Open AccessInternationalization of Medical Education—Building a Program to Prepare Future Leaders in Healthcare
Author(s) -
Anette Wu,
Heike Kielstein,
Takeshi Sakurai,
Geoffroy Noël,
Suvi Viranta,
ChungLiang Chien,
Paulette Bernd
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
medical science educator
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 13
ISSN - 2156-8650
DOI - 10.1007/s40670-019-00695-4
Subject(s) - internship , internationalization , medical education , health care , videoconferencing , work (physics) , political science , public relations , medicine , business , engineering , computer science , multimedia , international trade , law , mechanical engineering
In a globally interconnected world, internationalization of medical education has become increasingly important. While many programs focus on international programs for clinical students, the number of programs for preclinical medical and dental students is small. Based in the Anatomy course, the program presented here involves early international collaborations between preclinical students from six countries. Our work involves small-group video sessions and a large international student videoconference (including cultural and didactic components). The online connections progress with in-person basic sciences summer internships undertaken at the international partner institutions. This collaborative program features unique elements that facilitate cultural exchange and help develop leadership skills in healthcare early in a student's career. We present recommendations for international program implementation.