Ask Guero about international summer research via AMSA-IFMSA

[Guero]

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I established a local AMSA-IFMSA chapter of international research exchange at my medical school this past year and am currently abroad in Europe. As the Local Officer on Research Exchange (LORE) and a fellow participant, I'd love to answer any questions that you may have about the program. So feel free to post questions before I return to the states in early August. I'll also answer questions after August, but will understandably be much slower than now while back in school.

I'm officially in Helsinki, Finland in June 2014 as part of the University of Helsinki's Meilhati Hospital Liver and Kidney Transplantation office. Then I'm in Katowice, Poland as part of the University of Silesia's biochemistry department examining the role of incretins in endothelial apoptosis. And let me tell you, it's been absolutely amazing so far! I write this post after spending the entire day as second assist in both a living kidney donor transplant (very rare, 10 per year in Finland) and a cadaver kidney transplant. As an M1, mind you, I was allowed to scrub in, retract, and assist with anastomosis, ligation, cauterization, and closure. I'm also currently on call for procurement (organ harvesting).

Although the above is not technically research, it's an amazing and pivotal experience nonetheless, one that will surely be a topic of conversation come ERAS filing and residency interview time. Since I matched to Finland for 4 weeks, I'm clearly not here long enough to begin a project. But they warmly welcomed me and have been teaching me tons of skills and helping me learn the nuances of renal and hepatic transplant medicine. I can't wait to see what Poland has to offer.

Cheers,
G



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[Guero]

I established a local AMSA-IFMSA chapter of international research exchange at my medical school this past year and am currently abroad in Europe. As the Local Officer on Research Exchange (LORE) and a fellow participant, I'd love to answer any questions that you may have about the program. So feel free to post questions before I return to the states in early August. I'll also answer questions after August, but will understandably be much slower than now while back in school.

I'm officially in Helsinki, Finland in June 2014 as part of the University of Helsinki's Meilhati Hospital Liver and Kidney Transplantation office. Then I'm in Katowice, Poland as part of the University of Silesia's biochemistry department examining the role of incretins in endothelial apoptosis. And let me tell you, it's been absolutely amazing so far! I write this post after spending the entire day as second assist in both a living kidney donor transplant (very rare, 10 per year in Finland) and a cadaver kidney transplant. As an M1, mind you, I was allowed to scrub in, retract, and assist with anastomosis, ligation, cauterization, and closure. I'm also currently on call for procurement (organ harvesting).

Although the above is not technically research, it's an amazing and pivotal experience nonetheless, one that will surely be a topic of conversation come ERAS filing and residency interview time. Since I matched to Finland for 4 weeks, I'm clearly not here long enough to begin a project. But they warmly welcomed me and have been teaching me tons of skills and helping me learn the nuances of renal and hepatic transplant medicine. I can't wait to see what Poland has to offer.

Cheers,
G



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Last night I was called in for a double organ harvest for transplantation. I was taken with two surgeons and the transplant coordinator via private Leer jet to a rural hospital where I second assisted during the harvest. Here's a pic of me having a celebratory bier on the way back.

I'm telling you guys, you have no idea what you're missing!

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[EsotericAlchemy]

I'm really interested in this. How does the matching process work? Do you pick the dates of the exchange?

 

[Guero]

I'm really interested in this. How does the matching process work? Do you pick the dates of the exchange?

Well, first, your school must have a local chapter. If you don't have one, you can contact the national officer at [email protected] to receive instructions on how to establish a local chapter. As long as you have receptive faculty and administration, it's actually not that difficult.

Yes, you first apply to countries with your selected dates. They begin on the first day and end on the last day of each month. It's best to look up projects first to ensure they accept students for your planned dates of attendance. It's also easier to match to one project for 8 weeks than it is for a 4 week project since they tend to take a while to begin your own project.

Once you match to your country or countries, you then apply to three projects, each with its own statement of purpose. They also require at least one letter of rec. I had two.

Then your app is sent to each country's national officer. S/he then sends your app to each project to see if they accept you. Sometimes you get one of those three projects; other times you're matched to one you didn't list (as was my case in Poland).

Thanks for your question. Please let me know if I can be of any more help.

-G


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