Medical electives in sub-Saharan Africa: a host perspective

Kumwenda, Ben; Dowell, Jon; Daniels, Katy; Merrylees, Neil

doi:10.1111/medu.12727

Cited by 57 publications

(151 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

146

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Overall, respondents evaluated STEGH students’ capabilities as being those from the pre‐clerkship academic level and did not identify any current situations resulting in ethical incidents. This result differs from other studies that found potential ethical challenges: lack of sustainability of students’ actions, handling of White privilege, precariousness of resources and performance of procedures beyond the students’ skills . This difference could be due in part to the fact that, for the past 5 years, STEGH students in our study context have undergone mandatory pre‐departure training.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 85%

“…In sub‐Saharan Africa, various researchers have investigated the perceptions of medical school professionals and students regarding STEGH. One common finding was that visiting medical students and professionals often took advantage of their economic and political power to impose their conceptions of health care without making any effort to immerse themselves in and understand the host context . Respondents also thought that visiting students primarily wanted to take advantage of lax laws and regulations to gain medical knowledge .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies used questionnaires, making it difficult to capture subtleties in the answers provided . Other studies had selection biases, where between 41% and 57% of the professionals interviewed or questioned were expatriates from high‐income countries with a point of view that could differ from local staff . Furthermore, a large majority of the studies were conducted in university‐based medical faculties, where better supervision and resources may have moderated the impact on host communities .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Host perspective on academic supervision, health care provision and institutional partnership during short‐term electives in global health

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context Studies about the impact of global health electives on host institutions are scarce and often made from the perspective of institutions that send students. The present research examined the impact of short‐term electives in global health (STEGHs) from the under‐represented perspective of host institutions in Benin. Methods The authors conducted 30 semi‐structured interviews from a convenience sample of Beninese health care professionals who had hosted Canadian medical students. Interviewees had previously supervised STEGHs in one of the five different institutions. A subsequent qualitative thematic analysis methodology was used to compilate codes and generate themes. Results Hosting STEGH students motivated respondents to increase their medical knowledge through self‐driven learning. They perceived an improvement in the quality of their care and felt a negligible impact on patient safety. They negatively commented on the lack of clear pedagogic objectives that they could rely on. Interviewees think current STEGH partnerships do not advantage them because institutions that send students offer little support during the electives. Furthermore, sending institutions do not offer the same opportunity for local medical students or professionals to take part in such electives outside of Benin. Conclusions Although host health care professionals evaluated global health electives positively overall, specific improvements could mitigate their negative impacts and help create a more balanced partnership between sending and host institutions. Sending institutions could involve host institutions in curriculum planning. They could invest in building reciprocal elective programmes to receive students from elsewhere. Meanwhile they can maximise the transfer of relevant medical knowledge, and provide expertise, resources and support during the electives.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 85%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Host perspective on academic supervision, health care provision and institutional partnership during short‐term electives in global health

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, in some settings the educational experience may be compromised if students are exposed to health risks, including infectious disease, ethical dilemmas or other adverse events . Although institutions appear to value hosting students from other countries, concerns have been raised about resources, student behaviour, differences in expectations and inequitable exchange . Although this report is from the UK, the shared experiences of academics and support teams whose students leave the ‘home’ site to experience a health care context elsewhere means themes presented above have resonance internationally.…”

Section: Background and Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

Recommendations for undergraduate medical electives: a UK consensus statement

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction Many doctors, across grades and specialities, supervise or advise students and juniors undertaking elective placements. Electives form part of medical curricula on a worldwide scale. The Medical Schools Council (MSC) Electives Committee in the UK identified a gap in the current literature in relation to provision of comprehensive recommendations for the design and management of undergraduate elective programmes. Electives afford many known benefits for medical and other health care students, but the context, and risks (impacting potentially on patient, public and student well‐being) are usually different from those associated with ‘home’ clinical placements. Aim The aim is to share experiences and good practice within UK Medical Schools, and inform and inspire others involved with similar programmes across the globe. Method This paper reports the results of the formation of a sub‐group to draft a set of recommendations, drawing on the reported experiences of academic elective leads across all UK schools, and including input from the MSC, and the student group Medsin (to capture the learner voice). The final document was the result of a national consultative process of four iterations. The end document was approved at school level, e.g. by curriculum committee, by each of the participating schools. Recommendations The recommendations consolidate the experiences of 30 participating UK medical schools. The consultation process generated 17 pre‐departure recommendations, seven during elective recommendations, 11 post elective recommendations and a further four recommendations relating to infectious disease. Conclusion We believe developing elective programmes using collective recommendations will provide a basis for a safer and more structured approach to a medical elective without losing the uniqueness and creative experiences valued by participants. Issues relating to undergraduates leaving their home school to experience medicine in a new context or country replicate across sites, so many recommendations will be transferable internationally.

show abstract

“…Advocating for reciprocity can partially mediate this concern [18,51], although bi-directional exchange requires additional resources, and, in many cases, travel opportunities are further complicated by inequalities in global visa systems. Without an orientation to local culture, language, and the plural healthcare practices of communities, it is difficult for GHCs to provide value [20,52]. An additional burden is often placed on local hosts to transport, house, feed, and translate for GHCs, thereby potentially sidelining their own areas of responsibility in favor of the interests and projects of visiting clinicians [53].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Power, potential, and pitfalls in global health academic partnerships: review and reflections on an approach in Nepal

Citrin

Mehanni

Acharya

et al. 2017

Global Health Action

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Global health academic partnerships are centered around a core tension: they often mirror or reproduce the very cross-national inequities they seek to alleviate. On the one hand, they risk worsening power dynamics that perpetuate health disparities; on the other, they form an essential response to the need for healthcare resources to reach marginalized populations across the globe. Objectives: This study characterizes the broader landscape of global health academic partnerships, including challenges to developing ethical, equitable, and sustainable models. It then lays out guiding principles of the specific partnership approach, and considers how lessons learned might be applied in other resource-limited settings. Methods: The experience of a partnership between the Ministry of Health in Nepal, the non-profit healthcare provider Possible, and the Health Equity Action and Leadership Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine was reviewed. The quality and effectiveness of the partnership was assessed using the Tropical Health and Education Trust Principles of Partnership framework. Results: Various strategies can be taken by partnerships to better align the perspectives of patients and public sector providers with those of expatriate physicians. Actions can also be taken to bring greater equity to the wealth and power gaps inherent within global health academic partnerships. Conclusions: This study provides recommendations gleaned from the analysis, with an aim towards both future refinement of the partnership and broader applications of its lessons and principles. It specifically highlights the importance of targeted engagements with academic medical centers and the need for efficient organizational work-flow practices. It considers how to both prioritize national and host institution goals, and meet the career development needs of global health clinicians.

show abstract

Medical electives in sub-Saharan Africa: a host perspective

Cited by 57 publications

References 17 publications

Host perspective on academic supervision, health care provision and institutional partnership during short‐term electives in global health

Host perspective on academic supervision, health care provision and institutional partnership during short‐term electives in global health

Recommendations for undergraduate medical electives: a UK consensus statement

Power, potential, and pitfalls in global health academic partnerships: review and reflections on an approach in Nepal

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About