title: Use of an international faculty/student exchange program as a process to establish and improve graduate education and research within an allied health discipline.
abstract: It has been recognized in the allied health professions that allied health disciplines must enhance and increase their research and scholarly activity. If faculty/staff are to be judged in the academic environment in which they work, their efforts to conduct research must be supported. Recognition for academic scholarship measured by the performance of research and scholarly activity is often difficult for faculty/staff to attain because of increased demands for scheduled time devoted to classroom instruction and student advising. This inability for faculty/staff to engage in research and scholarly activity often is enhanced by the lack of proper and adequate facilities and equipment. Also important is the role of graduate education, which itself, provides a stimulus for the performance of research and scholarly activity. This article reports outcomes achieved by an international faculty/staff-student program that provides an opportunity for faculty/staff and students within an allied health discipline to conduct research and scholarly activity. This program could serve as a model to identify the strengths and benefits that can be achieved by such programs. This program is capable of improving the research and scholarly activity of all academic units within an allied health discipline.
authors.affiliation: College of Allied Health Professions, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Gallicchio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Birch
mesh_terms: D016390:Allied Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D007393:International Educational Exchange; D007629:Kentucky; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012106:Research; D012576:Schools, Health Occupations / Q000458:organization & administration*