PAHS: a Nepali project with international implications

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), an initiative for rural medical education in Nepal, and show its implications for rural medical education in other contexts.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs a methodology from the field of design to identify solution requirements based on an understanding of the operational context and evaluates how the initiative meets these requirements.FindingsThe PAHS model meets the extremely challenging requirements of the Nepali context for rural medical education by providing a model of education that is closely integrated with rural communities and working to develop leaders in community health. It faces important future challenges in obtaining sustainable funding and implementation of tele‐health.Practical implicationsOn several levels, the project offers potential lessons for similar initiatives in North America: community health leadership; early and sustained community engagement; a pre‐medical course to bring students to a common standard; and role modeling by faculty. The approach will be of interest to those responsible for rural medical education in the developed and developing worlds.Originality/valueThe paper shows how the local context in rural medical education can be understood by evaluating desirability for users, viability and feasibility.