Impact of Global Health Experience on Naturopathic Medical Education

Background: First-hand exposure to a healthcare system in a developing country can impact personal experience as well as medical education. Medical education is often focused on delivery of care in a setting where supplies are readily available and care is easily delivered. Exposure to healthcare in a country where this is not the case can impact a medical student’s perception of global and public health, effectively utilizing limited resources, and facing the challenge of not being able to treat all patients who need care.

Natural Doctors International (NDI) is a grass-roots organization providing healthcare within the scope of naturopathic medicine at a permanent clinic on the island of Ometepe, Nicaragua. ND students can elect to take part in a 10-day Global Health Course through NDI where participants are actively involved in completing screening physical exams, primary care, and formulation of treatment plans under the supervision of a licensed Naturopathic Doctor (ND).

Methods: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of participation in the volunteer brigade on medical education. 442 previous participants in NDI’s Global Health Course or internship program were surveyed using a questionnaire to evaluate pre- and post-brigade understanding of public and global health, motivation for participation in the brigade, perceived direction in the healthcare profession, the experience of providing care despite language and cultural barriers, and finally how the brigade impacted the medical education experience, cultural sensitivity, confidence, and overall understanding of global and public health in a resource-poor setting.

Results: First-hand exposure to a developing country’s healthcare system can positively impact a ND student’s medical education, particularly with respect to self-assessed ability to act as an effective a primary healthcare provider.

Conclusions: Although not embedded in the curriculum or having formal didactic structure, there are clear perceived benefits in participating in a global health experience for ND students. Evaluation and assessment of global health experiences in the curriculum seems warranted.