Tools

Our Tools

We have the following Tools to facilitate effective engagement among the Global Pathology Network. Please feel free to Contact Us in case of questions.

Pre-departure Training Materials

Lifestock Learning

These lessons were developed to help prepare animal health professionals (like you!) for work in livestock health in a global setting. They are intended to provide critical information and a few tools for operating overseas. Although designed for US military veterinarians deployed to resource-poor settings, we believe they will be useful for a much wider audience. 

Johns Hopkins University: International Travel Preparation, Safety, & Wellness (fee required) 
This course will prepare you to work and live overseas. It explores the epidemiology of common morbidity and mortality among travelers and examines key prevention, safety, and travel medicine principles and services to contextualize risks and maintain wellness. The course reviews applicable interventions, appropriate vaccines, and personal protection methods to prepare you to respond to expected and unexpected situations and will challenge you to examine travel health and safety priorities through case studies and discussions. 

World Organization for Animal Health (OIE): PVS Pathway 
The OIE is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide. It is recognised as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in 2017 has a total of 181 Member Countries. The OIE maintains permanent relations with 71 other international and regional organisations and has Regional and sub-regional Offices on every continent.
PVS evaluations: A specific methodology has been developed and the OIE has published the OIE Tool for the Evaluation of Performance of Veterinary Services (OIE PVS Tool) as the basis for evaluating performance against the international standards published in the Terrestrial Code. A similar tool is available for the evaluation of Aquatic Animal Health Services. 

Global Health Security Agenda: Country Roadmaps, Action Packages and Assessments/Jee 
The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) was launched in February 2014 and is a growing partnership of over 64 nations, international organizations, and non-governmental stakeholders to help build countries’ capacity to help create a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats and elevate global health security as a national and global priority. GHSA pursues a multilateral and multi-sectoral approach to strengthen both the global capacity and nations’ capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to human and animal infectious diseases threats whether naturally occurring or accidentally or deliberately spread. 

CIA World Factbook
This comprehensive reference contains data about numerous relevant parameters in the country you intend to visit. It is worth comparing/contrasting how the US and Country X measure on some of these parameters, such as: form of government, geographic size, population, average annual income, unemployment rate, literacy, industries, and so on. These comparisons can create a very objective lens for you as you prepare to travel and work. 

Hofstede National Culture Inventory Every country has its own unique national culture which Hofstede has measured, using several parameters, including power distance, individualism, family vs work orientation, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation. He compares this constellation of national culture parameters for each country as “software of the mind”. It is how we are socially programmed. Understanding large differences in any of these parameters between the USA and Country X will help you immensely as you embark on any program. Understanding these differences in the “mental software” will help you triangulate, and creates an “adaptor” for enabling better communication and outcomes.

Cultural Competency – The GHPN wants you to be optimally prepared for your experience in the country you will visit. There are 194 countries in the world, and each one has their own points of pride. If you have done some minimal on-line explorations prior to departing, your experience will be greatly enriched!
Shared Educational Materials
Joining and Accessing the Network

This is a means to search and submit in-country global health programs that have a pathology component or need (including contact person and program vision), as well as individual pathologists, pathology residents, and veterinary students to help create the GHPN network to find pathology support and for pathology expertise to find you. 

  • Please use the “questions” tab of this Google form to answer the required questions in order to enter yourself or institution into the network and submit the form by selecting the “send” icon on the top right. 
  • Please use this this Google spreadsheet to see the list of network members and their interests.