Bridging the global health training gap: Design and evaluation of a new clinical global health course at Harvard Medical School

Abstract

Background: Medical student and resident interest in global health has been growing rapidly. Meanwhile, educational opportunities for trainees remain limited, and many trainees participate in global health experiences abroad without adequate preparation. Medical institutions are attempting to respond to this training gap by developing global health curricula.

Aims: We describe a novel clinical skills-based curriculum recently established among Harvard medical students and residents with the primary objective of providing essential clinical knowledge and skills to work effectively in resource-limited settings.

Methods: The course consisted of 10 evening sessions taught by a multidisciplinary faculty and focusing on practical management of the leading causes of the global burden of disease. Didactic discussions were reinforced by case studies and practical skills sessions, such as tropical microscopy, basic bedside ultrasound, simple dental extraction, and newborn resuscitation.

Results: Student mean knowledge scores increased significantly, from 64.5% (SD 8.9) before the course to 79.5% (SD 8.6) after the course (p < 0.001). Students also gave strongly positive evaluations and particularly valued the course's practical skills-building and the horizontal and vertical mentorship that developed among the diverse student, resident, and faculty participants.

Conclusions: This clinical course in global health may serve as one model for more effectively preparing trainees to work in developing countries.