[The Montana Professor 23.1, Fall 2012 <http://mtprof.msun.edu>]

Transnationalism and Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Education: The Minor in Global Public Health

Peter Koehn, PhD
Professor of Political Science and Program Director, Global Public Health and International Development Studies
University of Montana-Missoula

The Institute of Medicine defines global health as "'health problems, issues, and concerns that transcend national boundaries, may be influenced by circumstances or experiences in other countries, and are best addressed by cooperative actions and solutions.'" Across the United States and internationally, "students of many disciplines increasingly desire global health content in their curricula." Interest in global health reflects a deeper feeling of international connectedness and increased transnational opportunities, along with growing awareness regarding the inequalities in disease burden observed within industrialized countries, most low-income countries, and tribal communities. One recent study recommended that "the primary place for global health education is at the undergraduate level where every student can be exposed to all aspects of globalization and to domestic and international health disparities, the organization of international health responses, and be prepared to work collaboratively with international partners whether at home or abroad."

Home, of course, includes the region served by our higher ed institutions. Health disparities facing the northwest region of the United States occur most frequently within reservation communities. Native Americans living in Montana experience a high incidence of serious health problems and have a lower average life expectancy (67.2 years) than both the U.S. population as a whole (75.8 years) and all Native Americans nationwide (71.1 years). Native Americans also are underrepresented in health professions and underserved within a variety of public health domains.

Cognizant of these international and local needs, faculty, staff, and students at The University of Montana have collaborated on the design and implementation of the undergraduate Minor in Global Public Health (GPH)—a program recently approved by the Board of Regents. The GPH minor aims to advance students' understanding of and ability to respond to public-health concerns not only internationally but also within Montana's indigenous populations.

The Minor in Global Public Health is designed to meet the growing need for university graduates who are prepared to help communities, professions, and societies address domestic and overseas infectious-, chronic-, and migration-health challenges that transcend borders. The GPH minor opens attractive transnational career pathways in medicine, research, health education and management, international economics and business, immigrant health, philanthropy, diplomacy, public policy, and international public and NGO service for graduates whose disciplinary preparation is in business, law, economics, community health, social work, pharmacy, nursing, political science, environmental sciences, and the natural sciences.

The introduction to public-health issues and skills that will be provided to GPH students will also constitute a preliminary step in addressing key workforce needs of the state of Montana. Many of the state's approximately 1400 public-health workers will soon be retiring. Additionally, the majority of Montana's counties have been designated as medically underserved, indicating that rural residents do not have access to health care. The GPH minor will introduce an increasing number of undergraduate students to public-health issues at a time in their education when they can take the necessary steps for a career in health that will help meet Montana's workforce needs.

The GPH is the latest development in the UM's emphasis on transnational and transdisciplinary initiatives. A transdisciplinary undergraduate minor deepens issue awareness and understanding of linkages and interdependencies and heightens motivation to become involved in generating mitigating actions. The GPH minor specifically addresses President Royce Engstrom's call for enhancing the undergraduate curriculum by "incorporating greater exposure to the 'big questions'" and "developing more interdisciplinary problem solving." Graduates who capably serve the Missoula community, the state of Montana and its tribal reservations, the region, the nation, and the world will help to enhance the profile of The University of Montana and the Montana University System, and—while the costs for this undergraduate minor are relatively modest—the contributions to the student's overall education and, by extension, to society can be immense.

References

[The Montana Professor 23.1, Fall 2012 <http://mtprof.msun.edu>]