S2962 Global Health Training a Priority for Aspiring Gastroenterology Fellows

Introduction: Global health education equips trainees with the skills needed to address diverse health issues, foster collaboration across borders, and develop culturally competent care practices. How global health opportunities impact prospective GI fellowship applicants’ decision on where to pursue their gastroenterology training has not been previously investigated. Since 2022, University of California (UC) Davis faculty and trainees have been participating in Rwandan Endoscopy Week, which is a multi-national collaboration between the non-profit GI Rising, the Rwandan Society for Endoscopy, and the Rwandan Ministry of Health. Methods: A 10 question anonymous Qualtrics survey was created and administered via email to all GI fellowship applicants who were interviewed at University of California, Davis Medical Center. IRB exemption was obtained and the survey was emailed to interviewees after both the fellowship and applicants had submitted their respective rank lists. Results: The applicant response rate to the survey was 71.0% (n = 27). Sixty percent of respondents had not previously been on a global health trip. Fifty-two percent noted that having the opportunity to pursue global health in fellowship was important to them with 44.0% specifying that having a dedicated global health curriculum and mentors at their fellowship was important. Sixty percent were unaware that UC Davis had a global health trip to Rwanda prior to their interview day; however, 72.0% noted that the UC Davis’ Rwandan Endoscopy Week participation positively affected their view of UC Davis as a fellowship destination. Ultimately, 45.5% stated that UC Davis’ global health opportunity in Rwanda positively affected how they ranked the GI fellowship. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the impact of global health opportunities on prospective GI fellowship applicants’ decisions. Our findings suggest that global health experiences are highly valued, with a majority of respondents noting their importance even though only 40% of applicants had previously participated in global health trips. Furthermore, almost half of applicants noted that UC Davis’ global health opportunity positively affected their ultimate ranking of the program. These results underscore the significant role global health plays in fellowship selection by applicants, offering valuable insights for recruitment and program development.