A critical component of building capacity in Liberia’s physician workforce involves strengthening the country’s only medical school, A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine. Beginning in 2015, senior health sector stakeholders in Liberia invited faculty and staff from U.S. academic institutions and non-governmental organizations to join a partnership focused on improving undergraduate medical education in Liberia. Over the subsequent six years, the members of this partnership came together through an iterative, mutual-learning process and created what William Torbert et al describe as a “community of inquiry,” in which practitioners and researchers pair action and inquiry toward evidence-informed practice and organizational transformation. This community of inquiry developed around a few key institutional and interpersonal relationships but expanded over time. Incorporating faculty, practitioners, and students from Liberia and the U.S., the community of inquiry consistently focused on following the vision, goals, and priorities of leadership in Liberia, irrespective of funding source or institutional affiliation. The work of the community of inquiry has incorporated multiple mixed methods assessments, stakeholder discussions, strategic planning, and collaborative self-reflection, resulting in transformation of M.D. education in Liberia. We suggest that the community of inquiry approach reported here can serve as a model for others seeking to form sustainable, international global health partnerships focused on organizational transformation.

To develop a more comprehensive understanding of financial needs and challenges for students at AMD as well as factors to consider for long-term financial sustainability for AMD, the research team developed a 20-question survey exploring basic personal financial information. The research team included faculty and students from both the University of Liberia and Yale University. Surveys were distributed in paper format by a fifth-year medical student who was a member of the research team, and respondents’ answers were entered into Microsoft Excel and compiled as summary statistics.    

The Yale University Institutional Review Board (IRB) Human Subjects Committee deemed the 2017 study exempt from IRB review (IRB #2000021882) in October 2017. Despite the exemption determinations, all members of the research teams completed Human Subjects Research Protection training prior to the start of data collection. Verbal or check-box informed consent was obtained prior to each survey.