Colombia Opened my Eyes
A personal blog by Ian Ferguson (2nd year medical student) Last summer, I was lucky enough to participate in a four-week IFMSA clinical exchange in Colombia. Working in the emergency department of Hospital San Juan de Dios in Armenia was an experience I will never forget! Not only was I exposed to a variety of […]
Perspectives from Nanjing, China
A personal blog by Xiao Yuan (2nd year medical student) This past summer, a classmate and I shadowed surgeons in a teaching hospital in Nanjing, China, whenever we weren’t stuffing our faces with Chinese delicacies. Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu province, located in eastern China, and is the second largest commercial centre in the […]
A student-initiated medical experience abroad: Shadowing in Mwanza, Tanzania
A personal blog by Mirko Manojlovic Kolarski (2nd year medical student) Not all rewarding global health experiences have to be arranged by UBC. In fact, my summer experience is proof that great projects can be organized independently by small groups of students. Last summer three colleagues and I spent three weeks volunteering at a medical […]
Forever changed: Reflections from my trip with GHI’s ACCESS Uganda project
A personal blog by McKyla McIntyre (2nd year medical student) July 13, 2012: “I literally can’t believe this is my last night in Nakaseke. In some ways it’s really flown by, yet in other ways it feels like we’ve been here much longer. I’ve completely fallen in love with the village, as well as with […]
A Health Care System under Transition: My Experiences in Post Revolutionary Egypt
Egypt captivated the world on January 25, 2011, marking a day for its revolution and ending a thirty year rule. I spent about two months volunteering at a public hospital in Cairo and from my point of view, the scars after the uprising continued to be present in the social fabric of everyday life in Egyptian society. Despite the hardships during these times of transition, some continued to look at their country with optimism and were striving to make their country better. A noteworthy establishment was the Women’s Health Outreach program which is primarily focusing on improving women's health.
Peruvian Amazon elective: Family Practice Resident blog
Happy new year to you all! As many of you know i'm spending January learning and working in a small hospital in the Peruvian jungle, in Santa Clotilde. I've been here a few days now and i'll try to send semi-regular updates. I landed in Lima on Dec 28 and spent the night in Lima with Padre Moe, chatting and learning about the history of the health centre.
Dr. Rich Currie: Peruvian blog from St. Clotilde, Amazon
Greetings from Santa Clotilde, Peru!
This is the end of week three in Santa Clotilde. I have secured access to a laptop, found internet , work has settled into a routine, and I am no longer constantly distracted by a Macaw named Leo. In short, I am ready to sit down and write.
For past readers of the Ethiopia and Central African Republic non-blog travel-blogs, I should begin by saying that this is not a Medecins Sans Frontieres project. It is a missionary hospital, and I am working here for only a month, deep in the Amazon basin of northeastern Peru. The story of how I ended up in Santa Clotilde is difficult to summarize, and involves a number of unusual opportunities and random connections that I pondered for considerable time last week as I sat on an earthen floor in the darkness, chewing on semi-rotten armadillo.
Dr. Paul Gross blog: A shock to the spirit
Today was a crushing blow to my spirit. Some days, the world and all its soul-numbing realities hit you in the face and knock you to your knees. I started the day to hear that one of the most valuable and honoured members of the hospital staff died, suddenly and unexpectedly, on the medical ward. Though I didn’t know her well, I understand she was well loved and made remarkable contributions to both Ministry of Health and to Dignitas since 2004.