Organizations who facilitate international programs for universities and groups. A third-party provider has contacts and staff in other locations that make housing and meal accommodations, liaise between clinical/service sites, and handle recreational activities and excursions for travelling students. In clinical programs they can establish relationships with local interpreters and preceptors.
Published in Chapter:
International Healthcare Experiences: Caring While Learning and Learning While Caring
Jon P. Wietholter (West Virginia University, USA), Renier Coetzee (University of the Western Cape, South Africa), Beth Nardella (West Virginia University, USA), Scott E. Kincaid (University of Kentucky Healthcare, USA), and Douglas Slain (West Virginia University, USA)
Copyright: © 2016
|Pages: 27
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0169-5.ch019
Abstract
International Healthcare Experiences (IHEs) provide opportunities for students to experience healthcare in unfamiliar and sometimes challenging settings. Types of IHEs include acute care, ambulatory care, and medical missions. Students have reported multiple benefits through completion of IHEs including increased personal and professional development, increased cultural sensitivity, and increased self-awareness and self-confidence. While many benefits have been noted, there are also challenges in developing, implementing, and sustaining IHEs including financial considerations, safety concerns, and apprehensions regarding the impact the IHE is having on foreign patients and healthcare workers. Additionally, the possibility of limited sustainability of an IHE must be taken into account when evaluating its development and overall impact. This chapter's aim is to summarize the currently available literature on IHEs and to provide subjective reflections from international colleagues and students associated with IHEs connected to the authors' institutions.