Global Health
190.0 Global Health Elective-Hadassah Medical School
Contact: Ana Gregory email: anagreg@bu.edu
Please use link below to access information regarding applying for this elective.
Hadassah Medical School Elective Information Link
190.00 Medical Care in Armenia (course not be offered for the 2022/2023 academic year)
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: Ana Gregory email: anagreg@bu.edu
Description of Elective:
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian 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
190.12 Global Health Elective
Instructor: Suzanne Sarfaty, M.D., Director, Global Health Program
Location: A-3
Contact: Ana Gregory email: anagreg@bu.edu
Telephone: 617 358-7476
Website: Global Health Program (provides expanded details in relation to information below)
Description of Elective:
This is a clinical clerkship or research opportunity for medical students interested in the field of Global Health (GH). The school has a few established affiliations with hospitals and medical schools overseas, but students may seek alternative sites for their electives. They must be conversant with the language spoken in the host country for maximal learning benefit unless there is a provision for translators as part of the elective.
Any student wishing to undertake an GH elective must complete a formal application and submit it for approval to Dr. Sarfaty or the designated faculty contact (e.g. Warren Hershman, M.D. for the Israel elective and Vassilis Zannis, M.D. for the Greece elective). A letter of acceptance from the preceptor under which the student will work is also required.
It is strongly recommended that the student initiate plans for the GH elective six months in advance, as logistics for arranging overseas electives can be difficult. Evacuation/travel insurance will be provided to medical students if deemed necessary after discussion with Dr. Sarfaty or faculty contact.
Stipend:
All students are eligible to apply for a stipend to support the cost of the GH elective. Applications are accepted twice a year (July 15 and October 15) and are funded through a competitive process. Awards typically range from $400 to $1500, although awards of less or more are given. Funding is by reimbursement and is intended to help cover airfare and other expenses related to the elective. A completed post-elective report and original receipts must be submitted in order for reimbursement to be granted. In addition, students should consult the website for other potential sources of funding.