Fifteen years of the tropEd Masters in International Health programme: what has it delivered? Results of an alumni survey of masters students in international health

Objectives In 2010–2011, recent graduates (2008 or earlier) of the Masters in International Health (MIH) (as offered by over 30 universities and institutions collaborating in the tropEd network) were surveyed. We aimed to examine whether the competencies gained proved appropriate for alumni's current positions and to develop the programme according to alumni's needs. Methods An online questionnaire was sent to 327 alumni. One hundred and seventy‐seven responded and 99 met the inclusion criteria. We calculated frequency distributions of the answers and performed a bivariate analysis of certain variables. Results Alumni feel confident in all areas covered by the MIH. Most competencies acquired are perceived as essential or very relevant to their current position. Many respondents (77%) changed jobs after graduation, mostly from curative care to public health. More African and Asian alumni work in their country of origin (66% and 63%, respectively) than alumni from other continents (42%). The respondents had mostly worked at a national or provincial level, but after graduating mostly worked at international or national level. Alumni said that the network's mobility and flexibility had important advantages and disadvantages. Conclusions This is the first alumni survey of the MIH programme offered through the international network tropEd. The results suggest that competencies gained by graduates are relevant for their current careers. We recommend offering better guidance to students planning modules and to improve administration. ObjectifsEn 2010–2011, les diplômés récents (2008 ou plus tôt) du Master en Santé Internationale (MSI) (offert par plus de 30 universités et institutions collaborant au sein du réseau tropEd) ont été interrogés. Nous avons cherché à déterminer si les compétences acquises se sont avérées appropriées pour les postes actuelles tenus par les anciens étudiants et à développer le programme en fonction des besoins des anciens. MéthodesUn questionnaire en ligne a été envoyé à 327 anciens élèves. 177 ont répondu et 99 répondaient aux critères d'inclusion. Nous avons calculé les distributions de fréquences des réponses et avons effectué une analyse bivariée sur certaines variables. RésultatsLes anciens se sentaient à l'aise dans tous les domaines couverts par le MSI. La plupart des compétences acquises sont perçues comme essentielles ou très pertinents à leur poste actuelle. De nombreux répondants (77%) ont changé d'emploi après l'obtention du