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Pre-Departure Modules

Global health experiences are exciting, wonderful learning opportunities and preparation for your trip is important.

Helpful preparation includes travel and health logistics as well as understanding the cultural context of the host community and the ethics of these short-term experiences. Many well-intentioned students have inadvertently caused harm to communities during their global health engagements due to a lack of understanding and cultural humility.

The following modules provide an introduction and orientation to global health fieldwork.

 

Learning Objectives: 

  • Understand basic travel safety and health precautions and emergency procedures.
  • Critically review global health research and education.

Useful videos:

Useful articles:

Useful book:

  • African Friends and Money Matters by David E. Maranz

Questions to consider: 

  • Review questions at the end of the White, et al. article
  • Regarding the Lukolyo, et al. (2016) and Kung, et al. (2016) articles, What critiques do you have of the articles (hint: consider the authorship)? Based on their recommendations and Karan’s commentary, how will you prepare for your global health experiences? How, if at all, has your perception of your experience changed?

Learning Objectives: 

  • Demonstrate cultural humility in engaging with the host site and in describing the ISC experience with family/friends.
  • Understand signs and phases of culture shock (and reverse culture shock) and ways to mitigate it.

Useful videos: 

Useful articles:

  • Go Overseas by M. Schmidtt in How to Deal with Culture Shock While Abroad (2021)
  • A New Culture, chapter 4 in A Few Minor Adjustments (Peace Corps Volunteer handbook)
  • Unite for Sight’s Cultural Competency modules

Gaining an understanding of the local area culture, history, language, and clinical practice should not be delayed until you are in country and is a crucial part of preparation.

  • Consider following local news outlets on Twitter and using other online resources including GeographyNow (short, very informative videos on individual countries), CIA World Factbook, Everyculture, Frommer’s, Lonely Planet, and others.
  • Research your host community and country. Learning about the various health, cultural, political, and historical aspects of your host country is vitally important to beginning to understand the context in which your patients and co-workers live. Gaining familiarity with the country’s health, political, and education systems as well as cultural and language nuances will help you adapt and adjust to your new environment and to connect in meaningful ways with your colleagues and patients. See the Country Specific Resources page for resources of commonly visited countries by Vanderbilt students.
  • For medical students: Due to a lack of WiFi at many of the hospitals, you likely will not have easy access to UpToDate, so being familiar with common diseases will be helpful. Here are a few suggestions to start:
    • Search for relevant clinical guidelines such as print copies of World Health Organization treatment manuals or U.S. guides relevant to the scope of work you will be doing.
    • Turn off your WiFi (go into Airplane mode) and try to access some of your downloaded medical apps before you go. You may be able to access part of some apps (such as without photos or videos).
    • Review the country’s ministry of health or department of health website for any country guidelines for common conditions such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, or maternal care. Download these references prior to travel if possible.
    • Review burden of disease, especially tropical disease by region prior to travel to anticipate the conditions you will be treating. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) maintains country profiles where this information can easily be accessed.

*The suggestions above were found in “The Practitioner’s Guide to Global Health,” an edX course by Boston University.

Questions for consideration: 

  • What actions will you take in face of the various stages of culture shock? How will you prepare for reverse culture shock?
  • What helpful resources have you found about your country?

Learning Objective: 

  • Consider the impact of their power on interactions in the clinic and community.

Useful videos:

Useful articles:

Questions for consideration: 

  • Describe power that you might (or might not) hold in your host clinic and community. How will you navigate power differentials?

A case study to consider: MSF’s intervention in Liberia in 2014

In addition to these modules developed at Vanderbilt, there are many high-quality resources from other institutions that will help prepare you for your time abroad. We recommend these resources: