Transforming the future: What are the critical competencies to prepare the next generation of global health professionals

Objectives: We investigated how universities can design curriculum to optimally prepare students and professional trainees who will effectively address current and future global health needs. Methods: We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with leaders from 27 global health philanthropies, implementing organizations and academic or research institutions. Results: Respondents emphasized that global health professionals must be adequately trained to address future issues of disease and health systems as well as social and environmental determinants of health. They stressed the need for universities to create visionary, culturally competent global health leaders who are able to bridge across multiple disciplines and sectors. They also emphasized a need for applied, experiential, and “real world” learning approaches to curriculum, with opportunities for students to develop practical skills, such as management. Conclusions: Global health curriculum should include experiential, as well as didactic approaches to facilitate interdisciplinary team learning. Global health professionals must understand a broad range of biological, social, economic, political and environmental determinants of health, implement interventions that bridge across these diverse factors, and manage large, complex systems using strong leadership skills to marshal cooperation and build coalitions among groups both within and beyond the health sector. Training in these competencies will require new educational models that may catalyze broader changes in preparation of health professionals and health systems.