Evaluation of the UCLA Department of Medicine Malawi Global Health Clinical Elective: Lessons from the First Five Years

Abstract

Abstract. In 2008, the UCLA Department of Medicine established a three-week clinical elective in Malawi, Africa, for Medicine and Medicine/Pediatrics residents. We sought to determine whether the elective resulted in improved medical knowledge, alterations in career trajectory, and whether the opportunity for the elective influenced selection of UCLA for residency. A 29-question survey was distributed to all graduates of the elective from 2009-2013. Surveys were distributed to 40 individuals, with 33 responses (82.5%). Thirty-one participants (93.9%) reported increased medical knowledge and 24 participants (72.7%) reported the rotation altered their career trajectory. Among the 23 residents who came to UCLA after the elective was established, 13 (56.5%) stated it had an influential role in their selection of UCLA for residency. The Malawi elective resulted in self-reported increases in medical knowledge, alterations in career trajectory, and has played an important role in attracting individuals to UCLA for residency.

Impact of Global Health Education on Pediatric Residency Applicants' Rank-List and Decision Process

“…We found that applicants with an interest in GHE were more likely to be aware of CCHMC's GHE curriculum, and GHE was a more significant factor for them when ranking a program. This finding is consistent with a number of studies from other subspecialties (Bazemore et al, 2007;Dey et al, 2002;MonroeWise et al, 2014;Shull et al, 2014), however, to our knowledge, this is the first report from a large pediatric residency program. To keep pace with this interest among residents, pediatric residency programs have increasingly tried to develop, offer, and publicized their GHE activities (Castillo, Castillo, & Dewitt, 2011).…”

“…In addition we document that mentorship and financial support are components perceived as important to pediatric residents interested in GHE participation. We hope that our findings help inform residency program directors and faculty across the USA who are looking to design a GHE program and potentially enhancing resident recruitment (Shull et al, 2014).…”

“…In addition, subjective factors, such as general environment, happiness of residents, and their overall impression on the day of their interview, are also important considerations. There is mounting interest in the impact of the availability of GHE opportunities on residency programs' recruitment success in the United States, and a few specialties have reported factors influencing residency program selection (Aagaard et al, 2005;Bazemore et al, 2007;Dey, Grabowski, Gebreyes, Hsu, & VanRooyen, 2002;Flynn et al, 1993;Love et al, 2012;Nuthalapaty et al, 2004;Shull et al, 2014;Yarris et al, 2009). However, little is known about the nature and impact of various factors, including specifically the availability of GHE, on the rank list process of pediatric residency applicants (Butteris et al, 2015).…”

International health experiences in postgraduate medical education: A meta-analysis of their effect on graduates’ clinical practice among underserved populations

“…Also, the presence of an IHE in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education has been well-documented as an effective recruitment tool for the medical school or residency program in question. 1,12,25 It is possible, therefore, that recruiting postgraduates who participate in IHEs may increase local service to underserved populations in that area. The healthcare system, academy, and community may therefore benefit as a result, regardless of whether IHEs instill a new social responsibility into their participants, or merely recruit such practitioners to their region.…”

“…However, multiple studies demonstrate the positive impact of IHEs on medical learners’ intention to care for domestic underserved populations. 11 , 12 For example, among US medical students who had participated in a 2-year international health fellowship, 80% (35/44) reported an intention to practice “primarily in the United States and from time to time overseas.” 13 Greysen found that among their 229 respondents who identified having had any global health (GH) experience during or after their training, 73% indicated that <10% of their total professional time was dedicated to international health work in the past year. 3 …”