Abstract
BackgroundFew global health experiences include intentionally-directed interprofessional training. We aim to prospectively evaluate the impact of a global health elective in facilitating interprofessional education (IPE) and promoting cultural sensitivity.MethodsWe included in our study, medical and nursing students who participated in the 2015 and 2016 cohorts of the Nicaragua Global Health course. The course consisted of a 12-week curriculum, and included an in-country immersion where students were organized into small-groups that participated in a variety of interprofessional activities. Students filled out pre- and post-course surveys. We performed quantitative analysis on numeric data and qualitative analysis on open-ended questions.ResultsOf 39 total students enrolled in the course, 26 (18 medical and 8 nursing students) participated in the study and filled out the pre- and post-course surveys. Mean competency scores increased for all questions between pre- and post-course surveys, and of these, 5 of 7 reached statistical significance. Qualitative themes identified included: 1) the importance of understanding other team member’s roles and relative strengths; 2) the value provided by the breaking down of traditional power dynamics between clinicians.ConclusionsGlobal health experiences represent a unique and under-utilized opportunity for facilitating IPE.
Highlights
Few global health experiences include intentionally-directed interprofessional training
Global health education can be an excellent adjunct to the development of health professionals because it challenges students to view complex problems from multiple perspectives [1]
While many clinical programs have been established in the US and internationally, few clinical rotations include global health experiences where the students spend time abroad participating in intentionally-directed interprofessional
Summary
Few global health experiences include intentionally-directed interprofessional training. There remains no universally agreed upon best methodology for teaching interprofessional skills, a recently published review of 28 educational programs found nine major education strategies currently available for the implementation of IPE, with community and rural clinical rotations being among the most commonly used [6]. Studies of interprofessional clinical rotations in community and rural settings show that these experiences increase students’ confidence in caring for underserved populations and affect long-term changes in practice behavior through the modification of attitudes, values and competencies [6]. While many clinical programs have been established in the US and internationally, few clinical rotations include global health experiences where the students spend time abroad participating in intentionally-directed interprofessional
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