Key Faculty
Tanzania has 1 physician per 50,000 patients, the lowest ratio of physicians to patients in the world. Of the 49 million people living in Tanzania, approximately 34 million will never see a doctor in their lifetime. The mission of the Weill Cornell Medicine program in Tanzania is to improve healthcare by strengthening Weill Bugando School of Medicine and training the next generation of Tanzanian physicians and scientists.
Under the Center for Global Health, WCM remains connected to WBMC with its faculty traveling routinely to teach in two-month blocks. WCM residents also have the option to complete one-month rotations at WMBC to teach local clinicians. Around 30 WCM residents rotate with WBMC annually.
Global Health leaders at WCM also perform NIH funded research at WBMC. Key faculty include Dr. Robert Peck who studies hypertension and HIV and Dr. Jennifer Downs who is developing new ways to diagnose and treat water-borne tropical infections.
Launched in 2003, WBMC has now graduated over 1,000 physicians that now work in the medical center and at local district hospitals. Additionally, the program has facilitated the increase of pediatricians from 0 to 16 in Mwanza.
