Global Health Faculty Competency Checklist for US Medical School and Family Medicine Residencies: Development and Initial Validation

ABSTRACTBackground:Studies indicate that a student's career interest at medical school entry is related to his or her ultimate career. We sought to determine the level of interest in emergency medicine among students at the time of medical school entry, and to describe characteristics associated with students primarily interested in emergency medicine.Methods:We surveyed students in 18 medical school classes from 8 Canadian universities between 2001 and 2004 at the commencement of their studies. Participants listed their top career choice and the degree to which a series of variables influenced their choices. We also collected demographic data.Results:Of 2420 surveys distributed, 2168 (89.6%) were completed. A total of 6.1% (95% confidence interval 5.1%–7.1%) of respondents cited emergency medicine as their first career choice. When compared with students primarily interested in family medicine, those primarily interested in emergency medicine reported a greater influence of hospital orientation and a lesser influence of social orientation on their career choice. When compared with students primarily interested in the surgical specialties, those primarily interested in emergency medicine were more likely to report medical lifestyle and varied scope of practice as important influences. When compared with students primarily interested in the medical specialties, those who reported interest in emergency medicine were more likely to report that a hospital orientation and varied scope of practice were important influences, and less likely to report that social orientation was important.Conclusion:Students primarily interested in emergency medicine at medical school entry have attributes that differentiate them from students primarily interested in family medicine, the surgical specialties or the medical specialties. These findings may help guide future initiatives regarding emergency medicine education.

Download Full-text

On Teaching the Sum While Paying Attention to the Parts: Whole Person Care through Ethnography in Medical Education

International Journal of Whole Person Care ◽

10.26443/ijwpc.v2i2.96 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Vasiliki Nataly Rahimzadeh ◽

David Lessard ◽

Peter Nugus

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Family Medicine ◽

Medical School ◽

Professional Identity ◽

Identity Formation ◽

Medical Training ◽

Academic Discipline ◽

Professional Identity Formation ◽

Patient Centered ◽

Whole Person

Objective—This article provides a reflection on medical teaching opportunities for whole person care based on our experiences mentoring 2nd-year medical students through an Ethnography Practicum at a Canadian university. Background—The Ethnography Practicum is a new addition to the Family Medicine Transition to Clinical Practice (TCP) curriculum introduced in the second year of medical school at McGill University. It involves 30 hours of instruction (6 hours in lectures with an instructor, and 24 hours in small-group tutorials with the authors), and 9 hours of fieldwork observations in various community health settings across Montreal, QC. The primary aims of the Practicum converge with those of the TCP generally in two important ways: to inculcate in students the concepts of patient centered care, and to promote family medicine as both an academic discipline and career option. Results and Discussion— Our experiences illustrate two tensions that shape students’ expectations and experiences throughout their involvement in the Practicum and, in turn, highlight the implications for teaching whole-person care. First, ethnography as a combination of different methods has itself been the locus of tensions between positivist and critical traditions in the three last decades. Second, the Practicum is situated precisely at the crossroads of key moments on the professional identity formation continuum for our students. Such a crossroads is disruptive to the status quo of medical traineeship characteristic of the first two years in medical school, and thus reorients professional identity formation. The above tensions reveal how ethnography is not only a revered research tradition in the humanities, but can also be a conduit to whole person care-inspired clinical practice.Conclusion—As instructors and mentors involved in this Ethnography Practicum, we are continually forging a new relevance for organizational ethnography in medical training, where medical students can reflect and act on competencies beyond clinical ones. The Practicum provides a space for students to wrestle with alternative epistemologies to understanding the social world in which medicine is embedded. We lastly provide pragmatic ways to better address these tensions in an effort to support students as they proceed through the (multifaceted) development of their professional identities as future physicians.

Download Full-text

Enhanced skills in global health and health equity: Guidelines for curriculum development

Canadian Medical Education Journal ◽

10.36834/cmej.36885 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. e48-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Russell Eric Dawe ◽

Andrea Pike ◽

Monica Kidd ◽

Praseedha Janakiram ◽

Eileen Nicolle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Family Medicine ◽

Global Health ◽

Health Systems ◽

Health Equity ◽

Underserved Populations ◽

Cultural Humility ◽

Global Health Education ◽

Essential Components ◽

Competency Based ◽

Program Components

Introduction: Global health addresses health inequities in the care of underserved populations, both domestic and international. Given that health systems with a strong primary care foundation are the most equitable, effective and efficient, family medicine is uniquely positioned to engage in global health. However, there are no nationally recognized standards in Canada for postgraduate family medicine training in global health.Objective: To generate consensus on the essential components of a Global Health/Health Equity Enhanced Skills Program in family medicine.Methods: A panel comprised of 34 experts in global health education and practice completed three rounds of a Delphi small group process.Results: Consensus (defined as ≥ 75% agreement) was achieved on program length (12 months), inclusion of both domestic and international components, importance of mentorship, methods of learner assessment (in-training evaluation report, portfolio), four program objectives (advocacy, sustainability, social justice, and an inclusive view of global health), importance of core content, and six specific core topics (social determinants of health, principles and ethics of health equity/global health, cultural humility and competency, pre and post-departure training, health systems, policy, and advocacy for change, and community engagement).Conclusion: Panellists agreed on a number of program components forming the initial foundation for an evidence-informed, competency-based Global Health/Health Equity Enhanced Skills Program in family medicine.

Download Full-text

Education Research: A framework for global health curricula for neurology trainees

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000006155 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 91 (11) ◽

pp. 528-532 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anindita Deb ◽

Melissa Fischer ◽

Anna DePold Hohler

Keyword(s):

Global Health ◽

Medical School ◽

Evaluation Process ◽

Neurologic Disease ◽

Massachusetts Medical School ◽

Health Curriculum ◽

Global Health Education ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

University Of Massachusetts ◽

The University

As the global burden of neurologic disease increases, educating future neurologists about the principles of global health through global health curricula is of utmost importance. However, few neurology residency training programs have developed and implemented comprehensive global health curricula. This report outlines the design, implementation, and evaluation of the University of Massachusetts Medical School neurology residency global health curriculum. Using accepted curriculum development methods and incorporating an innovative use of technology, we created a global health curriculum focused on neurology to engage trainees. The implementation of curricula and organization of elective opportunities also incorporates learning objectives and an evaluation process. The University of Massachusetts Medical School neurology global health curriculum can be used as a framework for other residency programs developing global health programs. Global health education increases young neurologists' awareness of the growing burden of neurologic disease and, subsequently, may motivate them to address the need for neurologic expertise around the world.

Download Full-text