I'm posting quickly in the middle of my hematology lecture just to say how incredibly excited I am about the Global Health Electives -- in other words, the international clinical rotations! We finally got some information on them today, and although they sound like a lot of work (a lot of extra things to do before departure and after coming home that we don't have to do for other rotations), I am still SUPER excited. Our four main options are Tanzania, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, and American Samoa; there's also a 10-day Honduras option, but that's more of a general thing for the entire medical school (MD students, DPT students, nursing students, etc.) and it also sounds like it's part of a specific academic course... so I'm not really considering that one at all.

Anyway, they all sound incredible, but I think I've got it down to two, and they won't come as a surprise to anybody:

Tanzania. I'd be in Moshi, Tanzania, working in a hospital at the foot of Mt. Kilamanjaro. I have always wanted to do medical work in Africa, and this possibility is one of the things I was most excited about after my Duke interview last year. We get extensive prep beforehand, including some Swahili lessons -- yay! The two girls who went last year apparently had the time of their lives; I can't wait to talk to them. This is the most expensive rotation, but it's also something that I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember.

Ecuador. The biggest perk here for me is the Spanish exposure; you have to have had a certain amount of experience with the language in order to go. This site is a little different in terms of scheduling; we'd start in clinic around 7 or 8 in the morning and see patients until 2-3pm; after that, we'd have 2 or 3 hours of 'Medical Spanish' class each day. I have a very strong Spanish background which hasn't really been exercised much lately, and I know I'd 're-awaken' my Spanish really quickly if I were to be immersed in that environment for a while. That would be a really valuable skill as a practitioner here in the States. This is also the only rotation where I'd have the option of living with a host family, rather than in an apartment or hotel. Which might be annoying on those days when I want to come home after a long day and just be by myself -- but I think it would be really great in terms of being 'part of' the culture for the four weeks I'd be there rather than just 'observing' the culture.

The Blackboard section with all the details will be up in November, and the applications are due in January. Will update when I know more! :)