TOP 11 - Global Health Fellows Curriculum

Publication Number: 1771.TOP 11

Kelsey Thetford, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States; Christina L. Cochran, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States; Priya Prabhakaran, University of Alabama, Birmingham, birmingham, AL, United States; Meghan E. Hofto, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States

Background: Global health is defined as the practice, research, and study of promoting health and health equity for all people throughout the world. Recent global outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and rising cases of measles in the United States emphasize the need for all trainees to receive education regarding global health topics, including cultural humility, caring for patients in resource limited settings, infectious/tropical diseases, caring for immigrants and refugees, and social justice and health equity. We identified a lack of global health training in our pediatric fellowship training.

Objective: The primary objectives of the study are to assess overall global health knowledge of fellows and fellow attitudes toward global health.

Design/Methods: We have implemented an 18-month longitudinal global health curriculum into our existing combined fellows lecture conferences. The global health curriculum is being offered to all Pediatric PICU, PHM, and PEM fellows. The curriculum includes the following sessions: Introduction to Global Health, Fever in a Returning Traveler, Global Health Journal Club, Global Health Ethics, Clinical Case (Sepsis & Malnutrition) Simulation in Resource Limited Setting, and Caring for the Immigrant and Refugee Child. Five of the conferences have been completed, beginning quarterly in September 2024, with one conference remaining in December 2025. To characterize the reception of the curriculum, we obtained a pre-course survey and plan to offer a post-course survey at the conclusion of the curriculum. With each conference, we are obtaining post-conference surveys. The surveys are conducted anonymously via REDCap, and survey data was deemed exempt by the UAB IRB. Preliminary data from our pre-course participant surveys are promising, with participants strongly agreeing (36%) and agreeing (64%) with the benefit of a global health curriculum in their education. The average percent correct scores for the pre-course clinical scenario-based questions was 44%. Post-conference surveys have demonstrated favorable attitudes regarding benefit for each conference session with average participant ratings as strongly agree (57%) and agree (40%). Survey data will be collected for the remaining conference session and statistically analyzed to compare pre- and post-curriculum results. We anticipate all results to be completed and analyzed in December 2025. With the positive feedback from the sessions, we plan to continue and expand global health educational conferences after the completion of the curriculum.