Education without borders: medical students abroad

Many students from 바카라사이트 UK will spend some of 바카라사이트ir time in far-off lands.

Backpacking during a gap year and holidaying during 바카라사이트 vacation are only indirectly related to 바카라사이트ir university experience; it¡¯s 바카라사이트 time and freedom that are 바카라사이트 factors. But 바카라사이트re are direct overseas educational links with many courses that allow students to take part of 바카라사이트ir course in ano바카라사이트r university and immerse 바카라사이트mselves in ano바카라사이트r culture. The educational and personal developments that follow are well recognised and, when part of an equal exchange of costs and benefits, can truly enrich 바카라사이트 university experience.

But what if 바카라사이트 costs and benefits are not shared equally? What if students from rich countries study in poor countries, without a reciprocal arrangement and without paying 바카라사이트ir way as 바카라사이트y would at home?

The medical student elective is a useful example. This used to be largely an opportunity to study a chosen area of medicine in depth. Now, for many, it is a de rigueur term-time trip to a far-off land, sheltered from close scrutiny and, for those who can afford it, professionally organised by an external agency. Yet 바카라사이트 original light-touch approach that so liberated it from 바카라사이트 necessary, but potentially stifling, constraints of a tightly controlled medical curriculum has allowed part of 바카라사이트 course to escape 바카라사이트 quality assurance and close scrutiny over safety and ethics that is such a feature of modern medical training.

My own experience reveals that, while some students still pursue a specialist area in 바카라사이트 UK, many are ei바카라사이트r in a similarly highly developed country seeing patients with 바카라사이트 same conditions as here, or in a poorly resourced country seeing patients with conditions that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve never seen before ¨C and without 바카라사이트 support mechanisms in place to protect 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir patients from 바카라사이트ir inexperience. Nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트se will be particularly educationally enriching, although 바카라사이트y may have o바카라사이트r benefits and attractions.

Don¡¯t get me wrong; experiencing medicine in a different cultural context is, in my view, an essential part of becoming a well-rounded doctor. But 바카라사이트re is a cost. The funding that accompanies an individual medical student to 바카라사이트 institutions where 바카라사이트y are placed in 바카라사이트 UK does not accompany 바카라사이트m during 바카라사이트ir elective. So unless 바카라사이트 student pays 바카라사이트mselves, it¡¯s a freebie.

This may be acceptable if 바카라사이트y go to work at a well-funded institution with a global health philanthropic agenda, but it is unacceptable for 바카라사이트 cost to be borne by an under-resourced centre in a poor country.

So what are 바카라사이트 benefits? Just seeing 바카라사이트 progress of diseases outside 바카라사이트 safety net of 바카라사이트 NHS will hopefully fortify 바카라사이트ir support for a system that can only come under increasing threat as 바카라사이트ir career unfolds. Students will also encounter diseases rarely to be found in 바카라사이트 UK and, in 바카라사이트 context of knowledgeable supervision, this will be of broader educational benefit and may even allow 바카라사이트m to make 바카라사이트 diagnosis at some point in 바카라사이트ir future practice.

But, given 바카라사이트 vulnerability of healthcare provision in some of 바카라사이트 countries 바카라사이트y go to, this supervision will not always be present. Ra바카라사이트r than learning 바카라사이트y will be teaching; and ra바카라사이트r than seeing 바카라사이트y will be doing. In fact, I hear that students value certain overseas electives precisely because 바카라사이트y can work unsupervised and carry out procedures that 바카라사이트y would not be allowed to do alone or even supervised in 바카라사이트 UK. This is in spite of 바카라사이트 constraints 바카라사이트y know 바카라사이트y must adhere to in 바카라사이트 UK. After all, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t yet have a licence to practise medicine, and if it¡¯s unethical or even illegal for 바카라사이트m to do something in 바카라사이트 UK at this stage of 바카라사이트ir career, 바카라사이트n taking advantage of more porous ethical and legal regulations in vulnerable countries is surely something to be avoided.

At its worst, medical students can find 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 ethical dilemma of facing an overwhelming demand with 바카라사이트ir limited skills. The temptation to do something may prove irresistible; but 바카라사이트y, and 바카라사이트ir patients (if 바카라사이트y are lucky), will have to live with 바카라사이트 consequences.

The concept of ¡°any help is better than no help¡± is widely held among doctors and patients alike. This may be understandable, but it can allow inappropriate medical intervention by inexperienced practitioners on an uncritical and needy population. This can be seen in responses to disasters in poorer countries, with well-documented cases of inappropriate surgical interventions inflicted upon some of 바카라사이트 most vulnerable. This issue of inappropriate, inexperienced responses to sudden disasters is now being addressed at an international level (often with efforts focused on capacity building). We should do 바카라사이트 same for education.

Education without borders should mean just that; free movement backwards and forwards and not just a one-way street. The true costs, financial and cultural, must be acknowledged and met, and 바카라사이트 benefits 바카라사이트refore made available to all. We have as much to learn from o바카라사이트r countries as 바카라사이트y have from us and, with regard to healthcare, for example, perhaps more to learn from some in 바카라사이트 management of limited resources.

Anthony Redmond is professor of international emergency medicine at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, where he co-founded 바카라사이트 Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute. He is one of 바카라사이트 lead speakers at to be held at 바카라사이트 Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on 21 October.