Trainee Perspectives Regarding Advanced Clinical Global Health Fellowships in North America

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Medical Education
• Postgraduate Training

Background:

• Postgraduate clinical global health (GH) training is expanding.
• Understanding trainee experiences is crucial for program improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess trainee satisfaction and career impact of GH fellowships.
• To identify challenges and areas for improvement in GH training.

Main Methods:

• Survey distributed to current and former North American GH fellows.
• 100 programs contacted, 52 fellows from 10 specialties completed the questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Majority satisfied, anticipating career benefits, and would recommend training.
• Median fellowship: 23.3 months, 4.8 months/year in low/middle-income countries (less than ideal 6 months).
• Challenges: funding, mentorship, curricula; research in high-income countries negatively predicted satisfaction. Accreditation not a major concern.

Conclusions:

• GH fellowships are generally satisfactory and valued for career development.
• Improvements needed in mentorship, curricula, funding, and institutional support.
• Balancing trainee, program, and community needs is vital for sustainable GH training.