MUSC professor encourages student support, mentorship

Adjusting to life as a student in the health professions can be difficult. What’s more, time and resources become increasingly threadbare for students completing coursework, participating in extracurricular programs, and managing personal affairs. In combination, these responsibilities deeply impact students’ psyches and raise stress levels.

A study in the journal Medical Education shows that students in the health professions (medical, dental, nursing, and pharmacy programs) are at high risk of psychological distress while pursuing their degree—enough reason to increase access to mentors who have the time and expertise to nurture students throughout their academic programs.

Cathy Worrall, PharmD, FAPhA, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Experiential Education and Professor in the College of Pharmacy at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), maintains an active, hands-on relationship with her students to ensure that their needs are met academically and personally, especially students with an interest in rotations abroad. “Sometimes students just sit on my couch to talk about their experiences abroad and in their lives,” Worrall said. “I can see how global training changes my students’ outlook on the world.”

Worrall oversees the administration of international electives in MUSC College of Pharmacy. Currently, she has more than 60 students participating in overseas travel in the coming year. Staying attuned to students’ issues with travel before departing and in-country is onerous for a single person. The frequency of trips, the number of students, and the diversity of site locations make the job harder. Prior to the creation of MUSC Center for Global Health, Worrall and one other colleague administered and maintained the students’ travel. “Organization and security of our students’ travel were extremely tough to juggle,” said Worrall. “Eventually, we got our ducks in a row; more so now that the Center for Global Health is up and running.”

MUSC Center for Global Health recently released an International Travel Policy that impacts all MUSC personnel. Built into the travel policy are mechanisms that ensure the highest level of health, security, and safety for travelers going abroad for university-related purposes. Student travel is subjected to a greater level of scrutiny if they are traveling to countries under a U.S. Department of State travel warning. The consensus across campus is that the policy provides peace of mind for traveler and their loved ones. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable sending students to many of the locations we have on file without the Center’s input,” said Worrall. “We’ve seen a recent spike in the amounts of students traveling and need a centralized clearinghouse for students wishing to travel to places in Africa and the Middle East.”

Worrall and her department have been proactive in lightening their students’ burden when seeking learning opportunities abroad. Together with the College of Pharmacy and the Center for Global Health largely minimize risks to the student, thereby minimizing what could be added stress on top of demanding schedules. Recognizing the need for more mentorship in global health, the Center for Global Health launched a new program, the Faculty Mentor Global Health Travel Grants, to support faculty members leading MUSC student groups abroad for education, research, or service-learning programs. The goal is to increase the pool of mentors for students who desire to learn more about global health while in the U.S. and abroad. Says Worrall, “It’s refreshing to have students, sometimes aggressively, pursue experiential learning opportunities; whether it be here at the college, with professional associations or global trips, they yearn for knowledge.” That desire has to be guided, though. Students sometimes sign on to trips with little consideration of the preparation and information needed (i.e., language proficiency, pre-departure requirements, cultural competence, scholarship/grant tax information), with their sights set only on going to exotic destinations. “Mentors provide another dimension to these programs,” said Worrall. “We all have busy schedules, but everyone would be best served if we took a greater stake in sharing ideas, mentoring, and understanding a student’s needs.”