A MULTIDISCIPLINARY GLOBAL HEALTH COURSE WITH AN INTEGRATED INTERNATIONAL FIELD EXPERIENCE

摘要

A new global health course was recently developed and implemented at Western New England University. The course brought together students from a variety of disciplines and academic levels to study issues related to healthcare from a global perspective. The centerpiece of the course was a faculty-led field experience in Guatemala that occurred at the end of the semester. During the field experience, the students visited clinical care facilities where they conducted a needs assessment by interviewing and surveying administrators, healthcare workers, and patients. In order to assess the impact of the new course on student interest and attitudes toward global health, a set of pre- and post-course surveys were developed and administered. The results from the surveys showed increased student-reported knowledge regarding global health issues after completing the course. The students also reported an increased level of interest in pursuing further studies and careers in the area of global health, as well as a desire to become more proficient in a foreign language.