Students as advocates of global health goals: the case of medical education in Germany

Abstract

Background Germany has started to take on greater responsibility in global health policy. Furthermore, new threats, such as climate change, have increased sensitivity. However, health professionals are not well prepared to respond to the new tasks and the changing needs of the population. Global health is still largely missing from the education and training programmes of the vast majority of professional groups in Germany. This paper aims to illustrate how students can become advocates of global health education and enhance institutional change, when health policy fails to act effectively. Methods An elective programme introduced in September 2019 in the undergraduate medical curriculum at Hannover Medical School, Germany, serves as a case study to explore the tools and substance of the programme, as well as the stakeholders involved. Results The new global health programme utilises a window of opportunity in the curriculum, which includes a small number of mandatory seminars which students can chose from. It builds on five major pillars: collaboration between students and the programme coordinator and participatory curriculum development; the SDGs as framework and guidance of the curriculum; a multiprofessional and transsectoral teaching team; collaboration with NGOs; strong networks through collaboration with the national German medical students' association. Sustainability remains a major challenge, yet there is now institutional and financial support at Hannover Medical School and the new German National Competence Based Catalogue of Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Medical Education also includes global health issues. Conclusions Students as advocates for global health can make a difference and enhance institutional change through transsectoral, participatory teaching programmes.

Support for global health and pandemic preparedness in medical education in Germany: Students as change agents

“…Third, we introduce new global health courses which have been developed and accredited between spring term 2019 and autumn term 2020 at Hanover Medical School 25,27,28 . The courses are explored in relation to the substance and the actors and implementation processes 30 …”

“…9 It is important to note that most complex suggestions for strengthening global health in medical education have been introduced, at first and foremost, by the national medical student association and their various representatives over time. [11][12][13]17,18,27,28,[43][44][45][46] These authors have identified a wide range of topics and challenges relevant to global health education, including a health systems approach and the social determinants of health, among others. 46,47 To this end, developments in global health education seem to mirror wider societal movements strongly driven by young people, most prominently known from climate change activism.…”