Teaching psychiatry in a low‐income country during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A hybrid collaborative psychiatry course. (29th December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Virani, Sanya; Handuleh, Jibril I. M.; Pereira‐Sanchez, Victor; Wolde‐Giorgis, Daniel Fekadu
• Other Names: Fiorillo Andrea guestEditor.; Sampogn Gaia guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Asia-Pacific psychiatry. Volume 13:Number 4(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-12-29
• Subjects: Academic psychiatry -- global mental health -- low and low middle‐income countries -- medical students -- Somaliland -- teaching psychiatry; Psychiatry -- Pacific Area -- Periodicals; 616.890095
• DOI: 10.1111/appy.12503
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1758-5864

Abstract

Abstract: Amoud University in Borama is located in the self‐declared state of Somaliland, in the Horn of Africa. Past conflicts and resulting economic hardship have led to a lack of local academic psychiatry faculty and resources. Amoud has been for some years partnering with voluntary faculty in the United Kingdom to teach psychiatry to its medical students through in‐person "teaching missions." This was recently led by a Borama‐native psychiatry resident in Ethiopia. COVID‐19 added further hardships due to restrictions to travel and in‐person gatherings. These challenges also created the opportunity for the development of an innovative, international, hybrid (online onsite), self‐sustaining partnership model which has been successful in improving psychiatry teaching for undergraduate students in 2020–2021 and will continue in 2021–2022. An international, 'online‐connected' department of psychiatry comprising a primary care physician in Somaliland, three postgraduate trainees in Ethiopia and the United States, and three senior psychiatrists in the United Kingdom developed a local faculty‐led, hybrid‐delivered, dynamic curriculum (bedside teaching, in person and online lecturing) that adapted to the needs, resources, faith and culture of Somaliland. While 2020–2021 has been the pilot year for the program, the overall experience has been enriching for students and faculty, leading to valuable cross‐cultural conversations with impact on teaching and research. While learning about Somalilanders' and trauma, the program leads, also the authors of this article, have identified ways to harness the resilience and faith of students to bring about improvements in global mental health.