Table 1
Participant demographics (N = 90).
| CHARACTERISTIC | N (%) |
|---|---|
| Sex | |
| Female | 54 (60) |
| Male | 36 (40) |
| Ethnicity | |
| African | 2 (2.2) |
| Asian | 14 (15.6) |
| Black/African American | 14 (15.6) |
| Hispanic/Latino | 19 (20.1) |
| Middle Eastern | 5 (5.6) |
| White | 35 (38.9) |
| Biracial | 1 (1.1) |
| Region/Country of Residence & University North America (United States) | 54 (60) |
| Boston University School of Medicine Clemson University | |
| Medical University of South Carolina Rutgers University | |
| Touro University, California | |
| University of Arizona College of Medicine University of Kansas School of Medicine University of Kentucky College of Medicine University of Michigan Medical School Wayne State University School of Medicine | |
| Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine | |
| Africa (Egypt, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda) Addis Ababa Medical University College Alexandria University, Faculty of Medicine Kabale Institute of Health Sciences | 9 (10) |
| Kampala Institute of Science and Technology Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology University of Nairobi | |
| Centra/South America (Costa Rica, Peru) | 16 (17.8) |
| Universidad de Costa Rica | |
| Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas | |
| Asia (Pakistan, Bhutan) | 2 (2.2) |
| Al Nafees Medical College, Isra University | |
| Middle East (Israel, Lebanon) American University of Beirut Lebanese American University | 8 (8.9) |
| Rose-Marie and Chagoury | |
| Lebanese American School of Medicine | |
| Technion American Medical School | |
| Europe (England) | 1 (1.1) |
| Cardiff University | |
| Level of trainee | |
| Medical student (1st/2nd year) | 21 (23.3) |
| Medical student (3rd/4th yr./senior level) | 40 (44.4) |
| Physician Assistant student | 8 (8.9) |
| Nursing student (undergraduate/graduate) | 4 (4.4) |
| Allied Health/Other Health Profession | 1 (1.1) |
| Public Health student (undergrad/graduate) | 6 (6.7) |
| Resident physician | 3 (3.3) |
| Post-baccalaureate student | 2 (2.2) |
| Undergraduate, Pre-Medical/Pre-health | 3 (3.3) |
| Not a student (Pediatrician; Gap year) | 2 (2.2) |
Table 2
Paired t-test per each item, and summed score. (N = 52).
| ASSESSMENT ITEM | PREM (S.D.) | POST M (S.D.) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Compared to my professional/trainee peers, my current knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to global health.a | 3.2 (.8) | 4.1 (.7) | <.001 |
| 2. I understand and can articulate the concept of planetary health and provide examples of planetary health.b | 2.7 (1.0) | 4.6 (.6) | <.001 |
| 3. I understand and can articulate the concept of global health and provide examples of global health. b | 3.3 (.9) | 3.9 (1.6) | .019 |
| 4. I understand and can articulate concepts of global health ethics and bioethics. b | 3.2 (.9) | 3.7 (1.6) | .042 |
| 5. My competency (knowledge, skills, attitudes) related to low resource clinical reasoning. a | 3.0 (.8) | 4.0 (.7) | <.001 |
| 6. I understand and practice cross-cultural effectiveness and adaptability. b | 3.6 (.9) | 3.9 (1.4) | .079 |
| 7. I have an appreciation of health systems comparatives from around the world. b | 3.6 (.8) | 4.0 (1.3) | .079 |
| Total Score (scores can range from 7–49) | 22.7 (3.6) | 28.4 (5.0) | <.001 |
[i] Note: a Response options: 1 = None, 2 = Below Average, 3-Average, 4 = Above Average, 5 = Excellent.
b Response options 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree.
Table 3
Personal and professional benefits of participation in the virtual global health elective.
| THEMES | EXEMPLARY QUOTES |
|---|---|
| Increased awareness of global health and global health systems | “This elective really opened my eyes on how expansive the field of global health is, what the challenges that one might face are and how to effectively tackle them.” “I now understand more in depth the different factors that affect the global healthcare infrastructure.” |
| A deeper understanding of the interactions between biological and social determinants of health. | “I developed understanding of the interplays between disease processes, poverty, social circumstances, culture, geopolitical realities, historical contexts, and the complexities of health and wellness.” |
| Developed critical thinking around global health ethics | “It opened my eyes to ethical issues, and key issues within global health that I was previously blind to.” “Made us really reconsider ethics when it comes to providing medical help/treatment in other countries.” |
| Significant increase in awareness of planetary health | “This elective educated me and made me realize the importance of planetary health and my role as a future physician in taking care of the planet in addition to human beings, because of the effect that the environment has on us.” |
| Informed future professional practice | “Learned about low resource clinical reasoning.” “This elective impacted me as a person, teaching me new skills to put in practice in my country, regarding global health.” |
| Developing cultural humility and deeper human connections through respectful interactions. | “This elective made me think more about how I can actively seek to understand cultures different than my own and to also think about others’ perspectives when I am communicating with people from cultures different than my own.” “It really helped me develop my skills and make new international friends.” |