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Electives Abroad


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I was wondering about how electives abroad work. Are these looked at positively or negatively later on for CARMS, or are they more for personal growth and *ahem an excuse to travel while still being engaged in medicine?

I am very interested in how other countries do medicine. Apart from my desire to help poorer countries, I'd also love to see how Australia, England and Ireland, for example, do their medical training. Even though I do not see myself investing in trying to practise medicine in those countries, I'd still like to have that experience. Do people do this? Would it be better to do electives elsewhere in Canada and perhaps get some contacts? I don't know if this is at all accurate, but I heard from some med students that you may want to be careful about doing electives in other schools if you're still at the beginning of medical learning in order not to get there and burn bridges by being unprepared and not as knowledgeable yet. Is this reasonable, or would staff be understanding that you are still a first/second year student?

 

Thanks!

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I was wondering about how electives abroad work. Are these looked at positively or negatively later on for CARMS, or are they more for personal growth and *ahem an excuse to travel while still being engaged in medicine?

I am very interested in how other countries do medicine. Apart from my desire to help poorer countries, I'd also love to see how Australia, England and Ireland, for example, do their medical training. Even though I do not see myself investing in trying to practise medicine in those countries, I'd still like to have that experience. Do people do this? Would it be better to do electives elsewhere in Canada and perhaps get some contacts? I don't know if this is at all accurate, but I heard from some med students that you may want to be careful about doing electives in other schools if you're still at the beginning of medical learning in order not to get there and burn bridges by being unprepared and not as knowledgeable yet. Is this reasonable, or would staff be understanding that you are still a first/second year student?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Does U of A allow you to do abroad electives over the Summer? If that's the case, then that gives you the opportunity to do electives in Canada over the school year and make contacts, as well as spend your Summers abroad to learn about other countries health care system, travel, spend time reflecting on your experiences, and growing personally :)

 

I hope your question gets answered, because I am really curious to know how doing electives abroad can affect your medical school training.  

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There are so many opportunities to go abroad in the summer! and there are so many countries that you can go to. I can post the list when I find it. Most people go after first or second year. Many of my classmates are going to really cool places this summer, and I am very sure it wouldn't negatively affect matching – it would diversify your application if anything. 

 

That being said you really want to use your 3rd/4th year elective time for doing electives in Canada in order to network and figure out where you want to match for CaRMS.

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If you have post-CaRMS electives, consider doing international stuff then. Reason being you'll be competent enough to really understand and learn from the other country's healthcare system as a senior medical student as opposed to a junior one. The other reason would be it wouldn't interfere with CaRMS. Otherwise, do it after 2nd year or early clerkship, it minimizes its effect on CaRMS but still allows you to have some experience behind your belt. 

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