Lizarraga Karlo J, Zizzi Christine, Chunga Natalia, Quispe Moore Luis Miguel, Risco Jorge, Valdovinos Blanca, Fernandez Macedo Victor, Camargo Salazar Isabel, Jozefowicz Ralph
Department of Neurology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4901 Lac De Ville Boulevard, Building D, Suite 120, Rochester, NY, 14618, USA.
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 Aug 28;25(1):1217. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07763-x.
International exchange programs offer unique opportunities to foster mutual cross-cultural learning. The neurology Peru-Rochester exchange program (NeuroPro) was established in 2020 through agreements between the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (URSMD) in Rochester, New York, USA, the Universidad Nacional de San Agustin (UNSA), Arequipa, Peru, and the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), Lima, Peru. Between 2020 and 2024, six trainees from the URSMD completed structured electives in public hospitals affiliated with the UNSA and the UNMSM, three trainees from the UNSA and three trainees from the UNMSM completed structured electives at the URSMD.
We explored the cross-cultural learning experiences of the trainees who completed an international elective as part of the NeuroPro. Prior to starting their electives, trainees received guidance to provide written reflections on diagnostic and therapeutic processes, financial decision-making related to patient care, administrative and logistic challenges related to patient care, community engagement, and other experiences they wanted to share. Reflections were collected 1-2 months after elective completion. Reflections underwent an interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify recurrent themes and select representative quotes.
Eleven of the 12 trainees provided written reflections. Constructed descriptive themes highlighted by trainees from the URSMD visiting the UNSA and the UNMSM included: (1) educational exposure to infectious diseases, (2) limited access to resources commonly available in the U.S., (3) empiric treatment used for diagnostic purposes, (4) patients and providers sharing social, financial and administrative challenges, and (5) community engagement for fundraising. Constructed descriptive themes highlighted by trainees from the UNSA and the UNMSM visiting the URSMD included: (1) educational exposure to rare diseases, (2) access to costly diagnostic tools and therapies, (3) limited involvement of providers in social, financial and administrative challenges, and (4) limited community engagement in the hospital. Constructed reflective themes highlighted by all trainees included overcoming the language barrier, cross-cultural experiences, and influence in their future practice.
International exchange programs can provide structured electives that offer cross-cultural immersion and mutually complementary learning experiences.
国际交流项目为促进相互的跨文化学习提供了独特机会。秘鲁 - 罗切斯特神经病学交流项目（NeuroPro）于2020年通过美国纽约罗切斯特大学医学与牙科学院（URSMD）、秘鲁阿雷基帕的圣奥古斯丁国立大学（UNSA）以及秘鲁利马的圣马科斯国立大学（UNMSM）之间的协议而设立。在2020年至2024年期间，6名来自URSMD的学员在UNSA和UNMSM附属的公立医院完成了结构化选修课程，3名来自UNSA的学员和3名来自UNMSM的学员在URSMD完成了结构化选修课程。
我们探讨了作为NeuroPro一部分完成国际选修课程的学员的跨文化学习经历。在开始选修课程之前，学员们收到指导，要求就诊断和治疗过程、与患者护理相关的财务决策、与患者护理相关的行政和后勤挑战、社区参与以及他们想分享的其他经历提供书面反思。反思在选修课程结束后1 - 2个月收集。对反思进行解释性现象学分析，以确定反复出现的主题并选择有代表性的引述。
12名学员中有11名提供了书面反思。来自URSMD访问UNSA和UNMSM的学员强调的构建性描述性主题包括：（1）传染病的教育接触；（2）难以获得美国常见的资源；（3）用于诊断目的的经验性治疗；（4）患者和提供者分享社会、财务和行政挑战；（5）社区参与筹款。来自UNSA和UNMSM访问URSMD的学员强调的构建性描述性主题包括：（1）罕见病的教育接触；（2）获得昂贵的诊断工具和治疗方法；（3）提供者在社会、财务和行政挑战中的参与有限；（4）医院中社区参与有限。所有学员强调的构建性反思主题包括克服语言障碍、跨文化经历以及对他们未来实践的影响。
国际交流项目可以提供结构化选修课程，提供跨文化沉浸和相互补充的学习体验。
