29. FELLOWS ABROAD: NATIONAL LANDSCAPE OF GLOBAL HEALTH OPPORTUNITIES IN PEDIATRIC FELLOWSHIPS

Abstract

Background In the past decade, interest in global health (GH) among graduating pediatric residents has grown. The availability of these opportunities can influence their ranking of fellowship programs. Current GH opportunities in pediatric fellowship programs in the United States (US) are not well described. Methods This was a cross-sectional study by pediatric GH educators including representatives from the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) GH Learning Community and the American Board of Pediatrics. Program directors and GH educators at US pediatric fellowship programs were surveyed using REDCap®. Data were analyzed using standard descriptive statistics. Results Data were collected from 473 of 819 (58%) eligible US pediatric fellowship programs representing 111 institutions across all APPD regions and ABP subspecialties. 47% offered GH training opportunities as either GH electives (n=209, 44%) or formal GH fellowships (n=15, 3%). There was variable pretravel preparation (Table 1) and supervision for research projects, with almost 20% of programs indicating a lack of GH faculty on fellows' scholarship oversight committees. Programs offering any GH opportunities, compared to those without, were more likely to report that available GH training improves fellow education (82% vs. 38%, p Conclusions GH experiences are an integral part of many US fellowship programs, and programs offering GH perceive that these opportunities improve the education and recruitment of fellows. Data suggest that standards for GH opportunities during fellowship training would be useful, particularly pertaining to pre-travel preparation, supervision, and mentorship for trainees.