For those of you who are in medical sch0ol, an international rotation is a great idea if you can work it in your schedule (and if you can afford it). It’s an opportunity to see how healthcare is delivered elsewhere and just good in general to travel and see more of the world. The best time to do that is the summer between your first and second year (your last real summer) or during your 4th year. Even if you are just a first year, now is a good time to start thinking about this because it does take some planning.

Start exploring different options in your administrative office. Some schools already have partnerships in place with different hospitals/clinics, which make things like getting credit and scheduling much easier. The staff can usually get you in contact with other students who have gone before. Each school has their own policy and paperwork that is required.

Of course there are also many resources online. The international elective section here provides some good info if you are interested in family medicine. If you are planning to practice in California, I would highly recommend a medical Spanish immersion program that is part of the rotation. During my fourth year, some of us went through CACHAMSI, which is a program based out of Riobamba, Ecuador, which was an amazing experience.

It was a one month rotation and was structured for medical experiences in the morning (there were different sites like primary care in the rural setting and the ER in the local hospital) and Spanish didactics in the afternoon. We were each set up with a host family so it was a total immersion experience. The weekends were free for travel and exploration.

4th year of medical school is a great year, especially after your sub-internships and residency interviews. Plan ahead to make the most of it!

P.S. Don’t forget about vaccines and prophylaxis depending on where you go! International health insurance is not a bad idea either.

Here’ some pics! Fellow Travel buddies: Farshid, Charles, Regina