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. 2019 Nov 28;10(4):e80-e95.
eCollection 2019 Nov.

Status of global health fellowship training in the United States and Canada

Ann Evensen  1 , Sean Duffy  1 , Russell Dawe  2 , Andrea Pike  3 , Brett D Nelson  4   5
Affiliations

Status of global health fellowship training in the United States and Canada

Ann Evensen et al. Can Med Educ J. .

Abstract
in English, French

Background: Increasing numbers of residency graduates desire global health (GH) fellowship training. However, the full extent of training options is not clear.

Objective: To identify clinical GH fellowships in all specialties in the U.S. and Canada and to describe their demographics, innovative features, and challenges.

Methods: The authors surveyed program directors or designees from GH fellowships with a web-based tool in 2017.

Results: The authors identified 85 programs. Fifty-four programs (63.5%) responded confirming 50 fellowships. One- third of fellowships accepted graduates from more than one specialty, and the most common single-specialty programs were Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine. Fellowships most commonly were 24 months in duration with a median size of one fellow per year. Funding and lack of qualified applicants were significant challenges. Most programs were funded through fellow billing for patient care or other self-support.

Conclusion: The number of U.S. and Canadian GH fellowship programs has nearly doubled since 2010. Challenges include lack of funding and qualified applicants. Further work is needed to understand how best to identify and disseminate fellowship best practices to meet the diverse needs of international partners, fellows, and the patients they serve and to determine if consensus regarding training requirements would be beneficial.

Contexte: Un nombre croissant de diplômés des programmes de résidence optent pour une formation complémentaire en santé mondiale. Cependant, la pleine mesure des possibilités de formation n’est pas claire.

Objectif: Identifier les formations cliniques complémentaires en santé mondiale pour toutes les spécialités aux États- Unis et au Canada et décrire leur démographie, leurs caractéristiques novatrices, et leurs défis.

Méthodes: En 2017, les auteurs ont interrogé les directeurs de programmes de formation complémentaire en santé mondiale ou leur représentant à l’aide d’un outil en ligne.

Résultats: Les auteurs ont identifié 85 programmes. 54 programmes (63,5 %) ont répondu et confirmé 50 programmes de formation. Un tiers des programmes acceptaient des diplômés provenant de plusieurs spécialités, et les programmes offerts à des spécialités uniques étaient plus fréquemment ceux en médecine d’urgence et en médecine familiale. Les programmes étaient généralement d’une durée de 24 mois avec une capacité d’accueil d’un moniteur (fellow) par année. Le financement et le manque de candidats qualifiés étaient des défis de taille. La plupart des programmes étaient financés par la rémunération des moniteurs (fellows) pour les soins qu’ils prodiguaient aux patients ou via d’autres aides financières individuelles.

Conclusions: Le nombre de programmes de formation complémentaire en santé mondiale a presque doublé depuis 2010. Les défis sont notamment le manque de financement et de candidats qualifiés. Il est nécessaire de poursuivre le travail pour pouvoir bien identifier et transmettre les meilleures pratiques en matière de formation complémentaire afin de répondre aux divers besoins des partenaires internationaux, des moniteurs (fellows) et des patients qu’ils soignent, et déterminer si un consensus concernant les exigences de formation serait bénéfique.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: No conflicts of interest to report from any author or co-author.

Figures

Figure s1.
Figure s1.
Flow diagram for identification of global health fellowship programs
Figure s2.
Figure s2.
Map of identified GH fellowships in US and Canada, all specialties
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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