title: Student perception of travel service learning experience in Morocco.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explores the perceptions of health profession students participating in academic service learning in Morocco with respect to adapting health care practices to cultural diversity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Authors utilized semi-structured, open-ended interviews to explore the perceptions of health profession students. Nine dental hygiene and nursing students who traveled to Morocco to provide oral and general health services were interviewed. After interviews were recorded, they were transcribed verbatim to ascertain descriptive validity and to generate inductive and deductive codes that constitute the major themes of the data analysis. Thereafter, NVIVO 8 was used to rapidly determine the frequency of applied codes. The authors compared the codes and themes to establish interpretive validity. Codes and themes were initially determined independently by co-authors and applied to the data subsequently. The authors compared the applied codes to establish intra-rater reliability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  International service learning experiences led to perceptions of growth as a health care provider among students. The application of knowledge and skills learned in academic programs and service learning settings were found to help in bridging the theory-practice gap. The specific experience enabled students to gain an understanding of diverse health care and cultural practices in Morocco.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Students perceived that the experience gained in international service learning can heighten awareness of diverse cultural and health care practices to foster professional growth of health professionals.
authors.forename: Aditi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaddoura
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dominick
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D009018:Morocco; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013334:Students
keywords: culture; health professions and access to care; inter–professional healthcare; service learning