ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement A-K 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 30
WONCA 2023 Supplement 1: WONCA 2023 abstracts (A–K)
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Global health: Sharing knowledge and experiences between
the Global North and Global South
Dr Susana Alvear D, Galo Sanchez
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PUCE
Medical universities around the world, from higher to lower income countries, look for opportunities for
their students to experience healthcare delivery in different parts of the world. Particularly in the US,
medical schools’ global health departments send students on short-term rotations all over the globe.
This practice allows students to be exposed to different languages, cultures and healthcare delivery,
often in limited resource settings.
From 1996, physician educators in Quito, Ecuador, have received roughly 500 students through Child
Family Health International in disciplines such as premedical studies, medicine, nursing and public
health from various universities in the US. To avoid entrenching colonialist perspectives in medical
trainees or providing an opportunity for medical tourism, the Quito rotation promotes language and
cultural exposure through language study and homestays, as well as strict supervision from an
Ecuadorian physician in the clinical experiences. This experience goes above and beyond traditional
short-term medical trips and develops sensitivity in future health providers to be able to care for
a patient from another culture in a holistic fashion. This innovative rotation in Quito creates a solid
learning experience in global health, incorporating ethical principles such as respect for different
cultures, humility and self-reflection in the context of public health principles. The goal is not to ‘save’
but to illuminate the Ecuadorian health system, social determinants of health, traditional medicine and
serious problems in public health, such as maternal mortality and teen pregnancy.
Through this rotation design, a local benefit is also included: local instructors learn new methods of
teaching and learning, sharing of different perspectives and application of the principles of public
health. Host communities benefit through improved knowledge of local tutors and funding of a
longitudinal community service project, following ethical principles of autonomy, benefit and conformity
to local norms.
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