Global Health Initiatives: The University of Minnesota Experience in Karnataka, India

The University of Minnesota (UOM) established the Office of International Medical Education and Research (IMER) in 1998 to fulfill its mission of international health to promote medical student education, clinical experiences, and research for graduate, postgraduate trainees, and faculty. Due to the wide-reaching impact of the specialty, an anesthesiologist was appointed to the executive committee. India is currently the largest world democracy and was chosen for partnership sites given its rich culture, economic and sociopolitical position, large rates of fluency in English among health professionals, and relative safety for trainees and faculty (asamonitor.pub/3JVem2k). Strong relationships between institutions in India and the Department of Anesthesiology at the UOM facilitated collaboration between the Indian College of Anaesthesiologists (ICA), ASA, and the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA), fostering partnerships between these professional societies. This report provides valuable information for anesthesiologists interested in global health. It provides an example of sharing and...