Check Idealism at the Gate

1
Check Idealism at the Gate

• An Introduction to Medical Tourism
• Meghan McCullough and Ankush Sharma

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Outline

• Altruism vs. tourism
• Community Impact
• Sustainability
• Selecting a Program
• Resources

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Pre-Med Altourism a realistic perspective

• Often a life changing experience for students
• What about community impact?
• Clinical Environment
• Local population

4
When Bad Things Happen to Good Intentions

• Educational enrichment is paramount
• Avoid medical tourism
• Temper overly-idealistic expectations
• Do not allow idealism to blind the local reality
  or the impact of ones presence
• Understand your limitations

5
Considering the Impact on the Community

• Clinical Environment
• Privacy
• Safety
• Cultural Competency
• Respect and integrate
• Language barriers
• Cultural Nuances

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Sustainability

• Local collaboration
• Continuity of project
• Assessing personal impact

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Getting Started

• Research language, culture and political
  situation of prospective country
• New Physician, Global Pulse, Interational Health
  Publications
• www.reliefweb.int for maps and reports on health
  conditions around the world
• Explore programs, websites, resources for
  overseas opportunities
• AMSAs IFMSA Exchange Program

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Picking a Program The Checklist

• How does the program benefit the local community?
• Does it have an ongoing relationship with that
  community?
• Are preceptors originally from the area? If not,
  do they live there now?
• Does the program offer support for learning the
  language? Do they use reliable translators?
• Are pre-trip counseling and orientation offered?
• How large is your group?
• Will you have clear responsibilities or will you
  be on your own?

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Once you Return

• Do not exaggerate the experience or generalize
  incidents as indicative of a culture or a people
• Maintain lines of communication
• Employ enthusiasm to do something positive

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Questions?
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Bibliography

• Dr. Carolyn Wilson, Dr. Linda Barthauer, Dr.
  Timothy Holtz, Dr. Lisa McGowan, Dr. Mark Miller,
  Dr. Michael Rich, Dr. Don Wedemeyer. A
  Students Guide to International Health and
  Funding Sources. American Medical Students
  Association 1993. http//www.amsa.org/global/ih/i
  hres.cfm
• Dr. Molly Martin. Bringing International Health
  Home A Guide to Applying International Health
  Principles to Underserved Communities. American
  Medical Students Association 1999.
  http//www.amsa.org/global/ih/ihres.cfm
• Dr. Mary White and Dr. Katherine Cauly. A
  Caution Against Medical Student Tourism.
  American Medical Association Journal of Ethics
  Dec. 2006. http//virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/200
  6/12/oped1-0612.html
• Leave Romanticism at the Border. The New
  Physician. American Medical Students
  Association. Dec. 2007. Vol 56 9 2-18.
• International Health is Preventative Medicine.
  American Medical Students Association.
  http//www.amsa.org/global/ih/preventive.cfm
• Gerald Majoor. Internationalization of
  undergraduate medical studies Promoting clinical
  tourism of academic development? Medical
  Education 2001.
• Dr. Carole Davis, Dr. Ron Pust, Dr. Don
  Wedemeyer. Planning and Preparation.
  http//www.ih.ualberta.ca/electives/docs/planprep.
  pdf.