International EM

[a_ditchdoc]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am an MS3 interested in international medicine. In fact, my schools primary focus is on international health, which is why I attended school in Israel. As I start considering which EM programs to apply to this coming year, I was wondering which programs have a strong international interest/research. I am hoping to find a program that also has fellowship opportunities in international EM, disaster medicine, and/or tactical medicine. I am familiar with Hopkins, and I love their program, but I also realize I need to be realistic and have a broad application base. I am afraid that if I attend a program without international interests, while I will be well trained in EM, my international interests will simply evaporate during residency.

Before you guys flame me, I have searched SAEM, Freida, and have performed a search of SDN (most recent posts I found were in 2003). Perhaps some of you in the EM community know of some programs that may be along the lines of what I am looking for.

 

[totalbodypain]

Most programs can accomidate some sort of international experience although the level of involvement changes with program. Check the SAEM website for programs that have international fellowships (USC, Harvard, Hopkins come to mind right off the bat). These will obviously have well set up rotations in international medicine. At my program there is no formal rotation but we have elective months where people have set up international rotations in the past. We also have faculty on staff and a program director who has been very active in the international community so these rotations have been fairly easy to set up. I think that you will find that most programs have some sort of ability to do this.

 

[a_ditchdoc]

Most programs can accomidate some sort of international experience although the level of involvement changes with program. Check the SAEM website for programs that have international fellowships (USC, Harvard, Hopkins come to mind right off the bat). These will obviously have well set up rotations in international medicine. At my program there is no formal rotation but we have elective months where people have set up international rotations in the past. We also have faculty on staff and a program director who has been very active in the international community so these rotations have been fairly easy to set up. I think that you will find that most programs have some sort of ability to do this.

Thanks for the information. I have looked at SAEM but it seems terribly out of date. Although I have seen programs that offer international rotations, for someone like me, that will have done the majority of their training internationally, a single rotation in another country or so, without faculty that really are interested in international medicine, seems a bit superficial. While I would welcome international rotations in a residency program (I think Yale allows up to six months), a program with strong research interests and fellowship opportunities is really my goal.

 

[streetdoc]

Thanks for the information. I have looked at SAEM but it seems terribly out of date. Although I have seen programs that offer international rotations, for someone like me, that will have done the majority of their training internationally, a single rotation in another country or so, without faculty that really are interested in international medicine, seems a bit superficial. While I would welcome international rotations in a residency program (I think Yale allows up to six months), a program with strong research interests and fellowship opportunities is really my goal.

Medical college of Georgia often comes to our EMIG meetings and they emphasize their international relations. Wook may be able to shed more light on the program for you.
good luck,
streetdoc

 

[turtle md]

MCG is a good one to look into. Also, U of Rochester has an international fellowship. But you can make it happen at almost any. The core stuff of EM will be taught everywhere, and you can tailor your electives to make what you will.

 

[southerndoc]

While I would welcome international rotations in a residency program (I think Yale allows up to six months), a program with strong research interests and fellowship opportunities is really my goal.

Although you have six months of electives to use, only four of those months may be away electives. This is a hospital rule because apparently the hospital isn't reimbursed by the federal government for your away months. You do, however, continue to receive your salary during away months.

Four to five emergency medicine residents per year receive international scholarships through the Yale/Johnson & Johnson International Health Scholar program. You may apply for this no matter where you are doing your residency, but 50% of all recipients are Yale residents and fellows.

The SAEM website is grossly outdated, and numerous attempts to get the webmaster to update information have fallen on deaf ears. The website that is listed for my program was replaced with a new website nearly a year ago and they have yet to update the information.

On the new international EM fellowship front, Emory and NewYorkPresbyterian-Columbia have developed programs. Other programs with excellent reputations include the Brigham & Women's/Harvard, George Washington, Medical College of Georgia, UCLA, University of Rochester, and the University of Southern California programs. Yale's section chief is currently recruiting an international emergency medicine physician to head up a possible fellowship here. It would be the perfect place given the funding that is available through the Yale/J&J program.

The soon-to-be BWH/Harvard fellowship director is a friend of mine. She and the George Washington fellowship director are graduates of the Yale EM residency.

 

[emtp6811]

It sounds like your area of interest is exactly the same as mine!

Check out these links:

http://www.amsa.org/global/ih/resprograms.cfm

http://www.gwemed.edu/intfel.htm

If you are looking for just a rotation, check out this site:

http://www2.acep.org/1,5229,0.html

And if you are interested in international medicine in conjunction with public health, check out this thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=173972

Hope these help!

 

[anonymousEM]

I'm starting IEM fellowship at GW in July. I agree with the above posts and sites. Other fellowships that come to mind that weren't mentioned above are:

UIC (chicago) - they have an annual resident/ms trip to Guatemala
Rush/Cook County (Chicago) Work with Int'l Medical Corps
Brown
Loma Linda (they have a very active med student/resident program)
U Maryland is also about to start one

That being said, you don't have to be at one of these places to be involved after or during residency. My residency had nothing formal and I had to do a ton of work to get my away elective approved but it looks like it has opened doors for others behind me. Best of luck!

 

[a_ditchdoc]

Thanks for the info guys. I was only familiar with a couple of them. This will help me with a starting point for researching programs to apply to during the match, maybe even a rotation or so.

 

[roja]

One of our soon to be grads is starting as an Intern Med Fellow at Columbia which includes an MPH. you may want to look there as well

 

[Medpilot]

Blaze that trail man!!

Have you looked into this yet? This has you and me written all over it. Go get 'em bud!

I'm not sure if they take IMGs or not though......

 

[pinbor1]

Bump!

Coming out of retirement, only so much board studying and MPH classes you can take. I need my SDN break. Just wanted to let anyone interested know, that I am one of the international EM fellow at University of Rochester. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about our program.

AnonymousEM, I met your senior fellows at the HELP course, justed wanted to introduce myself to you. Hopefully, we'll get to collaborate in the future.