Evaluating changes in global health and cultural competence among graduate students after a short-term field experience in Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Short-term international field experiences are increasingly used to develop global health competencies that are difficult to foster in classroom-based education. However, evidence on their impact among graduate-level public health students, particularly in East Asian contexts, remains limited. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of a one-week field training program in Tanzania (June 22–28, 2025) with graduate students from Yonsei University. Pre-post surveys assessed global health and cultural competence using the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health global health domains and the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence among Healthcare Professionals – Student Version. Wilcoxon signed rank tests compared pre-post scores. Qualitative data from daily reflective journals and a post-program group interview were analyzed thematically by 2 independent coders, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. Results: All 7 students completed, and a subsample of 5 students also completed daily reflective journals and a post-program group interview. Quantitative analyses showed significant gains in understanding national healthcare system models (P = 0.031) and in applying interdisciplinary teamwork skills (P = 0.031). Several domains, such as understanding cultural practices, knowledge of major causes of and mortality, and equity and social justice, exhibited upward, near-significant trends. Qualitative findings indicated transformative learning in cultural understanding, appreciation of community-based interventions, system-level insight across multiple tiers of care, and strengthened professional confidence. Conclusion: Even brief, well-structured international field experiences can support meaningful development of global health competencies among graduate public health students, particularly in health systems understanding, equity-oriented thinking, and collaborative practice. Further studies with larger cohorts and longitudinal designs are needed to examine the sustainability and broader transferability of these gains. © 2025 Korean Society of Global Health.