Have you thought about what you'll need to take with you on your elective? A rucksack? Clothing? Maps? Medical equipment? Camping gear?
It's cheaper and easier to do all this online but dont leave it too late as deliveries can get delayed!
Elective ambitions!
Let the world change you... and you can change the world
If you're looking for elective inspiration then watch this film! It is a story of two young medical students on a trip to south America, and the life changing experiences they encounter - from working in a lepar colony to leading the Cuban revolution. This is a cult film about self discovery set in beautiful South American landscape.
Where Should I Go - read about other peoples elective adventures!
I decided to go to Canada for my elective because it came highly recommended by students who had lived, worked and/or studied there and because of Canmores close proximity to the Rocky Mountains...
Craig Sheridan (Leicester Medical School)
My elective placement was undertaken at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India. I chose to travel to India because of my interest in infectious disease and tropical medicine...
Alex Gordon-Weeks (Leicester Medical School)
To read more elective stories and reports just scroll to the bottom of the page and click 'elective reports'. Do you have an elective experience you would like to share with everyone? Do you have any suggestions for destinations you enjoyed, or even places you would advise people not to go to? If so then email us with your elective report and help other medics make a more informed decision about where they'd like to go.
Work the World can plan and book your elective for you!
Organising your elective can be a daunting and hugely time consuming task, with no guarantee of success. Work the World can plan and book your elective for you. This gives you the opportunity to benefit from our years of experience of overseas project management, and also lets you concentrate on the more enjoyable aspects of planning and undertaking your elective!
Working closely with individuals and groups of students, Work the World offers professionally organised medical electives in Africa and Asia that provide maximum benefit to both the participants and the communities in which they work.
Projects are tailored to student’s particular requirements, and include home-cooked meals, private accommodation alongside other students on similar placements, and full support from their UK and in-country staff. All of this comes at a cost which is in line with (or even cheaper than) organising everything yourself. They currently offer placements in:
The Ghana programme, based in Takoradi on the west coast is definitely an excellent option and there are various opportunities to gain clinical experience in regional hospitals, smaller district hospitals/clinics or on outreach initiatives... [read on]
India
An agreement with the Kerala state government allows Work the World to organise placements with any private or government run healthcare institution in the state capital, Trivandrum...[read on]
Tanzania
Work the World is partnered with a number of hospitals and clinics in and around Arusha in the North and Mwanza on the shores of Lake Victoria....[read on]
Zanzibar
In Zanzibar we are partnered with Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, the highest referral hospital on the island where all but the most complex of cases are treated...[read on]
Work the World will happily discuss placement opportunities that may suit you, even if you’re not sure where to start. Visit www.worktheworld.co.uk or email info@worktheworld.co.uk for information and advice.
Get student discounts anywhere
An absolute must on your elective is an International Student card (ISIC). It’s only £7 and can be used for discounts on coaches, shops, hostels, site-seeing and more. It was acceptable student ID everywhere I travelled in Canada and North America.
My travel buddy didn’t get one and his NUS card was not accepted abroad. We worked out that in 6weeks he spent over £100 extra because of this! It’s also a phone card, which stores answer phone messages, which meant I was able to go without a mobile – again saving money.
Books to help Plan Your Elective
Beyond Borders is a concise but hugely incitive book written by a 5th year medical student from Australia called Hamish Graham. He used the extensive knowledge and experience he built up on his numerous health placements to developing countries to write this book, which is an essential companion to anyone thinking of organising a medical elective; especially if the intended destination is very different to your own.
The authors passion for health care and practicing intercultural medicine is further demonstrated by his decision to donate proceeds from the sale of this book to Medecins Sans-Frontieres. For reviews on this book click here or to purchase from Amazon click the image.
If you're planning your elective there are several good books out there to help you. For example, 'The Medic's Guide to Work and Electives Around the World' shown opposite is a great book for researching medical institutions in different hospitals.
Yoracle also now has a bookshop set up in association with Amazon, which has a section on medical elective books and guides to travelling and working abroad, which is worth browsing through if you need some guidance...or inspiration!
Plan Your Elective
