Refugees and medical student training: results of a programme in primary care.
BACKGROUND
Medical schools have responded to the increasing diversity of the population of the USA by incorporating cultural competency training into their curricula. This paper presents results from pre- and post-programme surveys of medical students who participated in a training programme that included evening clinical sessions for refugee patients and related educational workshops.


METHODS
A self-assessment survey was administered at the beginning and end of the academic year to measure the cultural awareness of participating medical students.


RESULTS
Over the 3 years of the programme, over 133 students participated and 95 (73%) completed pre- and post-programme surveys. Participants rated themselves significantly higher in all 3 domains of the cultural awareness survey after completion of the programme.


CONCLUSIONS
The opportunity for medical students to work with refugees in the provision of health care presents many opportunities for students, including lessons in communication, and scope to learn about other cultures and practise basic health care skills. An important issue to consider is the power differential between those working in medicine and patients who are refugees. To avoid reinforcing stereotypes, medical programmes and medical school curricula can incorporate efforts to promote reflection on provider attitudes, beliefs and biases.
Griswold
Kim
K
Family Medicine Research Institute, Department of Family Medicine, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14215, USA. griswol@buffalo.edu
Kernan
Joan B
JB
Servoss
Timothy J
TJ
Saad
Frances G
FG
Wagner
Christine M
CM
Zayas
Luis E
LE
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012036:Refugees; D014481:United States