Design and pilot implementation of an evaluation tool assessing professionalism, communication and collaboration during a unique global health elective

BACKGROUND: Global health electives (GHEs) allow medical students to experience different health systems, but there are few instruments to assess performance, prompting us to adapt and pilot such an instrument. METHODS: A tool to evaluate professionalism, communication and collaboration was developed and piloted on GHE students. The main outcome measure was Faculty assessment of students, but peer assessment and self-assessment were also performed and semi-structured interviews with students were used for corroboration. The 31 items were rated using a Likert scale and marks before and after the GHE were compared. RESULTS: The tool was sensitive to change. Students improved in each competency, the greatest change being in collaboration, which moved from 4.5/7 to 5.44/7. Qualitative analyses supported observed changes. CONCLUSIONS: Our tool, adapted from accreditation bodies' requirements, appeared to be able to discern changes in acquisition of skills in several important competencies in medical students participating in a GHE.