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Urology residents at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have a unique opportunity to interact with a culturally diverse patient population – one that does not have easy access to specialized health care.
To enhance their curriculum, residents will participate in a new “global health” experience, funded in part by a $25,000 Picker Gold Grant for Residency Training from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
One evening each month, a group of residents and their attending physicians will see patients in a local community clinic operated by Physicians CareConnection.
“When you think of global health, you think of going abroad to help disadvantaged populations, but we actually have an underserved population right here in Columbus,” explains Tasha Posid, PhD, an education specialist, researcher and new faculty member in the Department of Urology. “This is a unique opportunity to serve the large immigrant population growing in Columbus. Many patients at the clinic require a translator, and they have limited access to medical insurance.”
Through the new global health training curriculum, residents will:
- Provide vital urologic care for people who cannot afford to see a specialist.
- Obtain enhanced training through their interactions with a highly diverse patient population they may not otherwise encounter at Ohio State.
In caring for patients at the community clinic, residents will increase their cross-cultural communication skills and gain new awareness and problem-solving experience, Dr. Posid explains.
Researchers will evaluate the success of the global health educational program. In the future, patients who enroll may have the opportunity to participate in tele-visits and other technology designed to increase care options.
