Introducing global health into the undergraduate medical school curriculum using an e-learning program: a mixed...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Global Health
• Digital Learning

Background:

• Physicians require global health competencies for diverse patient care.
• Medical schools are exploring innovative global health education methods.
• This study piloted e-learning against traditional articles for global health knowledge acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning versus peer-reviewed articles in enhancing medical students' global health conceptual knowledge.
• To compare student preferences and experiences with different learning modalities.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) and qualitative focus groups.
• Participants included 161 pre-clerkship medical students from three Canadian institutions.
• Outcomes measured via pre/post knowledge quizzes and self-assessment tools based on the Global Health CanMEDS Competency Model.

Main Results:

• Both e-learning and article groups demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge scores and self-assessed competencies.
• No statistically significant difference was found between the two learning approaches.
• Students favored e-learning for its interactivity, resource accessibility, and engagement potential, despite some initial technical challenges.

Conclusions:

• E-learning and peer-reviewed articles are effective in improving global health conceptual knowledge.
• E-learning offers a preferred, engaging, and resource-rich platform for sustained learning in global health.
• Medical education should consider incorporating interactive digital tools to foster global health competencies.