%0 Journal Article
%T Global health competencies and approaches in medical education: a literature review
%A Robert Battat
%A Gillian Seidman
%A Nicholas Chadi
%A Mohammed Y Chanda
%A Jessica Nehme
%A Jennifer Hulme
%A Annie Li
%A Nazlie Faridi
%A Timothy F Brewer
%J BMC Medical Education
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6920-10-94
%X A literature review was undertaken to identify competencies and educational approaches for teaching global health in medical schools.Using a pre-defined search strategy, 32 articles were identified; 11 articles describing 15 global health competencies for undergraduate medical training were found. The most frequently mentioned competencies included an understanding of: the global burden of disease, travel medicine, healthcare disparities between countries, immigrant health, primary care within diverse cultural settings and skills to better interface with different populations, cultures and healthcare systems. However, no consensus on global health competencies for medical students was apparent. Didactics and experiential learning were the most common educational methods used, mentioned in 12 and 13 articles respectively. Of the 11 articles discussing competencies, 8 linked competencies directly to educational approaches.This review highlights the imperative to document global health educational competencies and approaches used in medical schools and the need to facilitate greater consensus amongst medical educators on appropriate global health training for future physicians.Health issues are increasingly transnational and in recent years the concept of global health has emerged to address these issues. Global health is the study and practice of improving health and health equity for all people worldwide through international and interdisciplinary collaboration [1]. Factors such as increasing international travel, the globalization of food supplies and commerce and the occurrence of multinational epidemics including the 2009 Influenza A pandemic have heightened awareness of global health issues. This awareness has influenced health practices and medical education locally and globally. Internationally, large-scale multinational public health programs such as the UN Millennium Development Goals, the Global Fund and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS relief have
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/10/94