| Report Author | Ben Hunn |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Boston |
| Country | United States |
| Local languages spoken | English, Spanish |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Metropolitan |
| Expected level of knowledge | The expected level of knowledge for students in this hospital is high; students are expected to have a good working knowledge of basic medical and clinical sciences. Despite this, dialogue with teaching clinicians to assist your learning is encouraged. |
| Population served | 2.5 mil |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | Approx. 800 |
| Departments/specialties available | Everything imaginable, this is taken from their website |
| Further description | Brigham and Women's Hospital is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, and is in the same precinct as the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Children's Hospital Boston. My elective (in neuropathology) took in all of the centers described above. |
| Student Responsibilities | Student responsibilities in my elective (neuropathology) were very few - it is clear that the team can function without the student. The role of the student is to learn. The student will also be expected to contribute to/present case discussions, conduct brain autopsies, and do assignments. |
| Teaching Availability | My department had twelve consultants (attendings) on a weekly rotation, 3 fellows and 1 resident who were willing and enthusiastic to teach the 1 student (me). |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | The Harvard elective course catalogue provides a good description of the possible rotations, application process and co-ordinators: http://www.medcatalog.harvard.edu/SubjectAreas.aspx |
| Application process | Either email the co-ordinator directly or utilise the application process. |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Nil |
| Accommodation | I stayed in a "condo" in a nearby suburb, South End. The medical school has a college (Vanderbilt Hall), but it is in high demand, and so it would be useful to apply early. | $US200-400/week |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | If you have an Australian or British passport (also some other countries) you can participate in the American Visa Waiver Program (VWP) - otherwise you need a visa. Flights are straightforward (Hobart to Sydney/Melbourne to LA to Boston). | $2000 |
| Transport within Location | Boston has a fantastic subway system. Buy a charlie card (equivalent of a metro card). | $1.80 per trip |
| Food Allowances | You will put on weight. Cost depends on how often you eat out. Boston is an expensive city. A great supermarket is called Trader Joe's. Cheap and delicious. | $10/day |
| Social Activities | Many many. Basketball, baseball, ice hockey, museum of fine art, public library, lots of events at the university. | Varies |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Have to have certain vaccinations (e.g. Hep B) and evidence of infection status for HIV and TB. They will send you a form that covers this. Mantoux test has to be have been done in the last 90 days. | Varies |
| The Good | Excellent teaching with close supervision Some responsibility Immersion in a particular subspecialty Intellectual community |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Limited contact with community Expensive |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | |
| Contact Email Address | benhunn@me.com |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Banya Debnath |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Kwahu Government Hospital |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Atibie |
| Country | Ghana |
| Local languages spoken | English, Bengali, Hindi |
| Language of physicians, nurses | Twi, English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Rural |
| Expected level of knowledge | Sound clinical knowlegde is preferred - a student in clinical years rather that pre-clinical, so anything above 3rd year |
| Population served | 20000 |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 200 beds, 4 doctors |
| Departments/specialties available | The hospital has the basic facilities there is a male, female, kids, surgical, labour and maternity ward. There is also an emergency department, theatre, laboratory, medical imaging centre, psychiatric unit, eye and dental clinic. |
| Further description | Kwahu Government Hospital is a district hospital and is located in a beautiful scenic mountainous area. The hospital is situted in a village 3 hours from the capital city, Accra |
| Student Responsibilities | You can do as much or as little as you like. They do not pressure you into doing something you don't feel comfortable doing. It is a very worthwhile experience to have a go at managing patients on your own or with a fellow student in casualty and outreach clinics and there is always support available |
| Teaching Availability | The doctors were wonderful and too eager to teach. They had very good and broad knowledge. They would manage adult medical patients as well as paediatric patients as well as surgical and gynaecological cases. |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | The elective program I went through was called Elective Ghana and the person to contact is Sefa Eric Boateng and the email address is electiveinghana@gmail.com. |
| Application process | As above, send Eric an e-mail expressing interest and he will get back to you promptly regarding the forms and documents you need |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Foetal Dopplers, pulse oximetres and just ask the hospital |
| Accommodation | Accomodation was provided by the elective organisation we went with so you don't have to worry about that | $150 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | All the usual i.e. passports, itinerary and also a immunisation booklet with evidence of yellow fever vaccination. You also need a visa to go to Ghana so need to apply for that beforehand. Take some passport sized photos incase you need it for visas. Travel with a good reliable airline eg Emirates | $3000-4000 |
| Transport within Location | The guy from the organisation picked us up so again we didn't have to stress about that | Complimentary |
| Food Allowances | Don't need much about $50 per week is plenty. In the village where we stayed during the week there wasn't much variety. May want to take certain things like peanut butter, powdered milk, chocolate, chips/snacks | $50/week |
| Social Activities | Plenty to do but need to go away in the weekends. It is a good idea to go with others as you will enjoy the elective more and you will most likely meet other students as well. However you should also get to know the locals and their culture. | $200/week(end) |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Hep A + B,Mennigococcal, DPT, Thyphoid, Yellow Fever (you can't return to Australia without this), Malaria prophylaxis. See your GP or a travel clinic Doctor! | $200-500 |
| The Good | I really enjoyed the placement. The doctors were more than happy to teach which I really liked. I saw and have a better idea about many tropical and third world diseases which I wanted to do.The most valuable lesson I learnt was the importance to go back to the basics of clinical assessment and examination and looking, feeling and hearing and that you don't need investigations to diagnose and manage diseases. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | The only point I would make is that I would have liked to have been a bit more out of my comfort zone and gone to a hospital that wasn't so organised and was in need of more help. So if you want that you could still go to Ghana because there are definitely places like that there. Barriers:The main barrier was the language. We couldn’t take history from patients without an interpreter. However it was easy to get around as most staff including all doctors and nurses knew very good English. Otherwise people in Ghana are very nice people and many will go out of their way to help you. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Good luck with it all and don't hesitate to give me an e-mail. |
| Contact Email Address | bdebnath@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Carly Sands |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Hospital Lagomaggiore |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Mendoza |
| Country | Argentina |
| Local languages spoken | Spanish |
| Language of physicians, nurses | Spanish/ English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | Moderate |
| Population served | 1.5m |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 165 |
| Departments/specialties available | O&G Trauma Surgery Burns Unit Cardiology General Medicine General Surgery Anaesthetics |
| Further description | You are able to go to other local hospitals like the local Private or Paediatric hospital |
| Student Responsibilities | - Attending ward and teaching rounds - Participating in additional activities on the ward - Attending outpatients clinics - Scrubbing and assisting in surgery |
| Teaching Availability | Occasional on ward teaching |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Work the World |
| Application process | Online application |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Varies by department |
| Accommodation | Accomodation includes breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. Breakfast and dinner cooked mon-fri and food supplied for your own cooking other times. Accommodation is in a very large house in a lovely suburb of Mendoza Includes an intensive spanish course and week of prepaid activities | 2700 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Return flight: Depart - Sydney to Mendoza Return - Santiago to Sydney | 2800 |
| Transport within Location | Buses - 1.4pesos a trip (25c) Taxis are also very, very cheap | 100 |
| Food Allowances | drinks and meals are very cheap. | 500 |
| Social Activities | Many activities are already included in the complete fee. This mcuh would not be required but we used it to go away to buenos aires and chile on the weekends. | 1500 |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Hep A & B Flu vac Tetanus Yellow fever | 150 |
| The Good | An amazing location with SO much to do. The medical placement is from 8am until 2pm (at the latest), leaving heaps of time to explore the culture and complete some of the amazing activities in the area. Make friends with the locals and you'll see the real Argentina |
|---|---|
| The Bad | You NEED to have a moderate level of Spanish to benefit much from the medical placement. The intensive spanish course is not enough to help you on the wards. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Use the opportunity to see around the areas of Argentina. If you enjoy good wine or wine tours, this is wine country, so you'll love it! |
| Contact Email Address | carly.sands@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Emma Beddows |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Kilu'ufi Hospital |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Auki |
| Country | Solomon Islands |
| Local languages spoken | English, Pijin, Local dialects |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English, Pijin |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Rural |
| Expected level of knowledge | Moderate |
| Population served | 130,000 |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 150 beds |
| Departments/specialties available | Emergency/Outpatients, Medicine, Surgery, O&G, Paediatrics, TB ward |
| Further description | Kilu'ufi is the second largest hospital in the country, and serves the population of Malaita province. It accepts and treats all patients with any condition. The hospital is very understaffed and resource poor. |
| Student Responsibilities | Students can take on as much responsibility as they feel comfortable with, and are often needed to reduce the load on the small number of doctors availabe. If you learn Pijin you can work in emergency/outpatients independently. You have plenty of opportunity to scrub in and assist at surgery. |
| Teaching Availability | As there are not many doctors, dedicated teaching time does not occur, however the doctors were all willing to teach while working. |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Dr Clay - slewig@yahoo.com. |
| Application process | Very informal, contact Dr Clay by email. No forms or other application process. |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | The hospital is in need of many things, ask before you go for particular items they really need. ECG, CTG are big items they need. |
| Accommodation | Elective students usually stay in the AM Family Inn. It is basic but comfortable. The family who runs the inn are lovely and will take you on trips around the area. | $100/week |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Flights to Honiara (Virgin or Solomon Air) ex Brisbane only - approx $1200. Boat to Auki $30 *There may be domestic flights from Honiara to Auki availabe, but while we were there the airport was not operational. Boat trip to | Approx. $1300 |
| Transport within Location | Local buses 30c/trip Boats and truck trips vary in price, with boats being more expensive. | Varies |
| Food Allowances | Local market for vegetables and fruit very cheap. Not a lot of choice for other western type food and meat, which can be expensive. | $30/week |
| Social Activities | Trips with the family, or other volunteers to local areas. Get to know the local people and their culture. Travel to other parts of Malaita. Probably best to go with another student. | Varies |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Hep B, Hep A, Tetanus, Meningococcus, +/- rabies | Varies |
| The Good | Amazing and eye opening experience of working in a resouce poor setting. An excellent opportunity to improve your clinical skills and judgement. Can work very independently if you learn Pijin. Great for infectious diseases, O&G and paeds. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Can be overwhelming at times, best to go with another student for support. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Definately try to learn some basic Pijin, it's very easy to pick up and will allow you to get so much more out of the placement. It was an amazing elective, email me if you would like more information. |
| Contact Email Address | ebeddows@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 5 |
| Report Author | Kien Jeen Tee |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Changi General Hospital |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Singapore |
| Country | Singapore |
| Local languages spoken | English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay, Tamil |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | Moderate |
| Population served | 1.4m |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 790 beds |
| Departments/specialties available |
|
| Further description | CGH is one of the hospitals available as an elective placement from the National Singapore University. |
| Student Responsibilities |
|
| Teaching Availability | Dependent on busy days. Most doctors are willing to teach and encourage student participation. |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | All information are available at http://itumed.nus.edu.sg/scesp/welcome.htm |
| Application process | Online application: http://itumed.nus.edu.sg/scesp/Default.aspx |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Varies by department and hospital. For more information: http://itumed.nus.edu.sg/scesp/requirements.htm |
| Accommodation | Lived with extended family members. More information can be found at http://itumed.nus.edu.sg/scesp/info.htm | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | By car from Malaysia (home country) | |
| Transport within Location | By bus (SBSTransit). Very convenient, cheap and effective mode of transportation. Another good mode of transport is the SMRT (monorail). It is vital to obtain a top-up card (usable for both modes listed). | |
| Food Allowances | Food is very cheap (approx. SGD3-5) and delicious. A variety available. | |
| Social Activities | Activities are readily and easily available through bus and SMRT. | |
| Recommended Vaccinations | As listed: http://itumed.nus.edu.sg/scesp/requirements.htm |
| The Good | Singapore was a wonderful place for an elective as the environment, medical approach and community are different compared to Hobart. Everyone is approachable and the national language is English. The food is great and shopping is relatively cheap. Many places to unwind and sightsee too. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | As a very multicultural country, there is a possibility for a culture shock. It is inevitable to encounter patients using different languages. The people of Singapore are very competitive and self-stress, so keeping up might be an issue. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Singapore's a great place for an elective if you're wishing for an elective in a Southeast Asian country with less hassle in terms of language. |
| Contact Email Address | kjtee@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Alex Ling |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Accident & Emergency + Pre-hospital Care at The Royal London Hospital, through Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Local languages spoken | English |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | Any year level accepted for pre-hospital care, final year only for all other departments within the hospital. |
| Population served | >2 mil |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 675 beds |
| Departments/specialties available | Tertiary level services - almost everything one could want |
| Further description | The Royal London Hospital is one of four Trauma Centres in London and is the home of London's Air Ambulance, London's only Helicoptor Emergency Medical Service. |
| Student Responsibilities | Observer with London's Air Ambulance and rotations in Accident and Emergency. |
| Teaching Availability | Various registrar level teaching within Accident and Emergency and teaching sessions with London's Air Ambulance weekly and clinical governance meeting, once a month. |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Visiting Students' Information page - http://www.smd.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/electives/visiting/index.html Information for elective students and when not full, handbook is linked there as well, with specific information. |
| Application process | Application for London's Air Ambulance is via an email enquiry to the Prehospital Care Secretary, formal application process will proceed within 6 months of elective date. |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Nil. |
| Accommodation | Trust Accommodation is available, book within 2-3 months of elective start date. | ~£15/night |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Airfares from Australia (can be cheaper from NZ) | $1500 - $3000 |
| Transport within Location | Tube (London Underground) is the most common. | ~£2-6/trip |
| Food Allowances | The local area of Whitechapel specialises in Fried Chicken and halal food. Hospital restaurant also offers an affordable alternative to cooking while the local supermarket (Sainsbury's) is barely 10 minutes walk away. London also has some of the world's best restaurants. | £3->£300/meal |
| Social Activities | London is an amazing city and there is always something to eat, drink or see. These include museums, markets, tourist attractions e.g. London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Greenwich etc, not to mention trains to the rest of the UK and Europe. | £0 and up |
| Recommended Vaccinations | You require proof of vaccinations, most if not all covered prior to entry to the MBBS course at UTAS. Barts and the London will advise during the formal application process. | £0 and up |
| The Good | London is amazing. It had the best roast duck I've ever had in my life. Being a first world mega-city, it has something for EVERYONE. Doing an elective with London's Air Ambulance also provides you with opportunities and experiences that other people, including local Londoners can only ever dream of. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | London can be overwhelming if you're not expecting it and it can take time to get anywhere, especially if you're used to a small place like Tasmania. It can also be fairly expensive, fortunately, the Australian Dollar was strong while on elective approximately $1.50 AUD to the £1. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Electives are meant to be fun and exciting. It is almost impossible to regret doing an elective in London. If money is an issue, there is the option of OS-HELP for domestic students and other sources of sponsorship for most students, through various organisations and grants. |
| Contact Email Address | sdaling@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 5 |
| Report Author | Christina Wong |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | National University Hospital Singapore |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Singapore |
| Country | Singapore |
| Local languages spoken | English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil, Hokkien |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | Clinical level |
| Population served | |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | |
| Departments/specialties available | |
| Further description | |
| Student Responsibilities | |
| Teaching Availability | |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | http://itumed.nus.edu.sg/scesp/requirements.htm |
| Application process | online |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
| Accommodation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | ||
| Transport within Location | ||
| Food Allowances | ||
| Social Activities | ||
| Recommended Vaccinations |
| The Good | |
|---|---|
| The Bad | |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | |
| Contact Email Address | |
| Overall rating |
| Report Author | Jeremy C Smith |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Royal Hobart Hospital |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Hobart |
| Country | Australia |
| Local languages spoken | |
| Language of physicians, nurses | |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | |
| Expected level of knowledge |
| Population served | |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | |
| Departments/specialties available | I did DEM |
| Further description | Great fourth year level clerking plus practical skills, excellent friendly staff |
| Student Responsibilities | |
| Teaching Availability | Weekly intern tutorials with consultant, registrar teaching one afternoon per week, other tutorials from your registrar |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Organised through Geoff Couser |
| Application process | Email Prof Couser with expression of interest etc, as early as possible as there is high demand for this elective |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
| Accommodation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | ||
| Transport within Location | ||
| Food Allowances | ||
| Social Activities | ||
| Recommended Vaccinations |
| The Good | Excellent placement. Good clerking practice with undifferentiated patients, plenty of suturing, cannulas etc. Good staff & general morale |
|---|---|
| The Bad | I'm not a massive fan of shift work |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | |
| Contact Email Address | jezzray@gmail.com |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Rebekah Webb |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Princess Alexandra |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Brisbane |
| Country | Australia |
| Local languages spoken | English |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | I did my rotation in Endocrinology, so general fourth year level knowledge of common endocrine conditions- particularly diabetes, thyroid path and osteoporosis- is required |
| Population served | 1 000 000 |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 780 beds |
| Departments/specialties available | tertiary level hospital with all major medical and surgical specialties except obstetrics, gynaecology & paediatrics. |
| Further description | The PA is the major teaching hospital of UQ in Brisbane and very popular with students. Despite that, I was the only med student on placement there during Dec '11! |
| Student Responsibilities | attend and participate inward rounds- attend and participate in outpatient clinics- attend journal club and junior doctor teaching. |
| Teaching Availability | the doctors in my Endocrinology rotation were lovely and more than willing to teach, and have me tag along with them. there isn't that much chance to do many procedural things, but you get plenty of opportunity to clerk patients etc. |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | UQ School of Medicine |
| Application process | You must apply through the University of Queensland school of medicine to get an elective in QLD. it costs $100 to apply and ~$500 for a 4 week placement. |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | just bring your stethoscope, some useful text books and enthusiasm! |
| Accommodation | You need to arrange your own accommodation, although UQ send you out a list of places. I stayed with my partner and we went through Gumtree in the end. | $1250 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | it's a lot cheaper to fly into Gold Coast then Brisbane, but then you do need to get transport from there (~ 1 hr between G.C and Brisbane) | $600 |
| Transport within Location | transport is lovely in Brisbane- they have great bussand a wonderful ferry service! | $100 |
| Food Allowances | depending on where you go, food prices are pretty reasonable. there's lots of fresh fruit in QLD! | $400 |
| Social Activities | there's plently of activities to do in QLD- most are free and involve the sunny outdoors. We went to a few music festivals and the theme parks etc though. | $400 |
| Recommended Vaccinations | standard vaccinations as with all Australian Universities. |
| The Good | I really enjoyed my elective in Brisbane. the weather was sunny, there's plenty of fun things to do and the people were lovely. I saw a huge range of conditions that you may not encounter in Tas. It was good to have some experience in a major tertiary hospital in a big city. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Just be aware that it is a little expensive to travel and live in another major city in Australia for over a month...particularly around christmas time! |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | All the best and if you have any questions, send me an email :D |
| Contact Email Address | webbr@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | James Correy |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Kavieng General Hospital |
| Department Assigned | |
| City | Kavieng |
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Local languages spoken | Most speak Pidgin, better educated speak english. |
| Language of physicians, nurses | Pidgin, but can speak english. |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | rural |
| Expected level of knowledge | varies |
| Population served | 100 000 |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 100 |
| Departments/specialties available | General medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
| Further description | There are other nurse run hospitals on the island that you can visit/help out at. |
| Student Responsibilities | Vary. Can clerk own patients in DEM/GP like outpatient clinic, or join one of the ward teams (surg/med/paeds etc) for ward rounds and other daily activities. |
| Teaching Availability | Just on the wards |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Jonathon Clayton www.pnghealthpartnerships.org |
| Application process | Probably best to email the above elective contact and he will direct you as to the best approach. Other option is to email the hospital directly kavienghospital@gmail.com |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
| Accommodation | I stayed at the very basic Peter Torot Centre. If you go in a group then there are other affordable options. | 80 dollars/week |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | 1400 return | |
| Transport within Location | Public transport is plentiful with minibuses for 50c a ride around town. | 100 |
| Food Allowances | If cooking for self then about the same as in Australia. | |
| Social Activities | Diving, Surfing. | expensive |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Hep A, Typhoid plus antimalarials. | 250 |
| The Good | Developing world health care with an incredibly different culture in an idyllic setting (if you enjoy the ocean) |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Lack of experienced teachers, disorganised place and sometimes heartbreaking lack of resources. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | |
| Contact Email Address | jamescorrey89@gmail.com |
| Overall rating | 3 |
| Report Author | Mitchell Gooch |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | RSUP Sanglah Hospital |
| Department Assigned | Emergency, Trauma and Orthopaedics |
| City | Denpasar, Bali |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Local languages spoken | English, Indonesian |
| Language of physicians, nurses | |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | End of year 4 |
| Population served | |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | |
| Departments/specialties available | As per website |
| Further description | |
| Student Responsibilities | Mainly observation - able to assist with procedures such as suturing, splinting, etc |
| Teaching Availability | Limited due to language barrier - taught mainly in Indonesian |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Medics Away info@medicsaway.co.uk |
| Application process | Private company - information required to process placement though fairly straight forward |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | C-spine collars |
| Accommodation | Organised through Medics Away | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Airfare | $1000 return |
| Transport within Location | Available through Medics Away | $200 |
| Food Allowances | $10+ per day depending on budget | $10+/day |
| Social Activities | Clubs, whitewater rafting, cycling, etc. | |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Routine + typhoid (malaria not typically required) |
| The Good | Wide exposure to various emergency, trauma and orthopaedic related presentations |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Limited practical experience on elective and language barrier with patients (however, doctors speak fluent English) |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Great elective overall, however, involvement in day to day medical activities was limited |
| Contact Email Address | mitchelljgooch@gmail.com |
| Overall rating | 3 |
| Report Author | Daniela Lanzlinger |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Sheffield Children's Hospital |
| Department Assigned | Endocrinology |
| City | Sheffield |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Local languages spoken | English |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | Need to know basic endocrine physiology and knowledge about common endocrinological conditions. Should be prepared to read up on specialised investigations and some of the rarer conditions - some knowledge of these expected later in the rotation as patients are seen. |
| Population served | >600,000 |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | |
| Departments/specialties available | Paeds endocrine, general paeds, paeds gastroenterology, paeds ENT, paeds neurology, paediatric oncology, paediatric surgery, paediatric respiratory medicine. |
| Further description | Adult medicine available through the University of Sheffield at Royal Hallamshire Hospital. |
| Student Responsibilities | Attend clinics with various consultants (majority of time), attend ward rounds with registrar occasionally, attend/learn about specialised investigations with endocrine nurses, results meeting, grand rounds etc. |
| Teaching Availability | ALL consultants keen to teach, especially during clinics. I was welcome to attend various other clinics, not just the endocrine clinics, and received great teaching in these areas also. |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Sheffield Medical Electives Programme |
| Application process | Need to fill out applicaiton form and scan/send to the electives coordinator at Sheffield University Medical School. Once approved, you will have to pay a 200 pound acceptance fee and send through occupational health and safety forms with blood results etc. See website above for further information. |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
| Accommodation | Can be organised through the medical school to stay at the hospital residence. Very basic but cheap. | 266 pounds/mth |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Opposite the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, 10-15 min walk to Sheffield Children's Hospital | |
| Transport within Location | 50p bus rides within Sheffield with the University of Sheffield card!!!! | |
| Food Allowances | ||
| Social Activities | Opportunities to get involved in all the activities the Uni has to offer - movie screenings, various night time events at the bar, holiday outings to various destinations on the weekends in Nov/Dec, 'give it a go' activities etc. Reputation for being the best University Union in the UK. | |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Sheffield Medical Electives Programme |
| Report Author | Sabin Smith |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Cochin Medical Trust |
| Department Assigned | Orthopedic Surgery |
| City | Cochin |
| Country | India |
| Local languages spoken | Malayalam |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | Basic understanding of common orthopedic fractures and their subsequent management |
| Population served | |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 600 beds |
| Departments/specialties available | All |
| Further description | |
| Student Responsibilities | Ward rounds, theatre, outpatients |
| Teaching Availability | Excellent |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Medics Away |
| Application process | nil |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | nil |
| Accommodation | Arranged - local hotel, good facilities | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | International travel, flight to Mumbai, domestic flight to Cochin and airport pick up | |
| Transport within Location | Walk, autorickshaw, ferry | |
| Food Allowances | Food is cheap, approx 2-5 a meal depending on where you eat | |
| Social Activities | Fort Cochin = massive tourist area, restaurants, pools, internet, shopping, etc. | |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Hep B, meningococcal, TB, Cholera (Dukoral), anti-malarials |
| The Good | Excellent teaching in orthopedics |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Culture shock, India is very confronting and not for the light-hearted as well as people who have not been outside of Australia, very challenging at times |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Enjoy! |
| Contact Email Address | sabins@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 3 |
| Report Author | Ali Graver |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Lautoka Hospital |
| Department Assigned | Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
| City | Lautoka |
| Country | Fiji |
| Local languages spoken | English, Fijian, Hindu |
| Language of physicians, nurses | A/A |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | High, in terms of practical applications of theory (not minute academic details) |
| Population served | 50,000+ |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | Well-equipped tertiary hospital |
| Departments/specialties available |
|
| Further description | One of 3 major hospitals in Fiji, tertiary referral centre for western half of Viti Levu. Resources are limited and finances very restricted but the hospital is well-equipped in terms of a pathology laboratory, radiology department with CT scanner, 2 OTs + minor ops theatre |
| Student Responsibilities | Participate in teaching sessions, attend ward rounds and clinics, assist/assume intern responsibilities with ward work, gain hands-on experience on the maternity ward and in theatre |
| Teaching Availability | Continuing Medical Education (CME) meetings every morning, as well as opportunistic sessions in clinic and on the ward |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Alisi Batimoko Electives Coordinator Fiji School of Medicine alisi.batimoko@fnu.ac.fj Fiji National University - International Students |
| Application process | Complete elective application form available at URL above, and wait for them to contact you. Alternatively, obtain the name and contact details of a specific clinician and apply to them directly |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
|
| Accommodation | Depends on comfort requirements
|
$30 - $90 AUDpn |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Flights leave daily from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Visa extension ($190) required if staying for more than 14 days - arrange at Immigration after arrival | ~$1200 flights |
| Transport within Location | Taxis very cheap Buses so cheap they're basically free Walk Boats to islands for weekend trips |
|
| Food Allowances | Fresh fruit and veg available at the markets, and very cheap groceries otherwise quite expensive Hotel / restaurant food very cheap and good value | |
| Social Activities | Any tourism activities - trips to the islands (Mamanuca and Yesawa archipelagos) Coral coast sight-seeing | |
| Recommended Vaccinations |
|
| The Good | The Fijian people are incredible - friendly, generous, fun and positive Given freedom to roam about the hospital and find my own learning opportunities Many occasions to practise skills and procedures Endless things to do outside of placement hours - it's Fiji! |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Fairly developed hospital and amazing staff, so less opportunity to see basic medicine Imperfect medical system |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Most medical students on elective are attached to A and E, and had a lot of exposure to trauma and mortality. I would recommend going with another student (or getting acquainted to others there), as having someone to talk things through with is invaluable. I would repeat the placement in a heartbeat, and not just because it is one of the most picturesque places on the planet! |
| Contact Email Address | asgraver@gmail.com |
| Overall rating | 5 |
| Report Author | Madeleine Stringer |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Alotau General Hospital |
| Department Assigned | O&G |
| City | Alotau, Milne Bay Province |
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Local languages spoken | English, pidgin, local dialects |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Rural |
| Expected level of knowledge | Clinical years - basic clinical knowledge, clerking, bloods, cannulas etc. Also sterile technique for theatres. |
| Population served | 30 000 |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | ~200 |
| Departments/specialties available | Emergency/Outpatients(like GP), Gen Med, Gen Surg, Paeds, O+G, Anaesthetics |
| Further description | This is the only major hospital with doctors in the province, around 10 000 in the town but 30 000 in the province. Lots of small health centres around the province that the teams visit fairly regularly. We spent a week on one of the islands doing health education and seeing patients. |
| Student Responsibilities | Assisting on ward rounds, admitting patients, examining patients on the ward and in clinics, assisting in surgery. |
| Teaching Availability | I had 2 registrars who were very friendly and willing to teach. |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | PNG Health Partnerships run by Jonathan Claydon. Dr Perista Mamadi is one of the hospital administrators mperista@gmail.com or Dr Lucas Samof lucassamof@daltron.com.pg |
| Application process | No formal application needed but slow replies. |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Most things. Email before you leave as there may be a bigger need but otherwise anything you take will be useful and utilised. |
| Accommodation | We stayed at Bibiko Farm and Guesthouses run by the retired CEO. Price included meals, transport and washing! | ≈ $25 a day |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Around $250 to Port Moresby from Cairns and then another $200 to Alotau. | 450 from Cairns |
| Transport within Location | Local buses are quite cheap and plentiful. | <$1 |
| Food Allowances | Included in accomm. Local markets are cheap, supermarkets are expensive. | |
| Social Activities | Rugby with the kids, snorkelling, diving (these are expensive), local guides take you around the islands (stunning) and jungle treks to waterfalls and the like. | |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Regular including typhoid, hep A. Malaria prophylaxis necessary. Have a mantoux before you leave and another on return to check exposure (take PPE too) |
| The Good | Beautiful country and people - extremely friendly and accommodating. A different culture, lifestyle and environment in which to practice medicine. The best week was travelling to Samarai Island where we snorkelled every morning and ran health-education during the day. Also visiting smaller health centres seeing in-patients. Plenty of tropical diseases and sadly advanced diseases that we wouldn't see often in Aus. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Limited resources and health education amongst the population which limits health care. Sad outcomes for mothers and babies. Older style of medicine with some backward practice. Corruption throughout health care delivery and government. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | A really great experience overall despite being somewhat overwhelming at times. |
| Contact Email Address | maddystringer@gmail.com |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Ginita Oberoi |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | University of Colombo |
| Department Assigned | Community medicine |
| City | Colombo |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Local languages spoken | Sinhala, Tamil, English |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | Basic knowledge of pediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and tropical disease |
| Population served | |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | |
| Departments/specialties available | Multiple specialities are available through the University of Colombo. |
| Further description | |
| Student Responsibilities | |
| Teaching Availability | |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | University of Colombo. |
| Application process | |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
| Accommodation | The University does not provide accommodation however guest houses are very reasonable. | $12-22 per day |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | ||
| Transport within Location | Auto rickshaws charge rates of about rs 50/- per km | |
| Food Allowances | ||
| Social Activities | ||
| Recommended Vaccinations |
| The Good | Great to experience community medicine in a developing world environment. The elective gives you chance to meet and talk to public health departments. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Not much clinical medicine in this elective. The clinics that you do can get very repetitive as they are all screening type clinics. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | In community medicine there are 3 types of activities: clinics, home visits and public health departmental visits. |
| Contact Email Address | atinig@gmail.com |
| Overall rating | 3 |
| Report Author | Kai Aun Lim |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Taipei Veterans General Hospital |
| Department Assigned | Paediatrics and Emergency Medicine |
| City | Taipei |
| Country | Taiwan, Province of China |
| Local languages spoken | Mandarin, Taiwanese |
| Language of physicians, nurses | Mandarin, English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | Year 4 |
| Population served | |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | Tertiary Referral Centre - 3015 beds |
| Departments/specialties available | All Major Specialties |
| Further description | |
| Student Responsibilities | Observe and be part of the team including writing progress notes (in English) and assisting in procedures |
| Teaching Availability | Tutorials for Medical Students/Interns/Residents. Daily morning meeting/case presentation for Paediatrics |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Information on Clinical Electives for Foreign Medical Students or doctors (PDF 48 KB) |
| Application process | Fill in the form and contact the person in charge. Apply at least 3 months before your elective. |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
| Accommodation | Doctors' Hostel (for 4 weeks) | $110 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Approximately $1500 return from Melbourne. Check your visa requirements. | $1500 |
| Transport within Location | There is free shuttle bus from Hospital to the nearest MRT station. MRT costs approximately $1 per trip to the next station. | $70 |
| Food Allowances | There is a food court inside the hospital with plenty of variety with staff discount. Staff cafe available as well but you need to purchase a card with added value to use it at staff cafe. Approximately $350 for 3 meals (4 weeks) | $350 |
| Social Activities | ||
| Recommended Vaccinations |
| The Good | A major tertiary teaching hospital with plenty of cases seen daily, the staff are friendly in general and progress notes/reports are all in English. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Language can be a barrier as patients speak only Mandarin/Taiwanese, but most of the doctors can speak English. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | If you're interested in Emergency Medicine/Surgery this is a hospital worth going as it's renowned for its Surgical specialties. It is famous for its DEM too. |
| Contact Email Address | kalim@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Ciara Conduit |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Alfred Hospital |
| Department Assigned | ICU |
| City | Melbourne |
| Country | Australia |
| Local languages spoken | English |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge |
| Population served | Victoria |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 350 |
| Departments/specialties available | Various |
| Further description | |
| Student Responsibilities | Attending ward rounds x2/day. Writing in notes. Examining patients. Simple procedures. Rotate through cardiothoracic/general/trauma and MET/codes. |
| Teaching Availability | |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Jean Martyn |
| Application process | |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
| Accommodation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | ||
| Transport within Location | Well serviced. | |
| Food Allowances | ||
| Social Activities | ||
| Recommended Vaccinations |
| The Good | - exposure to world class environment - friendly staff |
|---|---|
| The Bad | - minimal opportunity to develop new skills. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | |
| Contact Email Address | |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Jason Lemon |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Lautoka |
| Department Assigned | Genral surgery |
| City | Lautoka |
| Country | Fiji |
| Local languages spoken | English, Fijian, Hindi |
| Language of physicians, nurses | All 3 above |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Rural |
| Expected level of knowledge | Medium |
| Population served | 200,000 |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 300 beds |
| Departments/specialties available | General medical, emergency, paediatrics, surgical, maternity |
| Further description | |
| Student Responsibilities | Any that you are willing to do |
| Teaching Availability | Good when Fiji School of Medicine is on holiday |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Alisi Batimoko, Fiji School of Medicine Electives coordinator |
| Application process | Through Fiji School of Medicine |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Everything! |
| Accommodation | Local hotels | Reasonable |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Taxi | |
| Transport within Location | Walk or taxi | |
| Food Allowances | ||
| Social Activities | Limited | |
| Recommended Vaccinations | As per travel guide |
| The Good | Lots of hands-on activity. Very friendly staff and doctors. Very laid back and relaxed |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Very hot and humid. Cyclones. Isolation |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | Go with another student or friend for company |
| Contact Email Address | jlemon@utas.edu.au |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Bronwyn Shin |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | National University Hospital |
| Department Assigned | Department of Diagnostic Radiology |
| City | Singapore |
| Country | Singapore |
| Local languages spoken | English |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English, Malay, Chinese, Indian |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge |
| Population served | 51000 inpatient |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 1000 acute beds |
| Departments/specialties available | |
| Further description | |
| Student Responsibilities | |
| Teaching Availability | |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Dean's Office, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of Singapore 1E Kent Ridge Road NUHS Tower Block, Level 11 Singapore 119228 Attention: Electives Coordinator NUS Special Clinical Electives Programme |
| Application process | |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution |
| Accommodation | Stayed at friend's house | - |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | ||
| Transport within Location | MRT is available to most hospitals in Singapore including NUH- kent ridge station. Cheap to move about- about $5/day return trips | |
| Food Allowances | Food can be cheap/expensive. Staff cafeteria you can have meal from $3 unto $5-7. | |
| Social Activities | None organised by the hospital but there are many things to do, sightseeing places available | |
| Recommended Vaccinations |
| Report Author | Aniruddha Sheth |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Royal Perth Hospital |
| Department Assigned | Neurology |
| City | Perth |
| Country | Australia |
| Local languages spoken | English |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban (city centre) |
| Expected level of knowledge | History, examination and interpreting investigations |
| Population served | |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 833-bed total between Shenton Park and Welling St campuses |
| Departments/specialties available |
|
| Further description | It is a major tertiary centre for the southern metropolitan region in WA |
| Student Responsibilities | Accompanying the ward unit, ward jobs, performing admissions, simple procedures (cannulation, venepuncture) and communicating with other healthcare professionals. |
| Teaching Availability | Only through bedside teaching from consultant/registrar in Neurology |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | electives-fmdhs@uwa.edu.au www.meddent.uwa.edu.au/students/electives/anz |
| Application process | Apply through UWA, send relevant application forms and pay application fee of AUD$220.00 |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Depends on speciality but generally none. |
| Accommodation | Stayed at home | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Train and bus networks are very reliable and cost depends on location travelling from. | |
| Transport within Location | Working in one campus, lots of walking | |
| Food Allowances | nil | |
| Social Activities | Organise by yourself | |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Nil |
| The Good | Was like a medicine rotation and the staff are very helpful. Will teach you when they can as well as giving you responsibility as you volunteer for it. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | Unstructured and there is no expectation for you to perform. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | You have to be assertive about what you want to do. |
| Contact Email Address | rudysheth@gmail.com |
| Overall rating | 4 |
| Report Author | Aniruddha Sheth |
|---|---|
| Hospital or Institution Name | Yale New Haven Hospital |
| Department Assigned | Neurology |
| City | New Haven |
| Country | United States |
| Local languages spoken | English, Spanish (minor group) |
| Language of physicians, nurses | English |
| Setting (e.g. rural/urban) | Urban |
| Expected level of knowledge | History taking, examination, investigations and forming a management plan. |
| Population served | |
|---|---|
| Size description (e.g. beds in hospital) | 1541 beds in total |
| Departments/specialties available | Almost anything imaginable, refer to www.ynhh.org/medical-services/default.aspx |
| Further description | Nationally ranked in 10/16 adult and 7/10 paediatric specialities |
| Student Responsibilities | Following 1-2 patients from admission to discharge. Means presenting them at ward rounds, writing notes, following up results and making a management plan. On-call as scheduled. Presenting a topic to attending and residents at the end of the elective. |
| Teaching Availability | Lots of clinical teaching by attendings depending on speciality. |
| Elective Contact (name, email, and/or website) | Office of International Medical Student Education (Nickia Corley)
internal.health@yale.edu Tel:203 785 5937 http://medicine.yale.edu/globalhealth/international/index.aspx |
| Application process | Multiple forms to fill and send. Apply at least 8-10 months prior to elective period. Set elective periods for students. Refer to website for application forms. |
| Drugs/equipment needed by institution | Neurology - bring neuro examination kit. |
| Accommodation | ES Harkness Hall | USD 1100 |
|---|---|---|
| Travel to location (incl. necessary documentation) | Requires a B-1 visa. Apply for this at least 3-4 months prior to elective. | |
| Transport within Location | Live across road from hospital. | |
| Food Allowances | Buy/cook own food | |
| Social Activities | Organise your own social activities | |
| Recommended Vaccinations | Need to complete full course of childhood vaccinations/receive boosters if titres are too low. Significant pre-entrance health checks. Refer to website. |
| The Good | Excellent elective experience which is well structured. Treated as a part of the team and have to research topics for rest of team regarding patient care. Lots of opportunities for research if you assert yourself. |
|---|---|
| The Bad | High cost of tuition (USD 3100), accommodation and flights. Not for those who can't put in long hours. |
| Further Descriptions, Comments or Advice | When applying, talk with the team that you want to work with prior to sending your application as it will speed it up. Email and phone Nickia/co-ordinator to be remembered so that your application comes through otherwise it will take many months. |
| Contact Email Address | rudysheth@gmail.com |
| Overall rating | 5 |
School of Medicine Internationalisation and Electives (SMILE) Program
School of Medicine Internationalisation Committee Wiki (log-in required)