New course meets physician demand for global health training

Posted Mar 10, 2009

A 2007 survey showed that many Oregon physicians hesitate to volunteer for international medical missions because of their perceived lack of training in infectious disease, tropical medicine, public health, malnutrition, trauma care and management of childhood illness. OHSU's new program, Physicians Training in Global Health, addresses this concern. This ten-week, two days a week, course was launched in the fall of 2008 to train physicians for medical opportunities overseas and for disaster relief. Experts speak on everything from AIDS to arboviruses, from malaria to meningitis, from trachoma to TB, and from dysentery to dengue fever.

Another concern raised by physicians who want to volunteer overseas is: "I've been a specialist my whole career and am out of touch with primary care." For this reason Physicians Training in Global Health also incorporates primary care training in family medicine, emergency medicine, obstetrics and pediatrics. Trainees get one-on-one clinical training under the supervision of OHSU faculty physicians serving as preceptors. Additional primary care training is offered at free medical clinics in the Portland area.

The course targets physicians who are approaching retirement or are semi-retired, because these practitioners may have more time to volunteer overseas. Six physicians completed the pilot program last fall and several hundred others have expressed interest in the course. Physicians Training in Global Health is offered through OHSU's Global Health Center. For more information or for the course curriculum, contact Andy Harris, MD, Course Director, andyharrismd@comcast.net, or Cate Bishop, Global Health Center Coordinator, bishopca@ohsu.edu.