Effective Clinical Externships for International Medical Students: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Global Health
• Physician Training

Background:

• International student exchanges are vital in medical education.
• Research on visiting international medical students in the US is limited.
• Existing knowledge primarily comes from administrator surveys.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore US attending physicians' perspectives on hosting international medical students.
• To understand the challenges and facilitators of international medical student externships in the US.

Main Methods:

• Conducted three focus groups with clinician-educators at two US medical schools.
• Utilized constant comparative analysis of transcripts to identify themes.
• Included participants with diverse training backgrounds and career stages.

Main Results:

• Hosting international students demands substantial administrative planning and coordination.
• Key factors for success include institutional resources, leadership, and communication.
• Student qualities, such as language fluency and cultural adaptability, significantly impact the externship experience.

Conclusions:

• Clinician-educators view hosting international students as a commitment similar to training local students.
• Linguistic, cultural, and variability challenges necessitate robust administrative support.
• Findings informed process improvements at the University of Pittsburgh.