Evaluation of a Structured Predeparture Orientation at the David Geffen School of Medicine's Global Health Education Programs

Abstract

Abstract. Given the lack of a standardized approach to medical student global health predeparture preparation, we evaluated an in-person, interactive predeparture orientation (PDO) at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) to understand program strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. We administered anonymous surveys to assess the structure and content of the PDO and also surveyed a subset of students after travel on the utility of the PDO. We used Fisher's exact test to evaluate the association between prior global health experience and satisfaction with the PDO. One hundred and five students attended the PDO between 2010 and 2014 and completed the survey. One hundred and four students (99.0%) reported learning new information. Major strengths included faculty mentorship (N = 38, 19.7%), opportunities to interact with the UCLA global health community (N = 34, 17.6%), and sharing global health experiences (N = 32, 16.6%). Of students surveyed after their elective, 94.4% (N = 51) agreed or strongly agreed that the PDO provided effective preparation. Students with prior global health experience found the PDO to be as useful as students without experience (92.7% versus 94.4%, P = 1.0). On the basis of these findings, we believe that a well-composed PDO is beneficial for students participating in global health experiences and recommend further comparative studies of PDO content and delivery.

Global Health Education Programs in the Americas: A Scoping Review

“…For the teacher, in general, studies show that this preparation is even more challenging, as students [15,16] need to exchange information, experiences, and flexibility beyond traditional teaching standards. For this, teachers and students need to learn how to optimize existing resources and work as a team with other professions, reinforcing the importance of cross-disciplinary work [17][18][19].…”

“…As a complementary aspect of student preparation, our findings point to teaching emotional, cultural, and collaborative skills to teach and develop the values and principles of team-building to plan and execute the project goals. This experience allows the student to apply leadership tools that support collaborative practice, through values and principles of respect for cultural diversity [17].…”

Pediatricians and Global Health: Opportunities and Considerations for Meaningful Engagement

“…Practitioners with experience in GCH contribute to the growing demand for global health education by offering mentorship and career guidance through academic institutions 97,98 and national and international associations, such as the AAP International Community Access to Child Health program and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health Program Advisory Service. These and other professional associations with GCH interest sections provide informal networking opportunities and can be a repository of lessons learned and a source of clinical and professional guidance.…”

Improving the Safety and Security of Those Engaged in Global Health Traveling Abroad

“…A Canadian study of medical school faculty also noted gaps in pre-departure planning and concluded that reviews of health and safety should be mandatory for all international electives 34 . A few studies have documented student satisfaction with health and safety training, but they lack details about what safety training their programs covered 35 , 36 …”