title: Postgraduate Emergency Medicine Training in India: An Educational Partnership with the Private Sector.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emergency medicine (EM) is a recently recognized specialty in India, still in its infancy. Local training programs are developing, but remain very limited. Private, for-profit hospitals are an important provider of graduate medical education (GME) in India, and are partnering with United States (US) universities in EM to expand training opportunities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to describe current private-sector programs affiliated with a US university providing postgraduate EM training in India, the evolution and structure of these programs, and successes and challenges of program implementation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Programs have been established in seven cities in India in partnership with a US academic institution. Full-time trainees have required didactics, clinical rotations, research, and annual examinations. Faculty members affiliated with the US institution visit each program monthly. Regular evaluations have informed program modifications, and a local faculty development program has been implemented. Currently, 240 trainees are enrolled in the EM postgraduate program, and 141 physicians have graduated. A pilot survey conducted in 2012 revealed that 93% of graduates are currently practicing EM, 82% of those in India; 71% are involved in teaching, and 32% in research. Further investigation into programmatic impacts is necessary. Challenges include issues of formal program recognition both in India and abroad.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This unique partnership is playing a major early role in EM GME in India. Future steps include official program recognition, expanded numbers of training sites, and a gradual transition of training and education to local faculty. Similar partnership programs may be effective in other settings outside of India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Douglass
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pousson
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gidwani
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007391:International Cooperation; D007393:International Educational Exchange; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012577:Schools, Medical; D014481:United States
keywords: India; curriculum; education and training; international emergency medicine