international opportunities during residency

[mvalento]

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hello, i'm a 3rd year student interested in infectious disease and tropical medicine, and i am curious to know if any internal medicine residency programs either offer opportunities for residents to practice in foreign (esp. third world) countries, or allow residents some time to pursue international work on their own. thanks-

bud

 

[dwstranger]

For any residency (IM or otherwise), go to the FRIEDA website:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html

Enter search parameters and come up with a list of residency programs... THEN click on the ones you'd like to see more info about. If they have returned the AMA's questionnaire, you'll see all kinds of info about that program. All this to say that one of the questions asked is whether THEY OFFER INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE.

There may be a better (shorter, more efficient) way to search, but I don't know what it is...

Hope this helps.

 

[AJM]

There are many IM programs that offer either international electives, or open-ended elective months. The programs that have elective months are probably more common than those that have set-up international rotations. The electives are flexible, and can be used to do research, rotations at other hospitals, or to do international rotations, however you would have to set up the experience yourself.

You may just have to look on the websites of the specific programs you are interested in. I'm not sure that there is an easy way to search for this.

 

[danieltl]

A wonderful program for residents:

http://info.med.yale.edu/ischolar/description.html

I believe that a med student from Yale had done a survey of all residency programs regarding the availability of international electives at each one. He presented his findings at last year's ASTMH meeting in Denver.

I could dig up the contact info if you're interested, but only by PM.

 

[globallmedicine]

anyone with specific international experience in residency?

thanks!

 

[dadr]

anyone with specific international experience in residency?

thanks!

University of Minnesota IM program has a CDC-sponsored Global Health Pathway which allows you to use elective rotations to take a 2 month global health course, and 1 month to do a sponsored international rotation. If you complete the whole course you are eligible to sit for the Tropical Medicine boards. Normally this course costs several thousand dollars (and outside physicians often take the course as well) but is free to residents.

http://www.globalhealth.umn.edu/

 

[globallmedicine]

any of the NY-area programs friendly/encouraging of international experience during residency?

i've heard that mt. sinai is and apparently yale is very friendly.

 

[DoctorSax]

The Brown Internal Med program has organized rotations in Kenya and Santiago, Dominican Republic. It's working on establishing a nephrology rotation in China. If you want to set a rotation up on your own, they will support your efforts.

I know that Yale offers great international experiences, as does U. Penn (in Botswana). There are a few others--while it's a bit outdated, AMSA had posted a list of programs offering international experiences.

Remember to ask on your interviews if your salary will continue during an international rotation. As I understand it, since the lion's share of your salary will be paid by medicare/medicaid, it is required that you be in the hospital taking care of medicare/medicaid patients for the hospital to bill for your services. I think it was Emory that got audited several years ago and had to fork up a mouthful to pay back the government for residents missing months due to international rotations. I know that Brown compensates your salary and takes the hit, so to speak. But make sure to ask!

DS

 

[dragonfly99]

doctorsax is 100% right.
the hospital cannot bill Medicare for your services if you go abroad, and for this reason some residency programs are cool to the idea of international electives. It essentially costs them money, so if they don't have specific commitments/pathways related to international health, they are likely to oppose you going abroad for more than 1 month or so. That was my experience at least.

 

[dr.op]

The Brigham IM residency program has a separate 4 year "global health equity" track that you can apply for during intern year. You get to work with Paul Farmer and other fantastic people, in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Mexico, Russia and other places.

 

[Korrigan]

Remember to ask on your interviews if your salary will continue during an international rotation. As I understand it, since the lion's share of your salary will be paid by medicare/medicaid, it is required that you be in the hospital taking care of medicare/medicaid patients for the hospital to bill for your services.

I'm not sure if you should ask about salary or push International Health work too much during interviews. I asked about IH work at one place I interviewed at, and they had a couple of residents who did it on their own, but I really got the feel that program directors would rather have you in their U.S. hospital taking care of their underserved patients rather than in another country.