Pre-exchange training – Developing ethical and cultural competencies in medical students

Abstract

Background: The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) organizes over 15,000 international medical exchanges per year in over 100 countries. In the past, there was no standardized Pre-Departure Training (PDT) for participants. A PDT is important to protect patient safety and prepare students for their exchange.

Objective: To determine whether a two-hour case-based Pre-Departure Training can increase self-reported level of comfort on competencies in basic medical ethics, cultural competence, research ethics, and recognizing the limits of one’s level of skill in medical students.

Methods: In 2017, the PDT was implemented in nine countries for medical students prior to their IFMSA exchange. Participants self-evaluated their competencies in an online questionnaire before and after the PDT.

Results: 234 students from 32 countries completed the pre-PDT evaluation and 104 completed both evaluations. Participants demonstrated statistically significant improvements in self-reported competencies in 16 out of 18 items including voicing lack of skill to a supervisor (p < 0.001) and recognizing personal cultural biases (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: A case-based PDT can improve participants’ self-reported comfort in treating patients from different cultural backgrounds and help maintain high ethical standards abroad. The PDT was implemented at large within IFMSA in 2018.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the participants of the Pre-Departure Training, all contributing members of IFMSA, and the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Montreal.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article. The data presented in the article is owned by the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations. The project was completed while the authors were members of IFMSA’s international team, as Development Assistant on Academic Quality for the Standing Committee on Research Exchange (TD), as Liaison Officer on Medical Education Issues (AL), and as General Assistant for the Standing Committee on Professional Exchange (TIP).

Glossary

The Pre-Exchange Training (PET)/Pre-Departure Training (PDT): Is a training aimed at preparing the outgoing students for the exchange, providing info on the meaning of this experience and on the whole process of exchange.

(International Federation of Medical Students' Associations. “What is Pre-Exchange Training/Pre-Departure Training?”. Retrieved from https://ifmsa.org/hrf_faq/pre-exchange-trainingpre-departure-training/)

Notes

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3019190/

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tara D’Ignazio

Tara D’Ignazio, MD, is a resident doctor in Internal Medicine at the University of Montreal. Dr. D’Ignazio developed her expertise in medical education through her extensive work within the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association as the curriculum developer for their international exchange program between 2015 and 2017. She is currently pursuing other medical education projects in parallel with her clinical work.

Gabriel Lavoie

Gabriel Lavoie, MD, is a resident doctor in Internal Medicine at the University of Montreal. Dr. Lavoie has been involved in associative matters for medical students and residents at the local and national level for over 5 years, focusing on initiatives related to their wellbeing and education.

Tommaso Pomerani

Tommaso I. Pomerani, MD in progress, is a medical student at the University of Florence. Tommaso Pomerani has been committed to medical education through his involvement with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association, notably as director of the Standing Committee on Professional Exchange. He is currently finishing his medical studies.

Alexander Lachapelle

Alexander Lachapelle, MDCM, is a graduate medical student from McGill University. Dr. Lachapelle has been involved in academic matters internationally as the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association Liaison Officer on Medical Education Issues. He is currently pursuing PhD in Engineering at Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship.

Nathalie Gaucher

Nathalie Gaucher, MD, FRCPC, PhD, is an assistant professor of the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Montreal and full-time emergency physician at Sainte-Justine Mother and Child Hospital Center. Dr. Gaucher also teaches in Clinical Ethics and is involved in quality of care and parental involvement research in the emergency setting.