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Elective help

hey,

I was just wondering if anyone could help me! I am currently a 4th year medical student and am going on my elective next summer. I really want to start organising it but I have no idea where to start.
Originally I wanted to go to Canada but would also love to get more hands on and therefore would a developing country be better? I am really interested in trauma medicine and lots of people i know are going to South Africa but I'm not its safe for a girl to go alone.
Any advice/elective ideas would be great. I haven't ruled out anywhere (was researching the soloman islands today) so if anyone has had a particularly amazing experiences (or terrible) please please reply!

thanks so much!
I have to be honest, I'm a bit ethically uncomfortable when people say they want to go to a developing country 'to be more hands on' (i.e. to be more hands on than they would be allowed to be in a developed country). Nothing wrong whatsoever with going to a developing country for your elective of course, but the idea that it's better because they'll let you do more stuff feels kind of exploitative.

I'm not suggesting you'd be doing anything with the intention of exploiting anyone, but I've known people who've done things on their electives that they'd never have been allowed to do in the UK, and it seems wrong.

I went to India for my elective, but made sure I stayed well within the bounds of what would have been considered appropriate for a medical student to do in the UK.*
Your experience would greater in a developimg country yes. With 5 years of hospital experience you'll be way more qualified than the person who might be doing it otherwise, in many instances. You'll also probably be a lot more motivated to keep your patients alive if it's anything like where I went!

I went to rural Tanzania but if you're worried about SA then there's no way you'll want where I went! I also went to St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. That is far safer but the volume of trauma you would see is minimal. They get a few GSWs but less than 1 per week, and many are fatal pe-hospital. Nevertheless, if you or anyone else wants further info or a contact email I can provide.
Reply 3
Avatar for Helenia
Helenia
20
Plenty of trauma experience including GSWs in the USA, if going somewhere developing is scaring you. Though a lot of their electives tend to be £££.

I went to Swaziland, did a mixture of HIV/public health/O&G. I had an amazing time, felt much safer than South Africa, and although I went on my own there were a few other UK med students from other unis there at the same time so we all went exploring together on weekends.
Reply 4
Avatar for 123username
123username
OP
5
Sorry! I think there was a bit of a missunderstanding about what I wrote. The reason I wanted to go to Canada/NZ was because going to a developing country and being allowed to perform procedures which I would not be allowed to do in the UK does not sit comfortably with me at all. It is completely unethical. however, I also want to get some clinical experience and would like to do more then follow drs around on a ward round. Also, i think it would be really good to gain skills which I could use back in the UK.
It is not that i'm scared of going to SA (or any other country?!) however I was advised that in particular SA was dangerous and you are more restricted to mover around safely.
It would be great if anyone had any good or bad experiences in Canada/NZ to reply. There are just so many choices!!
Original post by 123username
It is completely unethical.


I think it is very circumstance specific. .. where I was I think it would have been completely unethical to leave the nursing student in charge of a near fatal massive obstetric haemorrhage because I 'wasn't qualified'/wanted to ponder the ethics of the situation... but let's put that aside.

It would be great if anyone had any good or bad experiences in Canada/NZ to reply. There are just so many choices!!

I did a 3 week placement in NZ that wasn't my elective. It's a great country and al the doctors seemed so much happier in general! In terms of experience, it will be similar to the UK though in terms of pathology and resources and what you're allowed to do.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 6
Avatar for hasta11
hasta11
1
Hi!

I dont know if you are still searching or not but I did my elective with a company now called caribbeanelective.com. They where amazing and specialise in Electives to the Caribbean. I went to St Lucia, they sorted out everything for me, a placement and also my accommodation. Was amazing and run by lovely people, they build it around you, was very cheap as well!

caribbeanelective.com they used to be medtravel.co.uk
Reply 7
Avatar for Butchec4
Butchec4
1
Hi could i get an email contact for doing a placement in st.kitts and nevis
Reply 8
Avatar for Butchec4
Butchec4
1
Original post by nexttime
Your experience would greater in a developimg country yes. With 5 years of hospital experience you'll be way more qualified than the person who might be doing it otherwise, in many instances. You'll also probably be a lot more motivated to keep your patients alive if it's anything like where I went!

I went to rural Tanzania but if you're worried about SA then there's no way you'll want where I went! I also went to St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. That is far safer but the volume of trauma you would see is minimal. They get a few GSWs but less than 1 per week, and many are fatal pe-hospital. Nevertheless, if you or anyone else wants further info or a contact email I can provide.

Hi could i please get an email contact from you regarding your placement in st.kitts. thanks

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