Programs of Study for International Programs

Programs of Study (Fourth Year Electives)

Latin America

Santiago, Chile
Location: Hospital Clinico Pontificia Catolica de Chile
Objective: This rotation allows students to receive first-hand clinical experience while taking electives in internal medicine and transplant surgery. Students will be under the supervision and mentorship of Georgetown Hospital transplant surgeon Dr. Juan Francisco Guerra as they immerse themselves in the health care system of Chile.
Requirement: 4th year medical student with some knowledge of Spanish

Valparaiso, Chile 
Location: University of Valparaiso, Chile 
This program allows students to acquire clinical experience as well as community field experiences.  Students will have weekly placement schedules designed to enable them to have an overall experience on Chile’s health problems.  They will be exposed to different medical, surgical, community medicine and general practice disciplines in both a hospital and community setting.
Duration: 4 weeks

Dominican Republic
Location: Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
Objective: This international elective provides students with the opportunity to experience first-hand the health care situation and problems of an underdeveloped country, and to serve people in need of medical attention who live in remote areas. Students work for an 8-hour week period and are monitored by health care professionals who work with them for 2-week shiftsRequirement: 4th year medical student

Quito, Ecuador
Location: Carlos Andres Marin in Quito, Ecuador
Objective: This elective is organized with the collaboration of the Universidad Católica de Ecuador. Students have the opportunity to learn about the health problems facing physicians in developing countries. The elective provides opportunities for in-the-field experience, including on-call Emergency Room services, as well as lectures on topics related to community medicine, epidemiology, and pediatrics.
Requirement: 4th year medical student with basic knowledge of Spanish
Duration: 4 weeks

Bogotá, Colombia
Location: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Objective: This elective enriches the Jesuit values learned at Georgetown through hands-on experience of medical care at a Jesuit university.  Students will work with permanent staff in different rotations throughout the hospital.  Students will encounter personally a healthcare system in a large city in the developing world. 
Requirement: 4th year medical student with basic knowledge of Spanish
Duration: 4 weeks

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Location: Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Objective: This program provides the opportunity for medical students to learn about the health care system of a large city in a developing country. Medical students become part of the university community, allowing them to attending lectures and classes in their area of choice. In addition, students also gain hands-on clinical experience. Offering the ability to actively participate in academic and socio-cultural events, this program gives students a unique opportunity for experiencing both medicine and culture in Argentina.
Requirement: 4th year medical student with basic knowledge of Spanish
Duration: 4 weeks

Guatemala City, Guatemala
Location: Rafael Landívar University
Objective: This program provides Georgetown students with the opportunity to learn about the health care system of a developing country.  Students will be exposed to many different medical cases.  At this Jesuit university, students have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the clinical environment that encompasses the Jesuit values.  This program emphasizes cura personalis that is essential to a Georgetown education.
Requirement: 4th year medical student with some ability to speak Spanish
Duration: 4 weeks

Masaya, Nicaragua
Location: Hospital Hilario Sanchez Vasquez in Masaya, Nicaragua
Objective: This program provides Georgetown medical students with the opportunity to learn about the health care system of a developing country. Students gain hands-on experience of preventative and primary care medicine through rotations in different departments of the hospital. Students work under the direction and supervision of the Medical Director.
Requirement: 4th year medical student with basic knowledge of Spanish
Duration: 4 weeks

Córdoba, Argentina
Location: Universidad Católica de Córdoba in Córdoba, Argentina
Objective: Córdoba is the second largest city in Argentina, set in the foothills of the Andes. This elective allows medical students to experience the health care system of a developing country through cross-cultural immersion. Students complete a rotation at one of two different hospitals, depending on their area of interest.
Requirement: 4th year medical student with basic knowledge of Spanish
Duration: 4 weeks

Lima, Peru
Location: Cayetano Heredia University, Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt
Objective: This elective is coordinated through Cayetano Heredia University’s Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt. The program offers fourth year medical students the opportunity to learn about health problems in a developing country, with emphasis on preventative medicine and tropical diseases. Georgetown students rotate with students from Cayetano Heredia.
Requirement: 4th year medical student with basic knowledge of Spanish
Duration: 4 weeks

Africa

Cameroon, Africa
Location: Cameroon, Africa
Objective: This program involves a 6-week elective in the Northwest Province of Cameroon at the Banso Baptist Hospital. The hospital is a Christian mission health referral center which has been serving the needs of the local African community since 1949. The hospital, along with its affiliated health center and public health projects, offers medical students a first-hand look at medicine in an underdeveloped country. Medical students will likely spend a large portion of their time at Banso Baptist Mbingo Hospital (BBH), located in Kumbo, that is widely considered the best hospital in Cameroon. BBH is made up of five major patient wards totaling 200 beds. Students select a particular part of the hospital in which to concentrate. Based on their interests, medical students will be assigned to all or part of the wards, each of which will be about 40 beds. Students gain hand-on experience as they are expected to take call.
Requirement: 4th year medical student
Duration: 4 weeks

Lesotho, Africa
Location: Touching Tiny Lives in Mokhotlong, Lesotho
Objective:  This elective focuses on the exposure and understanding of HIV/AIDS pandemic through interpersonal relationships, clinical experience, participation in the efforts of a local non-governmental organization.  The Touching Tiny Lives program focuses on the prevention of HIV transmission in the pediatric and maternal populations, as well as provides clinical care and nutritional support to those affiliated by the spread of this devastating disease.  Students are expected to join outreach efforts to remote villages, participate in the daily care of the acutely sick and malnourished children housed at TTL, and observe clinical approach to the treatment of HIV, TB and malnutrition in the setting of severe poverty and health disparity. 
Requirement: 4th year medical student
Duration: 4 weeks

Europe

London, England 
Location: King’s College London in London, England
Objective: This program allows students to observe clinical care as performed by members of the institute’s permanent staff.  The students have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the clinical environment.  The students will work closely with the permanent staff, giving them the opportunity to learn a great deal about diagnostic procedures and the health care system in England.
Requirement: 4th year medical student
Duration: 4 weeks

Madrid, Spain
Location: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
Objective: This rotation allows students to participate in a clinical rotation under the mentorship of Dr. Javier Regadera. This rotation provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a clinical environment. Students work closely with Dr. Regadera, allowing for vast opportunity to learn a great deal regarding the health system of Spain.
Requirement: 4th year medical student with basic knowledge of Spanish
Duration: 4 weeks

Pamplona, Spain
Location: University of Navarra
Objective: This rotation provides students with a first-hand experience of the healthcare system in the north of Spain.  In this new university, students will be able to work with permanent staff in different rotations to gain an understanding of a Spanish clinical environment.  The students will learn how the culture influences medicine in Spain.
Duration: 4 weeks

Dublin, Ireland
Location: Trinity College
Objective: This established relationship with the oldest and most respected university in Ireland offers opportunities for both urban and rural based electives. This 4-week elective can be completed in a wide array of areas, as the student works closely with a local doctor.
Requirement: 4th year medical student
Duration: 4 weeks

Milan, Italy
Location: University of Milan-Bicocca
Objective: This program provides Georgetown medical students with the opportunity to learn about the health care system in Italy.  The urban university’s hospital clinics and its physician/instructors give students hands-on experience with the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of patient care.

Requirement: 4th year medical student
Duration: 4 weeks

Oceania

Sydney, Australia
Location: University of Sydney, Australia
Objective: This program allows the medical students to become part of the hospital team in Sydney.  They will have many responsibilities including admitting patients and assisting in the management of ongoing patient care.  The students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on practical experience and learn about the health care system of Australia.
Requirement: 4th year medical student
Duration: 4 weeks

Asia

Quezon City, Philippines
Location: St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, Republic of the Philippines
Objective: This four-week rotation in the Philippines focuses on both clinical and community medicine. This program provides much opportunity for cultural interaction with the local community. Students work closely with hospital staff and medical school faculty. No foreign language ability is required, though Spanish is useful
Requirement: 4th year medical student
Duration: 4 weeks

Shanghai, China
Location: Fudan University
Objective: This program is open to medical students interested in working at Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, China. Students have the unique opportunity to participate in traditional Chinese Medicine and learn how to incorporate this into their skills set. Students have the option to participate in different departments while at Huashan Hospital, or choose one department for the duration of their stay. This program allows students to interact with the community. It is suggested that students speak some Mandarin.
Requirement: 4th year medical student
Duration: 4 weeks

In addition to Fourth Year International Electives, we offer programs for the summer between the first and second year. These programs include:

  • Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC) – Dominican Republic