Impressions on an elective abroad

Dear editors, " In the past, desperate conditions on another continent might cynically be written out of one's memory. The process of globalization has already made such an option impossible… There are no health sanctuaries… The separation between domestic and international health problems is no longer useful. " This is the second summer of my medical school years that I spent abroad to learn medicine (first one in Africa, second one in South America). These two very rich experiences pushed me to write and encourage medical students to go abroad and live a different experience in medicine, particularly in developing countries. Although most medical schools in Canada have a highly structured medical course that fits in four short years, I definitely believe that, with enthusiasm, dedication, and perseverance, it is possible for Canadian medical students to arrange and participate in highly rewarding programs abroad. So why should one be promoting that? To expose Canadian medical students to some global health issues, to strengthen their sense of awareness toward health inequalities present in our world, and to reinforce cooperation among international medical students through interaction (2, 3). What are the benefits of going abroad to learn medicine? Well, first, you will discover a new country, a new population, a new culture, a new weather, a new cuisine, and a new language. You will gain experience in many clinical specialties and broaden your horizons through contact with other medical students and health care staff from this country and probably from all over the world. You will also interact with new professional organizations. You will be in touch with a complete new population, new pathologies, a new spectrum of diseases, and new treatment modalities. You learn to respect new ways of approaching medicine, even if you may disagree. You participate in a system that makes you think differently; where your ideas about everything from patient's approach to treatment modalities are being challenged every day. Through this experience, students see, listen, learn, experience, remember and finally grow tremendously, understanding some global health issues. There is one important point that needs to be thought about when planning an elective: one needs to make sure that the institution he is going to is well supervised. One of the pros of doing an elective in developing country is students may have more patients and procedure exposure than back home. But, I stress that students should know their …