The impact of a global health elective on CanMEDS competencies and future practice

Abstract

Background: There is evidence that participating in global health electives generates positive educational outcomes and personal benefits for medical trainees. The objective of this study was to examine the effect and impact that a global health elective has on CanMEDS competencies and anticipated future practice. Results: The medical expert, collaborator, leader, scholar, and professional CanMEDS competencies were selfperceived to be strongly impacted through this elective. A total of 94% of participants indicated it increased their strengths as a medical expert and leader, 82% indicated a major impact on the scholar competency, 88% of participants reported a strong impact as a professional, and 76% of participants indicated that it strongly impacted them as a collaborator. The majority of participants continue to have involvement in global health, and 88% of respondents found this elective to be influential on their current practice and beliefs. Conclusions: These results suggest that individuals who participated in this global health elective perceived value in their experience. These findings support our hypothesis that participation in this global health elective would generate self-perceived positive impacts. Global health electives may provide an opportunity for physicians to expand on their CanMEDS competencies and become more proficient in caring for diverse patient populations.

When Global Becomes Virtual: A Survey of Virtual Global Health Education Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Pediatric Educators

“…GH experiences are associated with increased clinical/teaching/research skills, awareness of health systems issues and costs, and continued work with vulnerable populations at home. 11,17,18 Most programs reported no change in funding. VGHEAs may be a lower-cost option in pursuing GHE activities and reallocating scarce funds away from HIC travel logistics and toward LMIC partners' needs (stable internet connections and faculty development).…”

Analysis of the perceptions, competencies, and educational needs for global health among Korean medical students

“…This is also in line with a study on nursing students in South Korea where the level of perceptions was significantly low in those who did not have experience participating in GHE [ 17 ]. Moreover, Lanys et al [ 23 ] surveyed students who participated in the 10-year global health elective course at a medical school in Canada and examined their perceptions of the effect of the global health course on the improvement of GHC. The ratio of students perceiving that there was an effect on improving GHC remained high even after graduation.…”

Embracing Global Health in medical education: innovative ideas to achieve equity transnationally

“…CanMEDS competencies were self-perceived to be strongly impacted by introducing a Global Health Education program. 3 To illustrate recent efforts to promote Global Health awareness and implement projects to foster this initiative, the Anesthesia Department of the University of Toronto has been building innovative and supportive programs since 2004. The Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society International Education Fund (CAS-IEF) agreed to take on a project to set up a postgraduate anesthesia training program in Rwanda.…”