title: Global health competencies and approaches in medical education: a literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physicians today are increasingly faced with healthcare challenges that require an understanding of global health trends and practices, yet little is known about what constitutes appropriate global health training.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review was undertaken to identify competencies and educational approaches for teaching global health in medical schools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using a pre-defined search strategy, 32 articles were identified; 11 articles describing 15 global health competencies for undergraduate medical training were found. The most frequently mentioned competencies included an understanding of: the global burden of disease, travel medicine, healthcare disparities between countries, immigrant health, primary care within diverse cultural settings and skills to better interface with different populations, cultures and healthcare systems. However, no consensus on global health competencies for medical students was apparent. Didactics and experiential learning were the most common educational methods used, mentioned in 12 and 13 articles respectively. Of the 11 articles discussing competencies, 8 linked competencies directly to educational approaches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review highlights the imperative to document global health educational competencies and approaches used in medical schools and the need to facilitate greater consensus amongst medical educators on appropriate global health training for future physicians.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Battat
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seidman
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chadi
authors.forename: Mohammed Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chanda
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nehme
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hulme
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Nazlie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Faridi
authors.forename: Timothy F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Brewer
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D032921:Consensus; D054521:Cultural Competency; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007393:International Educational Exchange; D038622:Internationality