RAHI–SATHI Indo-U.S. Collaboration: The Evolution of a Trainee-Led Twinning Model in Global Health Into a Multidisciplinary Collaborative Program

Abstract

RAHI–SATHI presents an innovative twinning model of global health academic partnership, resulting in a number of successful research activities, that features trainees or students as the driving force, complemented by strategic institutional support from both sides of the partnership. Others can promote similar student-led initiatives by: (1) accepting an expanded role for trainees in global health programs, (2) creating structured research and program opportunities for trainees, (3) developing a network of faculty and trainees interested in global health, (4) sharing extramural global health funding opportunities with faculty and trainees, and (5) offering seed funding.

Education Research: A framework for global health curricula for neurology trainees

“…The global health program in pediatrics at the University of Minnesota offers certification through the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in addition to collaboration with the Makerere University in Uganda. 10 Long-standing programs, such as Yale University's Internal Medicine International Health Program, often receive funding support through the department. 7 The UMMS program has similar requirements to the programs described above but unique in its neurology-focused global health curricula integrated into the residency didactics, and use of videoconferencing to enhance bidirectional exchange and foster collaboration year-round.…”

“…As UMMS medical students were already involved in research and advocacy collaboration with the Charutar Arogya Mandal (CAM) Medical Center in Karamsad, Gujarat, this was chosen to be the first collaborative site for the UMMS Department of Neurology. 10 Frequent videoconference-based discussions fostered the partnership. Since the establishment of this collaboration, CAM neurology faculty members have visited UMMS, and UMMS faculty and residents have traveled to CAM, which has enhanced learning and continued to strengthen the relationship.…”

Community engagement in global health education supports equity and advances local priorities: an eight year Ecuador-Canada partnership

“…2,[7][8][9][10][11] Trainees have shown they can build sustainable relationships in host communities based on trust. 12 Global health electives should equip trainees to work in culturally diverse and underserved and/or vulnerable populations while fostering values of community service, stewardship of health resources and cultural safety. 1,6,11,[13][14][15][16][17] Cultural safety recognizes power differentials between service providers and recipients, and prioritizes the needs and voice of the recipient.…”

Study protocol forSmartphoneMonitoring forAtrial fibrillation inReal-Time in India (SMART-India): a community-based screening and referral programme

“…The SMART-India study is supported by our interdisciplinary Indo-US research team that has an ongoing collaboration between investigators with a proven track record of conducting community-based technology research in India. 19 …”

“…Our approach builds on a long-standing collaboration between the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Charutar Arogya Mandal (CAM), a tertiary care hospital and medical college in rural Western India. 19 This collaboration, which we have called Research and Advocacy for Health in India (RAHI: Hindi word for pathfinder), is grounded in extensive interactions with the local Indian communities. As we have described elsewhere, 19 the research priorities of our collaboration and our studies are informed by community health needs assessments.…”