Humanitarian healthcare course addresses gap in surgical education

In April 2021, the RCSEd Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare (FRRHH) launched its first educational offering: the Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare course. Developed in partnership with UK-Med and with technical support from The Operations Partnership, this free, fully online course prepares healthcare professionals for the challenges of working in humanitarian contexts.

Building on the success of this collaboration, the Faculty and UK-Med formalised their partnership later in 2021, signalling a shared commitment to further professionalising humanitarian healthcare. The agreement outlined a joint ambition to define career pathways, recognise professional standards and support those working in the field. UK-Med founder Professor Tony Redmond OBE said: “By working together, UK-Med and the humanitarian community can draw on the support of a College … and the College can draw on the rich experience of those engaged in emergency humanitarian assistance around the world.”

Hosted on the College’s Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle), the course is self-directed and designed to take approximately 40 hours to complete. It caters to those considering a first foray into humanitarian healthcare and also to experienced professionals looking to reflect on past deployments. Participants are guided through four modules that cover the principles and influences of humanitarian action, the broader context of health in emergencies, essential emergency healthcare, and the practicalities of deploying to the field. Alongside the core content, learners have access to curated ‘need to know’ reading as well as ‘nice to know’ resources for deeper study. Self-assessment quizzes are provided at the end of each module to consolidate understanding. Learners receive a certificate of completion along with CPD recognition after a short evaluation.

The course has been exceptionally well received. Feedback from participants shows that 97% would recommend it to a friend or colleague. 

The course addresses a key gap in the early stages of preparation for humanitarian deployment. By covering introductory material online, it enables deploying agencies to focus in-person or virtual training time on more context-specific skills and requirements. In addition to introducing learners to key humanitarian concepts and agencies, the course helps individuals assess their own readiness and suitability for working in complex and often challenging environments. It also offers a useful reflective framework for those returning from the field.

The Faculty views this course as the first step in building a broader suite of educational resources. Plans are under way to expand the offering into a wider introduction to remote, rural and humanitarian healthcare, which will include general modules followed by more detailed content specific to each working environment. There is also an ambition to develop more advanced, topic-specific modules and to explore formal academic recognition that could enable participants to gain credit toward further qualifications. The course forms part of the Faculty’s broader vision to establish a professional home for those working in these critical and often underserved areas of healthcare.

As the global need for humanitarian health response grows, so too does the demand for high-quality, accessible education that prepares professionals for work in challenging settings. The Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare course stands as a timely and impactful contribution to that effort.

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