Maintenance of Certification: You Can Make Your Global Health Work Count.

Abstract

* Abbreviations: ABP — : American Board of Pediatrics GH — : global health MOC — : maintenance of certification PIM — : performance-improvement module QI — : quality improvement Global health (GH), defined as issues that transcend national boundaries and a call for actions by key stakeholders to determine the well-being of all people,1 is an expanding field. In 2014, 25% of active pediatric-training programs had dedicated GH tracks, and 66% had faculty identified to lead GH efforts for their training programs.2 Those traveling abroad for GH experiences as trainees are likely to remain involved later in their careers in varying capacities.3,4 GH also includes pediatricians engaged locally with immigrant or refugee communities in the United States. Engagement in GH activities takes various forms, from clinical care to advocacy, research, and policy making.5 As with other niche areas of pediatrics, GH practitioners may wrestle with issues relevant to their unique areas of practice, including incorporating GH activities into professional requirements and development.6 Challenges include maintaining clinical skills relevant for the US setting or skills relevant for short-term trips internationally, balancing between staying current with US medicine and practicing in a resource-limited sphere, finding continued learning activities relevant to the practice of pediatrics internationally, and charting a career path in this field. Thus, there is a growing population of board-certified pediatricians who may want or need to incorporate a GH focus into their maintenance of certification … Address correspondence to Tonya Arscott-Mills, MD, MPH, Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership, PO Box 45498, Riverwalk, Gaborone, Botswana. E-mail: tonyaarscottmillsbup{at}gmail.com