Rapid Development, Training, and Implementation of a Remote Health Profession's Student Volunteer Corps During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Public health in the United States has long been challenged by budget cuts and a declining workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities left by years of neglecting this crucial frontline defense against emerging infectious diseases. In the early days of the pandemic, the University of Texas Medical Branch and the Galveston County Health District (GCHD) partnered to bolster Galveston County's public health response. We mobilized interprofessional teams of students and provided training to implement projects identified by GCHD as necessary for responding to the pandemic. We provided a safe outlet for students to contribute to their community by creating remote volunteer opportunities when students faced displacement from clinical rotations and in-person didactics converted to virtual formats. As students gradually returned to clinical rotations and didactic demands increased, it became necessary to expand volunteer efforts beyond what had initially been mostly hand-selected student teams. We have passed the initial emergency response phase of COVID-19 in Galveston County and are transitioning into more long-term opportunities as COVID-19 moves from pandemic to endemic. In this case study, we describe our successes and lessons learned.

Using multiple mini interviews as a pre-screening tool for medical student candidates completing international health electives.

There continues to be an increase in the number of learners who participate in international health electives (IHEs). However, not all learners enter IHEs with the same level of knowledge, attitude, and previous experience, which puts undue burden on host supervisors and poses risks to student and patient safety. The Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) is a technique that has become a popular method for undergraduate and postgraduate-level health science admissions programs. This paper describes the MMI process used by our program to screen first-year medical students applying for pre-clinical IHEs. Two country-specific cases were developed to assess non-cognitive skills. One hundred percent (100%) of the students (n = 48) and interviewers (n = 10) who participated in MMIs completed anonymous surveys on their experience. The majority of students rated the scenarios as realistic (>90%); 96% found the MMI format fair and balanced; 96% of students felt that they were able to clearly articulate their thoughts; 75% of students stated that they had a general understanding of how the MMIs worked; only 33% of students would have preferred a traditional one-to-one interview. Feedback from both interviewers and students was positive toward the MMI experience, and no students were identified as unfit for participation. Ultimately, 43 students participated in pre-clinical IHEs in 2016. In this paper, we will outline our MMI process, detail shortcomings, and discuss our next steps to screen medical students for IHEs.

Essential competencies in global health research for medical trainees: A narrative review.

INTRODUCTION: Participation in short-term educational experiences in global health (STEGHs) among medical trainees is increasingly accompanied by interest in conducting research while abroad. Because formal training in both global health and research methods is currently under-represented in most medical curricula, trainees are often unfamiliar with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to design and conduct research successfully. This narrative review identifies essential global health research competencies for medical trainees engaged in STEGHs. METHODS: The authors searched the literature using the terms global health, competency, research, research methods/process/training, scholarly project, medical student, and medical education/education. Because articles directly addressing global health research competencies for medical trainees were limited, the authors additionally drew on the broader literature addressing general research competencies and global health competencies. FINDINGS: Articles yielded by the literature search, combined with established guidelines in research ethics and global health ethics, were used to identify six core domains and twenty discrete competencies fundamental to global health research at a level appropriate for medical trainees enrolled in STEGHs. Consideration was given to diverse research modalities, varying levels of training, and the availability of mentoring and on-site support. DISCUSSION: Research may provide important benefits to medical trainees and host partners. These competencies provide a starting point; however, circumstances at any host site may necessitate additional competencies specific to that setting. These competencies are also limited by the methodology employed in their development and the need for additional perspectives from host partners. CONCLUSIONS: The competencies identified outline basic knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for medical trainees to conduct limited global health research while participating in STEGHS. They may also be used as a basis for curriculum development, assessment, and research capacity development.