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Thinking globally with Dr. Lynn Eckhert
Director of Academic Programs
Partners Harvard Medical International
Dr. Lynn Eckhert collaborates with other academic leaders at PHMI and at our partner institutions on initiatives focused on developing and enhancing medical and nursing schools and programs. Dr. Eckhert joined our organization following numerous faculty and administrative leadership positions at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), where she served as Associate Dean for Admissions, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Dean/Vice Chancellor for International and Public Health Programs. At UMMS she also served as Chairman of the Executive Committee, President of the University Hospital medical staff, and Chairman of the Credentials Committee. She served on the Board of Trustees of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), which she chaired from 2001-2004, and was also a founding board member of the Foundation for the Advancement of Medical Education and research (FAIMER). She chaired the Association of American Medical Colleges Executive Council in 2004-2005.
Q: Through your work with ECFMG, FAIMER, and Project Hope, you’ve long been engaged with health care and education outside the United States. Can you tell us how your interest in working abroad developed?
A: I have been very fortunate to have had many opportunities to work abroad. I was a nurse prior to enrolling in medical school, and therefore had clinical experience that was useful for a summer clerkship in Phebe Hospital in Liberia in West Africa. In my final year of medical school I spent three months at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. Then as a resident I returned to work in Liberia. These experiences helped me identify further preparation I would need for an academic career that would embrace global health, and led me to enroll at Johns Hopkins University to earn both an MPH and a Dr PH as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar.
Over the years I have taken a particular interest in working on developing standards that would improve the training of the health care workforce. My work at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, with Project Hope, and later with ECFMG and FAIMER all expanded my knowledge of medical education on a global level and the importance of strengthening the medical educational systems worldwide.
Q: One of PHMI’s major focuses is helping health care delivery organizations and hospitals meet international benchmarks for health care quality and patient safety. Given the increasing number of physicians who migrate from country to country, there seems an obvious need to establish international benchmarks for medical training as well. Is this an achievable goal, and if so, how?
A: Joint Commission International, the global accreditor of hospitals, put into place global standards for institutions and set the stage for a similar system for medical schools. Since physicians do cross borders it is logical that the public should expect a quality standard of training and of assessment for physicians. At present national assessment exams such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination, the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board in the United Kingdom, and others are the benchmarks by which international medical graduates are judged ready to enter another nation.
The medical profession and the public know far too little about the training for physicians from around the world. Some nations have rigorous accreditation standards for their medical schools, while others may have none. As we move toward greater migration of physicians, now is the ideal time to create global standards for medical education. Work is being done, particularly by the World Federation of Medical Education, but hopefully PHMI can assist in moving this dialogue forward. After all we have a common goal of the best trained physicians who are prepared to conquer the challenges of the future of health care.
Q: What areas or attributes of medical practice would you like to see given greater emphasis in medical education?
A: Medicine, a continually changing field, calls on physicians to be able to critically analyze and interpret new diagnostic modalities, therapeutic approaches, and emerging diseases. To prepare medical students for future challenges, medical education should place greater emphasis on critical review of the literature and the acquisition of research skills and capabilities to help them add to their knowledge of medicine.
Q: In the past couple of years PHMI has embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at developing new medical schools. When PHMI is approached by an institution with that goal, what are the first questions that come to mind for you?
A: I am always interested in understanding the vision and mission of the organization wishing to develop a new medical school and ask how the planned organization will improve the quality of health care of the region. Starting a medical school is a complex task that requires dedication by the leadership so there are several factors that are critical: a commitment to excellence, a desire to meet the highest standards of education, and a willingness to develop innovative programs and promote lifelong learning by students. I also am concerned how the school will meet the needs of the population of the region and promote improved quality health care.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your work at Partners Harvard Medical International?
A: PHMI is a diverse organization of professionals skilled in complementary disciplines. Furthermore, our friends with whom we work around the globe offer us outstanding opportunities to learn from each other. As I listen to colleagues with varying perspectives I learn to think more broadly about problem-solving and about different pathways for meeting similar goals. Best of all, the culture of PHMI is characterized by high energy, good humor, and innovation—the work invaluable to improving the quality of health care around the world.
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