An Issue Dedicated to Health Education
In the high, windswept peaks of the Andes, a group of American medical students gathered with Peruvian families together to teach a class on hygiene. The lesson that they taught was on the importance of daily bathing. Later, after spending time in the Andean villages, speaking with locals and reflecting on their experience as a group, the students realized that daily baths in the mountains, where water was scarce, were neither practical nor necessary. Having devoted time to reflection and discussion the group — of which I was a member — had learned something about Andean culture, allowing us to adapt and improve our public health program.
A medical education with a strong foundation in global health is of fundamental importance for modern medical students from every corner of the world. As my group learned in Peru, experience combined with reflection and discussion can be a powerful tool for learning. Taking time to think over the actions, implications and qualities of what we had seen and done allowed us to uncover aspects of our situation that we had initially missed.
The Global Pulse Journal recognizes the important role that sharing and reflecting hold in medical education and proudly presents articles, stories, poems and photos from around the world. Through these shared experiences, connecting with other medical students and taking time to think and reflect about the diverse topics presented here, we can all learn. Improving global health is a group effort, and I invite you to gain from the experiences that other share in this edition of the Journal, and to consider sharing your own experience in the future.