Experiential Global Health Education for the Health Professions: Lessons Learned from Experience-Based Learning for Students, Residents, and Healthcare and Population Health Professionals

Global health university and clinical-based experiential learning opportunities for public health students have greatly expanded over the past decade yet only recently have published guidelines and standards been developed to address ethically-based experiential education and service learning global health education programs.  The purpose of the session is to describe key components of developing and sustaining a global health experiential learning experience.  This session will describe global health experiential education beginning with the experiential learning philosophies and apply them to global health professional and pre-professional training and education including the changing role of university faculty from instructors to facilitators and mentors for learning.  Based on domains and competencies such as collaboration and partnering, socio-cultural awareness, and community engagement strategies, key planning, implementation and assessment actions will be presented.  Key components of a global health experiential learning program such as the establishment of program goals and objectives, developing reciprocal partnerships and Memoranda of Understanding with in-country institutions, adherence to ethical standards of practice for education abroad, obtaining sustained financial support, conducting community and clinical needs assessments, cultural and language training, logistics planning, and assessment and evaluation will be presented.  In-country activities such as health-infused cultural events, written and visual documentation of activities, training of in-country personnel, and reflection opportunities such as journaling will be highlighted.  Post-program activities such as presentations and publications, financial and administrative sustainability, recruitment for future experiential learning initiatives, and providing reciprocal capacity building for host-country students and professionals will also be addressed. In-country activities such as health-infused cultural events, written and visual documentation of activities, training of in-country personnel, and reflection opportunities such as journaling will be highlighted.