Ethics in Global Health: The Need for Evidence-Based Curricula

Recent surveys estimate that almost 30% of American and Canadian medical students gain work experience abroad during their 4 years of medical school (1), and many experts expect that number to increase in the future (1,2). However, little research exists regarding the ethical consequences of such experiences, or on the necessary training needed to prepare students for global health work (3,4). The ever increasing interest in working abroad among medical students begets implementation of a formal global health curriculum in medical schools in order to adequately prepare students for these endeavors. The need for such education is well documented in a body of research and surveys (1-6). Nonetheless, there is almost no specific information as to what the content of such an education should entail (6,7). This void is most strongly felt in the realm of global health ethics, especially as it relates to the responsibilities, training, and goals of students involved in projects in low resource settings. A research-based and academically informed framework for the development of global health ethics principles is urgently needed. This paper reviews the literature on ethical education in global health and describes how the small body of research is being used to direct the first evidence-driven Pre-departure Global Health Training Institute offered by a Canadian medical faculty in Ottawa.