Atomic_Kitten85 Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 Hi, I am looking to do 1-2 months family medicine elective in Africa, possibly Uganda/TAnzania during the months of Dec/Jan. Would someone be interested in going? I am going to start contacting the sites pretty soon. Send me a PM if you're interested. Although technically it's a FMed elective, the work there would likely involve other disciplines as well (IM, obs/gyn), judging from the experiences of previous students. Thanks! Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviathan Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 Let me know how that goes. I want to do an ER elective at Bara in South Africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Hey Leviathan, I wanted to do that as part of my 4th year electives. Didn`t work out for me. Just thought I would let you know, that some electives there fill up rather quickly. So try and book as early as you can. Also, their summer is our winter. This is where I ran into issues. My elective time fell during their summer break. SO...all student supports are not functioning. No dorms, no transportation (they usually have shuttle that go from hospitals to school/residences), no classes etc. As you know Johanesburg is not the safest city in the world (I guess why it is great for trauma!). So if you are planning on going by yourself, try and research it a bit and talk to people that have gone/lived there to see if you accept those risks. Also need to accept the risk of a very high HIV rate (keeping in mind the ER population will be higher than the already high national average). If you go during the school year they will try and hook you up with some med students so you are not entirely alone. But if you go during their summer....you are completely on your own. I know a doctor who left South Africa after being held up at gunpoint in his own home...for a cell phone! (and that wasn't even in Johanesburg!!). He left South Africa in a hurry...didn't even bother waiting to sell his house. I know lots of people do electives there is survive. It is just the risk is pretty real. But I am probably just stating the obvious. Good luck! Hope the elective works out for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon01 Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 A few of my classmates went and had a great time! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whatthehale Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 I would be interested in going for a month. I don't know much about the logistics or the dates I would be available to go. If we start planning now, we should be well on our way by Dec/Jan. Would you be open to going somewhere else at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviathan Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Hey Leviathan, I wanted to do that as part of my 4th year electives. Didn`t work out for me. Just thought I would let you know, that some electives there fill up rather quickly. So try and book as early as you can. Also, their summer is our winter. This is where I ran into issues. My elective time fell during their summer break. SO...all student supports are not functioning. No dorms, no transportation (they usually have shuttle that go from hospitals to school/residences), no classes etc. As you know Johanesburg is not the safest city in the world (I guess why it is great for trauma!). So if you are planning on going by yourself, try and research it a bit and talk to people that have gone/lived there to see if you accept those risks. Also need to accept the risk of a very high HIV rate (keeping in mind the ER population will be higher than the already high national average). If you go during the school year they will try and hook you up with some med students so you are not entirely alone. But if you go during their summer....you are completely on your own. I know a doctor who left South Africa after being held up at gunpoint in his own home...for a cell phone! (and that wasn't even in Johanesburg!!). He left South Africa in a hurry...didn't even bother waiting to sell his house. I know lots of people do electives there is survive. It is just the risk is pretty real. But I am probably just stating the obvious. Good luck! Hope the elective works out for you! Thanks for all the info, Satsuma! I was aware of the crime and danger in South Africa, which is as you said, partly why they see so much trauma. The HIV part doesn't really worry me too much, as long as there isn't a problem getting personal protective equipment (beyond gloves, meaning face shields + masks etc). When I worked shifts as a paramedic in the downtown eastside of Vancouver, I am sure I saw pretty similar rates of trauma patients who had HIV...sad but the truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Yeah, it's dangerous there....but you could get held up at gunpoint for nothing in this part of the world, too. I was held up at gun point in Minneapolis in 2005. That same year, a U of Minnesota PhD student was murdered over $10 in uptown Minneapolis a few blocks from where I lived. Anyplace can be dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 The HIV part doesn't really worry me too much, as long as there isn't a problem getting personal protective equipment (beyond gloves, meaning face shields + masks etc). I spoke to 2 residents who went when I was trying to set my elective up. Both said to bring your own supply of gloves/masks. They had probably been there 3-4 years ago...so I am sure you will get the current scoop on the situation before you leave. But I think they are probably still low on resources there and better safe than sorry. I was really glad to have taken my own gloves and masks with me to Ghana! Oh that reminds me...need to get a TB test! If you do end up going...would be great if you posted your experience... I might still try and set up an elective during residency (we haven't received our official program yet...but it looks like I don't actually get any until 3rd year ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titanic Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 why do ppl do this travel med stuff? dont u think theyd be better served by infrastructure improvements than by hotchic medstudents being all ER up in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 why do ppl do this travel med stuff? dont u think theyd be better served by infrastructure improvements than by hotchic medstudents being all ER up in there? Well, the Bara is a teaching hospital, that accepts international medical students and residents to do electives, along side students and residents from their own institutions. You could argue that any of the patients I have seen as a medical student here in Canada would have been better served not being seen by a student. But you have to learn, and teaching hospitals is where that learning happens. If you are interested in trauma...no better place than the Bara, which is the largest trauma centre in the world. I agree that if you are going to "help" there are other ways to help. And especially pre-clerkship students have very little to offer in terms of skills. But if you are going for your own learning, it can be a great opportunity, medically and culturally. I think you learn more in later years and can offer more. I was very much on my own in Ghana...would have been a bad situation preclerkship. Certainly wasn't ideal even as a 4th year. But it was a great opportunity to learn to take responsibility and really learn what you are diagnosing and what you are prescribing...when you have nobody to ask questions to, or a second opinion, or pharmacists to check your scripts you really think through things alot more etc. My main purpose for going was my own learning. If I decide to incorporate international medicine into my career, I now have a better idea of what I am getting myself into and better ideas of what kinds of things could help. And while my main purpose wasn't helping. I did end up helping individuals (absolutely no effect on the system...for that you feel pretty helpless). Because I was able to diagnose and treat patients for things that would have been missed. And knew enough when to refer some patients to the nearby regional hospital when they needed a specialist. I didn't save the world, but I did help individuals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviathan Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 why do ppl do this travel med stuff? dont u think theyd be better served by infrastructure improvements than by hotchic medstudents being all ER up in there? I don't follow you, can you explain? The last time you did an elective outside of your own school, were you thinking about ways you could improve the hospital, or help the homeless of the city? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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