Honors Track in Global and Occupational Health: a students’ perspective from Humanitas University

Abstract

Abstract Background To meet an increasing interest in global health, more opportunities for medical students should be created. Humanitas University (Milan, Italy) has debuted a new extracurricular activity called “Honors Track in Global and Occupational Health” (HT-GOH), to allow students critical insights into the field at the beginning of their career. Objectives HT-GOH is a two-year programme, led by expert professors in the field. The main aim is to circumvent limitations of global health education at individual institutions, achieved through a combined presence and online approach that allows for international collaboration with experts and attendance of online lectures and travel abroad for practical experiences. Complemented by monthly meetings, participation to workshops, seminars, conferences, and the discussion and literature review of crucial global health topics. Results The six participating students are actively promoting discussions, exchange of ideas, and literature findings on many global health issues. They audited courses in other universities and are building connections within the field. The active involvement of the students and their increasing interest in the global health debate can be seen by their participation in this abstract and the conference. The effectiveness of the programme is being evaluated through monthly feedback by students. Conclusions The programme allows for an initiation to research work, promoting collaboration between students and exploration of a variety of topics under the guidance of experts. The nature of a specific programme allows for a more individualized approach and greater development of skills unique to each student. This HT represent a valid approach to global health education, especially in settings in which this field is only taught in the context of a public health course. Key messages • A new programme at Humanitas University offering an innovative approach to the field of global health to interested students. • The students’ perspective towards an integrated approach to global health in medical schools.