期刊名称：African Journal of Health Professions Education
印刷版ISSN：2078-5127
电子版ISSN：2078-5127
出版年度：2017
卷号：9
期号：4
页码：203-207
出版社：African Journals Online
摘要：Background . Participation in international electives is an integral part of medical training for many medical students, yet little research explores the experiences of students from low-income countries who travel to high-income countries for medical electives. Methods . One hundred and two Ghanaian medical students who participated in 3 - 4-week clinical rotations at the University of Michigan between January 2008 and December 2011 were invited to participate in a mixed-methods study. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 respondents from the larger group who agreed to take part in follow-up interviews. The 60- to 90-minute interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were coded by three investigators in an iterative process of thematic identification, codebook generation and revision and consensus discussions. Results . Respondents described perceived differences between Ghana and the USA, including: exposure to ‘new’ aspects of medicine; differences between Ghanaian and US patients, healthcare workers, and patient-provider relationships; and aspects of the US system that they would like to see emulated in Ghana. Conclusion . This preliminary study suggests that international bilateral exchange programmes have lasting value for participants from low-income nations. Further research is needed to determine if the different types of experiences yield measurably different benefits.
