International infectious diseases teaching to undergraduate medical students: A successful European collaborative experience

• Published in: Medical teacher Vol. 39; no. 9; pp. 981 - 986
• Main Authors: Charlier, Caroline, Johannessen, Ingólfur, Mackintosh, Claire L., Wilks, David, Cauda, Roberto, Wolf, Federica I., Le Jeunne, Claire
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01.09.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Bacterial infection; College students; Colleges & universities; Communicable Diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Core curriculum; Curricula; Curriculum; Drug resistance; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Education, Medical; Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods; Europe; Feasibility; Global Health - education; Health education; Health promotion; Humans; Infectious diseases; International cooperation; International exchanges; Medical education; Medical schools; Medical students; Mobility; Public Health; Schools, Medical; Students, Medical; Teachers; Teaching; Transients and Migrants; Undergraduate Students
• ISSN: 0142-159X; 1466-187X
• DOI: 10.1080/0142159X.2017.1332364

Context: The emerging global-health paradigm requires medical teaching to be continuously redefined and updated; to this end, transnational approaches should be encouraged and medical training harmonized. Infectious diseases (ID) teaching in the current context of emerging infections, fast-increasing bacterial resistance and large-scale human migration, was chosen to develop a common international course. Objective: We report the successful implementation of a joint European undergraduate course aiming to (i) develop a common ID core curriculum among European medical schools; (ii) promote mobility among teachers and students (iii) promote international cooperation among European teachers. Methods: The course was built around teachers' mobility. It was delivered in English by a team of European medical educators from Paris Descartes University, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome and the University of Edinburgh to groups of 25-30 undergraduate medical students at each university. Partner Institutions officially recognized the course as substitutive of or additive to the regular curriculum. Results: The course has been running for 3 years and received excellent satisfaction scores by students and staff as regards to scientific content, pedagogy and international exchanges. Conclusion: This cooperative approach demonstrates the feasibility of a harmonized European undergraduate medical education, having ID as a test experiment for future developments.