Hi everyone,
Thanks for the great discussion at the last QSM session! I hope everyone was challenged on the issues around medical volunteerism and voluntourism.
As promised, here's a great article that encompasses many of the issues we discussed:
GLOBAL HEALTH ETHICS FOR STUDENTS
ANDREW D. PINTO AND ROSS E.G. UPSHUR
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19302567
Abstract
As a result of increased interest in global health, more and more medical students and trainees from the ‘developed world’ are working and studying in the ‘developing world’. However, while opportunities to do this important work increase, there has been insufficient development of ethical guidelines for students. It is often assumed that ethics training in developed world situations is applicable to health experiences globally. However, fundamental differences in both clinical and research settings necessitate an alternative paradigm of analysis. This article is intended for teachers who are responsible for preparing students prior to such experiences. A review of major ethical issues is presented, how they pertain to students, and a framework is outlined to help guide students in their work.
