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Why Invest in Global Health Education?

The reasons for giving more attention to global health education go well beyond the needs of the developing (and usually poor) countries. The U.S., Canada and other industrialized countries have large disadvantaged, multi-cultural and foreign-born populations whose needs are often ill met by health workers trained in traditional ways. Moreover, only a relatively small percentage of the students who take courses in global health and/or go overseas during training will spend a substantial portion of their professional career overseas. Global health education can therefore offer dual benefit: providing a minority of highly motivated students with the expertise for career work overseas, and a much larger number who will be called upon to provide high quality, culturally sensitive services here at home.

The reasons are many:

• Need for more personnel able to address global health problems
• Strong student interest in global health issues and experiences
• Insufficient qualified faculty
• Lack of good teaching materials
• Global health education can affect career choices
• Global health education can enhance the ability to work in cross-cultural settings
• Better prepare students to serve the communities in which they are placed.

 

  Students' Career Choices  
 

Several studies have found that student exposure to global health problems can affect career choices in favor of disciplines and job settings that serve disadvantaged populations, both overseas and in the United States. As part of this project we want to initiate a longer term study with a larger number of participants to document the effects of global health education.

The potential impact of global health training on career choices is suggested by findings from a 2004 alumni survey of Child Family Health International (CFHI) participants. Based in San Francisco, CFHI now sends more than 600 students annually to overseas locations in three continents. As a result of their international experience there was a statistically significant shift from being “somewhat motivated” to “highly motivated” for international work and for working in underserved communities, a formula for measurable leadership development in the global health community.

 
     

 

   
copyright 2005 Global Health Education Consortium