Our friends at The Working Group on Global Activities by Students at Pre-Health Levels (GASP) are focusing on, “the ‘pull factors’ of students being under the impression that premature hands-on patient care bolsters medical and health professions school applications.” A group largely consisting of medical professionals and professors, they are working to increase awareness of the risks of un-credentialed patient care. Their collective aim is to be sure undergraduates and even high school students are aware that inappropriate medical volunteering will not support their graduate or professional school applications.

Several key resources are organized below, in addition to other content already available at this website, which is summarized at the end. Very importantly for our regular readers, The University of Minnesota offers a free  online orientation for students preparing for global health experiences. It is available to everyone, for free. There are many more resources available in this area, but this collection offers a start. We will continue to post on this important topic as GASP and its work advances.

Related, Peer-Reviewed Articles

Promoting social responsibility amongst health care users: medical tourists’ perspectives on an information sheet regarding ethical concerns in medical tourism

Adams, K., Snyder, J., Crooks, V., & Johnston, R. (2013). Promoting social responsibility amongst health care users: medical tourists’ perspectives on an information sheet regarding ethical concerns in medical tourism. Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, 8, 19.

Global health and dental education: a tipping point?

Greenspan, J. (2013). Global health and dental education: a tipping point?. Journal of Dental Education, 77, 10.

Student perceptions about the mission of dental schools to advance global dentistry and philanthropy

Ivanoff, C., Ivanoff, A., Yaneva, K., Hottel, T., & Proctor, H. (2013). Student perceptions about the mission of dental schools to advance global dentistry and philanthropy. Journal of Dental Education 77, 10.

Views from the global south: exploring how student volunteers from the global north can achieve sustainable impact in global health

Ouma, B., & Dimaras, H. (2013). Views from the global south: exploring how student volunteers from the global north can achieve sustainable impact in global health.  Globalization and Health, 9, 32.

Voluntourism and global health: preparing dental students for responsible engagement in international programs

Seymour, B., Benzian, H., & Kalendarian, E. (2012). Voluntourism and global health: preparing dental students for responsible engagement in international programs. Journal of Dental Education, 77, 10.

Fly-By medical care: Conceptualizing the global and local social responsibilities of medical tourists and physician voluntourists

Snyder, J., Crooks, V., & Dharamsi, S. (2011). Fly-By medical care: Conceptualizing the global and local social responsibilities of medical tourists and physician voluntourists. Globalization and Health, 7, 6.

Expanding the scope of medical mission volunteer groups to include a research component

Rovers, J., Andreski, M., Gitua, J., Bagayoko, A., & DeVore, J. (2014). Expanding the scope of medical mission volunteer groups to include a research component. Globalization and Health, 10, 7.

Promoting volunteerism in global health: lessons from a medical mission in northern Mexico

Withers, M., Browner, C., & Aghaloo, T. (2013). Promoting volunteerism in global health: lessons from a medical mission in northern Mexico. J Community Health, 38, 374-384.

Dissertations, Theses, and Other Works:

The ethics of medical brigades in Honduras 

Bradke, Amanda Jo (2009) The Ethics of Medical Brigades in Honduras: Who are we helping? Master’s Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.

American Dental Association Policy Addressing Student Participation in Outreach Programs

Australian Dental Association Handbook for Dental Volunteer Projects 

World Dental Federation Guidelines for Dental Volunteers 

Interested in more global-health related resources from globalsl.org? Take a look at: 

• Our summary of a piece in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Some Global Health Programs Let Students Do Too Much, Too Soon.
• Jessica Evert, Medical Doctor and Executive Director of Child Family Health International, shared How does global service-learning become a dis-service in health care settings? 
• Judith N. Lasker, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University, offered a summary of her upcoming book on international health volunteerism.
• Dr. Lasker has also been kind enough to share guidelines for international service trip participation, How to Have the Best Possible Global Health Volunteer Trip.
• Good Intentions and Tangible Harms: One Cambodian’s Story is an important first-person account from a young Cambodian man and his foster mother