Why Should I undertake My medical elective abroad?

Take a once in a lifetime medical option abroad with us and you’ll gain professional experiences in an outpatient hospital. But why should you travel?

Six and a half million children under the age of 15 passed away at the age of 15 in 2017. (World Health Organization).

99% of these deaths occurred in low- or mid-income nations. More than half of those deaths could be prevented through actions that you’d think of as simple or ‘affordable’.

These are just a few facts that form part of a bigger picture. It is a picture that you will only begin to understand if you see it for yourself.

According to students who’ve already been on a medical elective Kenya, there are seven main advantages:

Expand your clinical knowledge and skill set
Be more confident and resilient
Make yourself more employable
Make sure you are properly travelling
Build your personal and professional network
Sharpen your language and communication skills
Refresh your view of the NHS

1. Expand yoUr clinical knowledge and enhance your skills

The style of medicine you’re studying isn’t universal.

These aren’t the only cases that you’ve heard of. Treatments and medical conditions all over the world are affected by factors that you might not have even thought about. Consider the case of a small farming community in Northern Sri Lanka as an illustration.

There are a surprising amount of people who have died due to mysterious kidney conditions.

The renal department in our partner hospital in the area is overwhelmed. There are more patients than dialysis machines and queues run out of the department, down the staircase, and out of the building. Transplants aren’t a possibility, thanks to extremely limited resources.

It turns out that pesticides have been making their way through the soil. They also get into the soil and your water system. The government offers filtration systems at the cost of PS200 that is more than the farmer earns per year.

The local farmers with a problem. You can either stop using pesticides or be a victim of a loss of precious crops i.e. money to ensure your family’s food. Or continue to use dialysis, putting your family at risk of a shorter dialysis life.

This is just one of hundreds, but your chances of experiencing medical problems similar to such in UK are slim.

In our partner hospitals in the countries we operate in There are things you can see like:

Tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and Chagas
Insufficient pain management (women having babies without pain relief)
Traditional, herbal , and home remedies are more trusted than modern medicine
Critically advanced cases (lack of primary options for healthcare for the majority of patients)
Staff shortages and equipment in under-funded hospitals

and the religious, social as well as cultural contexts in which these all take place. Being familiar with tropical illnesses means your recognition of unfamiliar conditions will improve. Experience in dealing with a shortage of resources (tests such as diagnostic equipment, tests, etc.) makes your clinical judgement improve.

2. Become More Confident And Resourceful

Independence, confidence and determination. These qualities need to be displayed if you are looking to succeed as a doctor.

3. Make yourself more employable

Documenting your overseas experience is essential for your professional development.

One study has revealed that ‘… graduates who studied abroad as part of their degrees are two-fourths more likely to find employment three years after graduation, compared to non-mobile students.’ A few studies suggest as high as 80percent of medical students travel overseas for their elective placements. Since more and more medical students are going abroad for their elective placements, the best way to stand out is to be focused on providing a quality practical experience.

4. Do some proper travelling

A medical elective abroad offers a rare chance for you to take a trip.

It’s a chance to explore an area of the world that you’ve never experienced or would never consider. The destinations we offer aren’t your typical holiday hotspots and offer the possibility to travel in a professional manner.

5. Make your personal and professional network

Australia, America, Hong Kong Hong Kong, Australia, America, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore.

The students will get to know fellow medical students from all over the world. You’re also going to meet students from other disciplines of healthcare. Nurses, midwives, radiographers, physiotherapists, pharmacists…

At the hospital where you’ll be placed, if you’re proactive you’ll be able to meet the most renowned specialists department heads and hospital directors. You’ll meet a lot of individuals and make lots of friends.

If you’re clever about it, then you can create an international professional network contacts.

Many of your peers are going to be very successful in their respective fields. It doesn’t hurt to have successful people within your network of contacts. The old adage, ‘it’s not what you’re familiar with, it’s who you know’ isn’t quite right. However, the “who you know’ part is absolutely correct.

6. Improve your communication and language abilities

The UK is becoming increasingly multi-ethnic, bilingual and multi-cultural.

Treating patients of different cultures and speaking different languages is a major aspect of your job. If you’re on one of our programs you’ll gain a lot of experience doing just that. Most patients at our partner hospitals are from rural areas. They speak very little English when they do speak it at all.

The hospital’s supervisors and personnel will be fluent in English and will help translate for you. But if you want to build relationships with your patients, you have find ways to connect directly with them.

7. Refresh your view of THE NHS

It’s not uncommon to find fault with the NHS however most of the time, it’s due to a lack of an understanding. Being able to see what the future could look like with the NHS as your basis for comparison will open your eyes.

Once you’re back home, you’ll have a renewed perception and a better appreciation of the UK’s healthcare system.