Expanding the Boundaries of Medical Education: Evidence for Cross-Cultural Exchanges

Mutchnick, Ian; Moyer, Cheryl A.; Stern, David T.

doi:10.1097/00001888-200310001-00002

Cited by 91 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…These earlier fi ndings include an increase in compassion, volunteerism, and interest in working with underserved populations 10,12,14,17,28 ; increased cultural awareness and competence 10,11,15,17,29 ; heightened awareness of social determinants of disease and global health 10,14,15,17,29 ; and increased interest in primary care and public health. 10,14,15,17,29,30 Several authors have also noted that students gain improved history and physical examination skills, and learn how to practice medicine with limited resources. 10,17,29 An increased self-awareness and the opportunity to gain insight into the human side of medicine have also been reported.…”

Section: Lessons Learnedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…International and community-based rotations and volunteer opportunities have been shown to increase students' interest in working with underserved populations, their cultural and social awareness, and their interest in primary care, prevention, and public health. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Such programs also model humanism, idealism, and service. 2,19,20 In spite of this evidence, only 22.3% of students completing medical school in 2004 had participated in an international elective, and only 29.7% had participated in a fi eld experience in community health.…”

Section: S33 C a P T Ur Ing S T Uden T S' Ide A L Is Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…10,17,29 An increased self-awareness and the opportunity to gain insight into the human side of medicine have also been reported. 2,14,19 Community-based electives and other structured opportunities for students and residents to work with underserved, homeless, minority, or otherwise disadvantaged populations in the United States also have a positive impact on students' attitudes toward volunteerism and working with underserved populations. 13,18,27,31 The use of academic preceptors in volunteer community clinics "reinforces the value and viability of professional volunteerism," 27 a benefi t that is also true of international rotations.…”

Section: Lessons Learnedmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Capturing Medical Students' Idealism

Smith¹

2006

The Annals of Family Medicine

106

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PURPOSE Students' idealism and desire to work with underserved populations decline as they progress from preclinical training through clerkships and residency. With an increasingly diverse population and increasing health disparities, academic health centers need to incorporate changes in their curricula to train socially responsible and idealistic physicians. International electives can provide valuable learning experiences to help achieve these goals.METHODS Sixty-six preclinical medical students at the University of Texas Medical Branch participated in an international elective from 1997 to 2005. After 1 week of didactics, they spent 3 weeks as part of a multidisciplinary medical team in rural Nicaragua. Postelective questionnaires were administered. From students' responses, we identifi ed common learning themes and grouped them under the categories of attitudes, awareness, and skills. Limitations included a self-selection bias, lack of a control group, and limited follow-up. RESULTSAfter the elective, students had an increased interest in volunteerism, humanitarian efforts, and working with underserved populations both in the United States and abroad, as well as more compassion toward the underserved. Students also reported a heightened awareness of social determinants of health and public health, and a broadened global perspective, as well as increased self-awareness.CONCLUSIONS Our fi ndings illustrate that a well-structured, mentored experience in international health can have a positive impact on preclinical students' attitudes, including their compassion, volunteerism, and interest in serving underserved populations, all measures of idealism. INTRODUCTIONI dealism is defi ned as "the cherishing or pursuit of high or noble principles, purposes, or goals." 1 In medicine, these aims traditionally include relief of suffering and improved quality of life for all humankind, and are measured by volunteerism, service to underserved peoples, and concern for the health of society as a whole. Shaywitz and Ausiello 2 assert that these ideals are what defi ne us as physicians and what attract students to medicine.Several studies have documented declining attitudes and idealism in medical students and residents as they progress through their medical training. These changes include decreased interest in serving underserved populations, decreased sense of physician responsibility for the health of all, and declining attitudes toward the medical profession in general. [3][4][5][6] With an increasingly diverse patient population, including many persons who lack access to health care, and the recognition of growing health disparities, society has an even greater need for physicians with idealistic and altruistic values.Both the Institute of Medicine and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) have recently released reports on the future of academic health centers (AHCs) and their role in training physicians to be responsive to the changing needs of society. These reports emphasize the importance Jani...

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Section: Lessons Learnedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: S33 C a P T Ur Ing S T Uden T S' Ide A L Is Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lessons Learnedmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Capturing Medical Students' Idealism

Smith¹

2006

The Annals of Family Medicine

106

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“…3 Health professions students who have participated in international clinical experiences have demonstrated benefits such as heightened clarity about career roles, including those related to underserved multicultural populations, increased compassion toward patients, increased appreciation for and confidence in clinical skills, and increased awareness of resource use. 5,6 Pharmacy students and academicians recognize the importance of a global perspective with regard to health and disease, and their interest in seeking experiential opportunities around the world is growing. In 2010, 300 students from 35 pharmacy colleges and schools participated in elective practice experiences in other countries, yet an additional 235 students were unable to participate because of limited space or funding.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Medical Mission to Guatemala as an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience

Werremeyer

Skoy

2012

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education

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Objective. To describe the development and outcomes of an advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) for a medical mission trip to Guatemala. Design. Pre-mission preparation and post-mission reflection activities were combined with in-country activities to create a 5-week APPE. During the 10-day medical mission trip, pharmacy students dispensed medications, counseled patients, conducted quality improvement assessments, and presented their findings and experiences as part of an interdisciplinary health care team. Assessment. The students who completed the mission trip met the objectives of the APPE and reported substantial learning in the areas of interdisciplinary teamwork and cultural competency. All students' scores on the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence-Student Version (IAPCC-SV) increased. The majority (81%) of student-generated quality improvement recommendations were implemented by the mission team. Conclusions. The medical mission APPE provided a rich learning environment for pharmacy students and resulted in modifications to the medical mission operation. This type of APPE could be implemented in other colleges of pharmacy via formation of partnerships with established medical mission teams as this one was.

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“…Other studies have noted that the most frequently reported outcome from an international experience was greater cultural sensitivity; participating students tended to think more positively about people from other countries and were more adept at treating patients with diverse cultural backgrounds [2]. Other secondary benefits included an increased interest in primary care, improved history and physical examination skills, and experience in practicing medicine with limited resources [3,4].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%