undergrad looking for anykind of med experience in Europe

[mkincaid]

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I am a U.S. undergrad and may be traveling to Europe next summer. I am planning on a medical career and thought getting some experience at a hospital would be great. Is this possible?

 

[leorl]

Hmmm, I don't think so. Hospitals in Europe aren't like ones back home. They're not really amenable to shadowing, volunteering / candy-stripping, or whatever else. They can also be short-staffed with fewer resources, so wouldn't really have people with the time to show you around. If you know doctors personally over here, you could ask if you could shadow/observe them, but otherwise those things are usually for med students / other health students in rotations. Depending on where you're going, you can try emailing or calling certain hospitals and seeing, but the whole volunteering thing isn't really done, from what I can gather. Unless you get a job as a care assistant or transporter, but then you'd have to get a work visa, etc.

 

[tlew12778]

candy-stripping

HAHA. Freudian slip huh?.

Anyway, I agree with the last poster. I think it would be hard to arrange an observership (is that even a word?) here in Europe, but I don't think it's entirely impossible. I would try to emailing some drs in the country (-ies) where you will be and ask them if it would be possible for you to career shadow them for a day or two. Keep in mind that you will not be allowed to touch a patient as you will not be covered by malpractice insurance. You might want to tap the resources of any American drs you know and ask them if they have contacts in Europe.

 

[leorl]

Ahem...erm.... cough cough. woops. (obsevership totally is a word 😉 ).