Advancing Global Health Education: Preparing Emergency Medicine Trainees for Low-Resource Settings Through...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Global Health
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Global health experiences (GHEs) are common for medical trainees.
• Effective predeparture training is vital for GHEs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Existing training resources lack specificity for trainee level and specialty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a simulation-based course for emergency medicine (EM) trainees.
• To enhance preparedness for GHEs in LMICs.
• To address the need for specialty-specific global health training.

Main Methods:

• A 4-hour simulation course with 5 small-group scenarios and a summative lecture was delivered to EM residents and medical students.
• Scenarios focused on high-acuity LMIC conditions (e.g., trauma, hemorrhage, malaria) using limited resources.
• Post-course surveys assessed perceived relevance, realism, and confidence; critical action checklists measured educational objective achievement.

Main Results:

• Participants included 16 EM residents and 4 medical students.
• Confidence significantly increased across all managed conditions, particularly postpartum hemorrhage and organophosphate poisoning.
• 80% of participants supported annual inclusion in the residency curriculum.

Conclusions:

• The EM-specific, simulation-based global health course was well-received.
• The training effectively improved participants' confidence and preparedness for GHEs in LMICs.
• Simulation is a valuable tool for global health education in emergency medicine.