Evaluating and Responding to Medical Student Demand for Global Health Education

Introduction With the constant interchange of people and diseases across continents, “the separation between domestic and international health problems is no longer useful.” (1) Look no further than the 80,000 refugees currently resettled in the United States for proof that health is a global phenomenon. The medical community needs to respond to the changing global landscape by training future healthcare leaders to think and act globally. Medical students across the U.S. recognize this need with 68% of U.S. allopathic medical schools having an active student global or international health interest group. (2) Unfortunately, training opportunities lag behind student interest with only 39% of medical schools offering didactic coursework in global health. (3) To date, there have been no formalized, organized global health educational electives at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. However, the majority of students are actively involved in at least one organization dedicated to underserved populations, cultural diversity, and public/international health, including several student-run clinics targeting refugees in Philadelphia. Working with refugee and immigrant populations provides the opportunity to do global health work locally. The purpose of this study was to capture SKMC interest in global health and assess the need for improvement in the medical college curriculum