It is about time I announced my plans for summer to my plethora of readers (or more likely, those few of you who bother to read my rantings.)
Those of you who are medical students or doctors will be aware that most medical schools have an elective period whereby you are given the chance to go anywhere in the world for a while and either a)learn about a new aspect of medicine or b)have a bloody great holiday and not do a lot.
So....where did I decide to go? Well, originally I had my heart set on Canada, or maybe Australia, or how about joining Dr House's team in the USA! One of my friends arranged hers in East Timor, the day after she arranged it, they broke out in civil war! (they must have heard she was coming.) Others picked Africa, South America, India, Australia and even Micronesia (wherever the hell that is...it sounds more like a disease of the knee than an actual place)
Not to be outdone I decided on one of the remotest places on Earth - in fact, It may as well be on the Moon! (Dammit, I should have applied to NASA!) Have you guessed where it is yet? Most people have never even heard of them, hence the title of the post, which is the usual reaction whenever I tell anyone.
As of August, missbliss and I will be jetting off around the world for a 3 month extravaganza! A month or so of travelling before I begin my elective and missbliss puts her English teaching skills to good use.
I'm going to be spending about 7 weeks pretending to be a doctor, here:
1 senior doctor, 4 wards, 40 beds, and not a CT or MRI in sight! This ladies and gentlemen is Lata Hospital, situated on one of the Santa Cruz Islands located in the Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands! (see map of South Pacific below)
So, there we go, now you know! It is going to be an experience that's for sure, I'm sure you'll be hearing much more about it before I go as I blog about our preparations for departure. Who knows, I might even be able to keep you updated whilst we're there. Although I wouldn't hold your breath, their Internet is powered by crabs.
One more picture just to show how beautiful it really is:
Watch this space...
9 comments:
Well done Little Medic!!!!! I will be spending my August exchange program in Amsterdam... dadaaaaaah
But Greece being a tourist attraction and all, I am very excited to be going there...! Hope you have fun!
Lucky you, I was planning on staying here in Scotland for my junior elective, then got an email last Thursday to say it had fallen through, so at 7 weeks to go I am emailing and posting CV's like mad.
Must be better organised for 2008's Senior Elective.
How difficult did you find it was to organize an elective in a foreign country - especially one in the third world?
Amib - It is really really easy, I did a bit of research and sent out some emails and a few of them replied, That was it basically. Some take a bit more organisation but if you're thinking early there shouldn't really be a limit to where you can go.
Ah, so you took the holiday option as opposed to the lots-of-experience option ;)
About half my year went to the Solomon Islands on elective, and all met up there. I'm sure you'll have a blast.
Not being a holiday person myself, I did half mine A&E in London, the other half A&E in a third world (and I mean seriously third world) country.
Enjoy!
Oh my god, I am already seething with jealousy. I have another THREE years left before I can even THINK about doing an elective!! I HATE YOU!!! (well no I don't really - I never know - I may very well be your final year medical student when you're an F2, so I should watch what I say!)
Have fun on your elective and take plenty of photos!! Oh, and do some doctoring too, of course!
You lucky thing! I wanted to get to Lata next summer but told they were full already - really disappointed. Hoping to get to Honiara but it's just not as pretty!
Too bad you're not coming to Canada - we'd have loved to have you but, sounds like lots of fun anyways!
Hey. You don't need to travel half way round the world to skive off. You do a damn fine job in this country, and it would save you alot of money.
Of course at 1530 on a Friday afternoon I am obviously joining you in a skive.
Post a Comment