Do medical students want to learn about global health?

Figures & data

Table 1 Key results on learning on global health in LMIC and HIC

Question topic	Response categories	Total (%)	LMIC (%)	HIC (%)	p value (Fisher's exact test)
Previous teaching received	Received teaching on women's and children's health in LMIC	212 (43)	135 (57)	77 (30)	<0.001
	Teaching on other aspects of global health	177 (84)	109 (81)	68 (88)	0.153
Content of teaching	Measuring global health	168 (80)	112 (84)	56 (73)	0.06
	Burden	172 (82)	114 (85)	58 (75)	0.079
	Broad determinants	146 (69)	96 (72)	50 (65)	0.31
	Interventions and strategies	129 (61)	92 (69)	37 (48)	0.003
	Health care and public health systems	121 (57)	89 (66.4)	32 (42)	<0.001
	Global co-operation and initiatives	93 (44)	59 (44)	34 (44)	0.986
	Rights, equity and social justice	105 (50)	69 (52)	36 (47)	0.507
Timing of teaching	Teaching in 1st year of studies – women's and children's health in LMIC	56 (27)	27 (20)	29 (38)	0.004
	Teaching in 1st year of studies – global health	56 (32)	28 (26)	28 (41)	0.031
Mode of delivery*	Lectures	203 (96)	128 (96)	75 (97)	0.491
	Tutorials	61 (29)	48 (36)	13 (17)	0.003
	Group work	56 (27)	36 (27)	20 (26)	0.888
	Self-directed learning	47 (22)	34 (25)	13 (17)	0.154
	Student elective project	33 (16)	19 (14)	14 (18)	0.441
	Student exchange scheme	9 (4)	4 (3)	5 (7)	0.225
	Other	14 (7)	9 (7)	5 (7)	0.95

*Participants could select more than 1 answer. LMIC=low–middle income countries; HIC=high-income countries.

Fig. 1 Year of study in which teaching was received.

Table 2 Demand for future learning

Question topic	Response categories	Total (%)	LMIC (%)	HIC (%)	p value (Fisher's exact test)
Important for student to receive some	Yes	449 (91)	228 (97.0)	221 (87.0)	<0.001
teaching or learning opportunities	No	7 (2)	2 (1)	5 (2)
on women's and children's health in LMIC	Not sure	33 (7)	5 (2)	28 (11)
Important for students to learn about	Yes	464 (94)	225 (97)	239 (94)	0.224
global health in general	No	6 (1)	1 (0.4)	5 (2)
	Not sure	18 (4)	7 (3)	11 (4)
Teaching should be optional/compulsory	Optional	117 (24)	55 (24)	62 (24)	<0.001
	Compulsory	348 (71)	170 (73)	178 (70)
	Not sure	23 (5)	8 (3)	15 (6)
Learning be made available in all or	All medical schools	478 (97)	227 (97)	251 (99)	0.098
some medical schools	Only medical schools in LMIC	11 (2)	8 (3)	3 (1)
Learning on women's and children's	Lectures	258 (53)	114 (49)	144 (57)	0.078
health best provided by:	Tutorials	167 (34)	78 (33)	89 (35)	0.690
	Group work	323 (66)	163 (70)	160 (63)	0.123
	Self-directed learning	95 (19)	47 (20)	48 (19)	0.742
	Student elective project	193 (39)	91 (39)	102 (40)	0.773
	Student exchange scheme	245 (50)	109 (46)	136 (53)	0.124
	Other	19 (4)	10 (4)	9 (4)	0.678

LMIC =low–middle income countries; HIC= high-income countries.