Graduate medical education competencies for international health electives: A qualitative study

AbstractBackground: Residency programs offer international health electives (IHEs), providing multiple educational benefits. This study aimed to identify how IHEs fulfill the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies.Methods: We conducted a thematic analysis of post-rotation reflective reports from residents who participated in IHEs through the Mayo International Health Program. We coded reports using a codebook created from the ACGME competencies. Using a constant comparative method, we identified significant themes within each competency.Results: Residents from 40 specialties participated in 377 IHEs in 56 countries from 2001 to 2014. Multiple themes were identified within each of the six ACGME core competencies: Patient Care and Procedural Skills (4), Medical Knowledge (5), Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (3), Interpersonal and Communication Skills (5), Professionalism (4), and Systems-Based Practice and Improvement (3). Themes included improving physical ex...