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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

 

  Growing Student Interest  
 

A recent American Association of Medical Colleges survey documents the rapid rise in student interest in overseas experiences, rising from only 6% of graduating US seniors in 1986 to over 21% in 2001. On average about 20% of North American medical school students go overseas during their studies and in some schools this number exceeds 30%, with large class enrollments in introductory global health courses. Many public health schools now offer courses in global health topics, some have departments or programs devoted to global health themes, and a few nursing, physician assistant and other health programs also offer courses. Besides courses and overseas travel, intra-school student interest groups and student-run associations have organized listserves, grand rounds, lecture series, conferences and partnership relationships with institutions abroad.

  
     

 

   
copyright 2005 Global Health Education Consortium