to continue working with the same mentorship team/LMIC site.

    Are there other activities/responsibilities expected of CMB Fellows post-fellowship?
    Fellows are encouraged to disseminate the products of their fellowship project (through presentations, publications, reports, or other formats depending on the type of project involved) in the period immediately following the fellowship program, to broaden the impact of their fellowship year. In the long-term, alumni of the program will be part of the CMB Global Health Leadership Development Program Alumni Network and will serve as an important source of career guidance and mentorship for future CMB fellows and new alumni.