Take a once in a lifetime medical elective abroad with us and you’ll get career-boosting clinical experiences at an overseas hospital. Why should you go abroad?
Nearly six and half million children who were under 15 years old died during 2017 (World Health Organisation).
The majority of deaths took place in low or medium-income economies. The majority of these deaths could be prevented through interventions that you might typically consider to be simple or ‘cost-effective’.
These facts are part of a larger picture. It is a picture that you will only begin to understand if you see it for yourself.
According to students who’ve already travelled with us the following seven benefits are common advantages:
Develop your clinical expertise and skill set
Develop confidence and become more efficient
Be more employable
Be sure to do some good travel
Develop your professional and personal network
Develop your language and communication skills
Renew your perspective on the NHS
1. Develop your clinical expertise and skill set
The method of medicine that you’re studying may not be universal.
These aren’t the only cases you’re used to. Medical conditions and treatments around the world are influenced by factors you may not have thought of. Think of the story of a rural farming community located in Northern Sri Lanka as an illustration.
A surprising number of residents have died due to a ‘mysterious’ kidney condition.
The renal unit at this hospital that is our partnership in region is flooded. More patients are in the hospital than dialysis machines. Queues flow through the department, down the steps, and out of the building. Transplants aren’t a possibility, thanks to extremely restricted resources.
It turns out that pesticides are leaking to the soil. They also get into the soil and the drinking water source. The government can provide filtration systems for about PS200 which is more than what a farmer can earn in a year.
The local farming community with a problem. Either stop using pesticides and lose precious crops i.e. money to supply your family with food. or continue to make use of dialysis and risk a short life on dialysis.
This is one story among hundreds, however your odds of experiencing medical issues like this in the UK are very low.
Within our hospitals that we partner with across the destinations we operate in, you’ll see things like:
Tropical diseases like dengue fever, malaria and Chagas
Insufficient pain management (women birthing without pain relief)
Home remedies, herbal and traditional remedies trusted more than modern medical treatments
Cases that are critically advanced (lack of primary options for healthcare for the majority of patients)
A massive shortage of staff and equipment in hospitals with inadequate funding
Then the religious, social as well as cultural settings in which these happen. Being familiar with tropical illnesses means your ability to recognize unfamiliar conditions can be improved. Experience dealing with a lack of resources (tests, diagnostic equipment etc.) can cause your clinical judgment to improve.
Click here for information on taking a medical elective Kenya.
2. Become More Confident And Resourceful
Independence, confidence, and resourcefulness. These qualities should be displayed if you are looking to get ahead as a medic.
3. Be more employable
Documenting your overseas experience is essential for your professional growth.
One study revealed that ‘… graduates who have studied abroad as part of their degree are twice as likely to land a job in the within three years of graduation compared to their peers who are not mobile.’ A few studies suggest as high as eighty percent of medical students now travel to other countries for their elective experiences. As more and more people are deciding to travel abroad and pursuing elective positions, the best method to distinguish yourself is to focus on quality experiences in the clinical field.
4. Take care to travel in a responsible manner
A medical elective abroad offers a rare chance for you to explore.
It’s a chance to visit a part of the world that you’ve never experienced, and might never otherwise take into consideration. The destinations we offer aren’t your usual holiday destinations as they provide the opportunity for proper travel.
5. Build your personal and professional network
Australia, America, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore.
It is a great opportunity to connect with classmates from all over the world. Also, you’ll meet students from other healthcare disciplines. Nurses, midwives, radiographers, physiotherapists, pharmacists…
In your hospital of choice If you’re attentive, you’ll be able to meet the top specialists, department heads, or hospital administrators. There will be a wide range of people and make a lot of new friends.
But if you’re clever about it, then you can also build an international network of professional connections.
Many of your fellow students will go on to become very successful in their respective fields. It’s not a bad idea to have successful people in your contacts. The old adage, ‘it’s not what you’re familiar with, it’s who you know’ isn’t right. However, the “who you know part is completely true.
6. Develop your language and communication abilities
The UK is becoming more multiethnic, bilingual and multi-cultural.
Treating patients of different cultures and speaking different languages is a major element of your work. If you’re on one of our assignments and get a great deal of experience, you’ll be working with patients from different cultures. The majority of patients in our partner hospitals come from rural areas. They speak very little English when they do speak it even.
Your supervisors and some hospital staff will speak English, so they will aid in translating for you. However, if you wish to build relationships with patients, it is necessary to find ways to communicate directly with them.
7. Rethink your perception of THE NHS
We are often criticized for the NHS and most of the time, it’s thanks to a lack of perception. Being able to see what the future could look similar to the NHS as your point of analysis will broaden your perspective.
After you return, you’ll have a renewed perception and a better appreciation of the UK’s healthcare system.