International Health
INTERNATIONAL
HEALTH
11
190.0 International Health Elective
Instructor: Warren Hershman, M.D., M.P.H.
Location: The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
Contact information: Dr. Warren Hershman, Warren.Hershman@bmc.org, and Sarah Fallas, Sarah.Fallas@bmc.org, Evans 122, 638-7230
Number of Students: 6-8. Limited travel funds available for BUSM students
Period to be Offered: One to two months
Description of Elective:
This clinical clerkship is part of The Louis and Charlotte Kaitz BUSM/The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School Exchange Program. It is available to all fourth year students interested in the Israeli health system or whose professional career would be enhanced by a unique experience in Middle East medicine at a world renowned medical, educational and research institution. A conversational knowledge of Hebrew is a prerequisite for electives in general medicine and general surgery, but not for the other clinical electives.
190.00 Medical Care in Armenia
Instructors:
Hovaness Sarkavagyan, M.D., Chief, Thoracic Surgery, Grigor Lusavoric Medical Center
Gagig Manookyan, M.D., Chief, Intensive Care Department, GLMC
Voskan Pahlavyan, M.D., Chief, Cardiology, GLMC
Nikolai Dallakyan, Chief, Emergency Children’s Hospital and Chief, Yerevan Emergency Ambulance Service
Location: Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center and affiliated institutions in Yerevan, Republic of Armenia c/o Ara Minasyan, M.D., Chairman, Grigor Lusavoric Medical Center
10 Gurdjian Street, Yerevan, 375056
Tel/Fax: 374-1-15-13-90
Email: aihaemer@arminco.com
Students generally lodge at a local hotel in Yerevan or in the dormitories of the Armenian National Institute of Health, 49/4 Komitas Avenue, Yerevan, tel: 374-1-235-171
Number of Students: Up to six per rotation
Period to be offered: One four-week period throughout the year, by arrangement
Application Process:
Contact Armenia Partnership Program-Attn: Marie Vartanian
Boston University School of Medicine
715 Albany St., Room D-918-A
Boston, MA 02118
Tel: 617-638-5749
Fax: 617-638-4092
Email: mvartani@bu.edu
Description of Elective:
Boston University School of Medicine has established a medical elective for fourth-year medical students at the Grigor Lusavoric Medical Center, in Yerevan, Republic of Armenia. The elective is open to medical students from accredited medical schools. The Grigor Lusavoric Medical Center is a leading trauma center for Yerevan, the capital city, and is the base of the municipal ambulance service. The four-week elective includes short rotations in the thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, intensive care, and cardiology services of GLMC. In addition, students may elect to rotate at a maternity and pediatric hospital or pediatric and adult polyclinics. They can also have experience on ambulance service calls during evening hours, depending upon service volume.during evening hours depending upon service volume.
The intensive care and thoracic surgery departments at GLMC have residency programs. Students will be expected to shadow the house officers during their daily rounds of these services. In daily conferences, morning rounds, practical studies and discussions with the preceptor, students will gain an understanding of the practice of medicine in a non-western environment. They will see a strong demonstration of the importance of taking a patient history without benefit of extensive diagnostic testing. Medical education differences will be apparent to the student as well as international efforts to upgrade health care through the transfer of technology to Armenian hospitals.
Written evaluation of student performance will be obtained from preceptors. The elective organizers will see that all student evaluation forms are completed and mailed back to the student’s school. Written evaluations of the elective are required of students within one month of completion of the elective. Dr. Ara Minasyan will assume direct responsibility throughout the student’s stay in Armenia; individual department or section heads will be responsible for general direction and content of the elective.
Student Comments
“…The doctors are excellent. They will discuss their approach to patient management and contrast how it may differ in America.”
“…I felt that physicians at the Emergency Hospital were very knowledgeable in making proper diagnoses and treatments considering the lack of resources in the hospital.”
“…they respected my ideas”
“…It allows an American student to have hands-on experience with diseases that one reads about only in textbooks, such as botulism, brucellosis and echinococcal infection.”
“…We discussed the infrastructure of the health care delivery system of Armenia and its future outlook.”
“…Their approach to adapt in situations when equipment is not available is unique.”
“…We were treated like we were family.”
“…The doctors are very enthusiastic about teaching foreign students.”
Prerequisite: Russian and/or Armenian fluency
705.0 International Health Elective
Instructor: Suzanne Sarfaty, M.D.
Location: BUSM
Telephone: 638-4138
Description of Elective:
This is a clinical clerkship or research opportunity for medical students interested in the field of International Health. BUSM has a few established affiliations with hospitals and medical schools overseas, but the student may seek alternative opportunities as well (consult International Health website: www.bumc.bu.edu/ihbusm).
A brief summary of goals and expectations of the intended experience, a letter from a preceptor with whom the student will work and approval of the proposal by Dr. Sarfaty is required before departure. It is strongly recommended that plans for the elective be initiated six months in advance, as logistics for arranging overseas electives can be difficult. It is advised that students purchase evacuation insurance prior to departure, especially for electives in non-European countries. The student should be conversant with the language spoken in that country for maximal learning benefit.
Duration of elective: one to three months
Prerequisite: student must be in good standing, confirmed by the Office of the Registrar
Stipend: cost of airline ticket (maximum $800.00) The student must complete the paperwork cited above before departure and must submit actual airline ticket with a critique of the experience in order to receive stipend. The student should consult the International Health website for other potential sources of funding.
