SETTING: Two cohorts of international exchange programme for second year medical students in the UK and Malaysia.
DESIGN: Interpretivist qualitative design using semistructured interviews/focus groups with students and faculty.
METHODS: Participants were asked about their learning experiences during and after the exchange. Data were recorded with consent and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
RESULTS: Four themes were identified: (1) overall benefits of the exchange programme, (2) personal growth and development, (3) understanding and observing a different educational environment and (4) experiencing different healthcare systems.
CONCLUSION: The international exchange programme highlighted differences in learning approaches, students from both campuses gained valuable learning experiences which increased their personal growth, confidence, cultural competence, giving them an appreciation of a better work-life balance and effective time management skills. It is often a challenge to prepare healthcare professionals for work in a global multicultural workplace and we would suggest that exchange programmes early on in a medical curriculum would go some way to addressing this challenge.
AIM: What types of Transnational Medical Education programmes can be identified from the international literature? What are the strengths and weaknesses of these programmes and do they prepare students for international practice?
METHODS: This review was based on the PRISMA-Guidelines for systematic reviews. We searched five electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, WEB of Science and ERIC. No date or language restrictions were placed on the inclusion criteria. Data extraction was completed by two independent reviewers. Quality appraisal was carried out using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and a narrative synthesis of the included papers was conducted.
RESULTS: Our literature search identified 12 studies. From the included studies we were able to identify three types of Transnational Medical Education Programme, and a number of strengths and weaknesses of these programmes. Strengths were: increasing medical workforce capacity, enhancing the quality of education locally, promoting intercultural competence and increasing exposure to new ways of working (enhanced communication skills, shared decision-making, experience of multidisciplinary teamwork and patient-centeredness). Weaknesses were: potential curriculum misalignment within the context of clinical practice, language barriers and encountering differences in hierarchical systems, shared decision making and patient-centredness all of which impact preparation for practice.
CONCLUSION: Transnational medical education programmes address shortages within the medical workforce by creating additional training opportunities. They can also drive up the quality of medical education locally. There is, however, a potential mismatch between the curriculum and the place of practice which can impact upon graduates' preparation for professional practice.