Abstract
BackgroundThere has been an exponential increase in the offering of short-term international field experiences in recent years in response to student demands for global health opportunities. Pre-departure preparation is an essential component to equip trainees with the adequate safety, wellness, and cultural competence needed to engage in a meaningful and mutually beneficial elective. This review seeks to quantify the plethora of pre-departure preparation training available to public health, clinical, and undergraduate trainees across the continuum of education for short-term experiences in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodsWe performed a systematic review of Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Ovid Global Health in February, 2018. A three-concept search was employed and included “global or international health”; “education or preparation of personnel/students”; and “field programs or travel.” The study teamed used PRISMA reporting guidelines to conduct title and full-text reviews and conduct data extraction and analysis.ResultsThe search returned 2506 unique articles. Of these, 55 met inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. Ninety one percent (91%) of articles focused on pre-departure trainings for medical students and residents. Nine thematic domains for short-term international field experiences emerged; culture, safety, and project-specific knowledge were the most frequently covered domains while mentorship, professionalism, and emotional wellness and culture shock were least common. Approximately half (53.3%) of studies specifically evaluated the pre-departure component of the international experience using a survey or evaluation form. Recommendations emerged from these evaluations including early engagement with international partners, inclusion of self-reflection exercises and site-specific content, and utilization of interactive approaches in learning. Some institutions face barriers to conducting pre-departure preparation such as lack of dedicated faculty, finances, and institutional support.ConclusionsInterest in pre-departure training for international experiences is growing but few programs conduct and publish evaluations of these trainings. Pre-departure trainings should be developed in partnership with receiving institutions and faculty and incorporate critical self- reflection throughout the experience. In addition to the experience itself, institutions need to evaluate these curricula to better understand how they influence trainees’ capacity to effectively engage in LMIC settings.
Highlights
There has been an exponential increase in the offering of short-term international field experiences in recent years in response to student demands for global health opportunities
An increasingly popular option offered by training institutions are global health field experiences, designed for trainees across the education continuum, from undergraduate students to medical residents [2]
As global health field experiences grow in popularity, so too does the visibility of pre-departure preparation programs
Summary
There has been an exponential increase in the offering of short-term international field experiences in recent years in response to student demands for global health opportunities. An increasingly popular option offered by training institutions are global health field experiences, designed for trainees across the education continuum, from undergraduate students to medical residents [2]. The trainee embeds within a local organization or host institution to complete a set of pre-defined activities for a set amount of time and returns to their home training institution at the end of the field experience. Many institutions encourage such experiences as a way to translate theoretical knowledge into applied practice within a specific context. One recent survey of host institution partners indicated the importance of trainee understanding of the local context and culture, in addition to technical or project-specific knowledge [14] material that should be covered in pre-departure preparation courses
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