Elective Africa

Hi Everyone! My name is Timothy Carey from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.I did my medical program with Elective Africa and it was realy amazing! It was well organized and I was met at the airport on arrival and Kenya is amazing country to visit especially its national parks.If you wanna know more please dont hesitate to contact me at: Timothy Carey timothyca@pcom.edu or timcarey225@aol.com

Hey am a 4rth yr med student at Queens University-Belfast 2009.The Elective Africa program was owesome! It's well planned and students are really taken care of with safe accommodation,in-country transportation & great meals.I cant forget to mention safari to Maasai Mara Kenya...millions of wildbeasts crosing over the Mara river!!!It's was amazing and this was the best experience of my life. Rory Sweeney-UK

Hi Joshua! My name is Marta Dedza and I did a 6 week rotation in Kenya july-august 2006 through your program Elective Africa. I am currently applying to residency programs in the US.I'd love to recommed anyone about this program.It was well organized and I really gained alot of experience!Thank you so much and i wish much happiness and love to you and your family. Sincerely, Marta Dedza address: 15 ithaca st Lindenhurst NY 11757email: tinkxoxo@aol.com tel: 917-292-0342

Our first week at the hospital is completed. It has been a week I will definently remember for the rest of my life, both in good and bad ways. Just after this first week, we ve learned so much that it feels like we ve been here much longer.

'Once again, thanks so much for all you do. I had a wonderful, enriching experience and look forward to folding what I learned into my courses.'

Today was surgery today and was very hectic. 4 women went into labor- 3 of which needed emergency C-sections. As Port Reitz Hospital only has one operating room, the third and fourth scheduled surgeries had to be pushed back to tomorrow so they had room to do the C-sections. Scott and I went into the second surgery- a thyroidectomy (removal of a goiter on the thyroid gland) only to be called out of it about an hour and a half in to 'assist with an emergency'. The one baby that was born normal was a still born and they were attempting to resuscitate it. The room was very hectic with one member of the team doing chest compressions while the others were hooking up oxygen to pump into the baby. After stabilizing the equipment- the doctors and nurses returned to the maternity ward to help the other 3 women in labor while scott and I continued care on the baby that was not breathing (it did have a pulse at this point). After an hour of giving the baby breathing assistance- it finally started to breathe on its own! Two hours after the baby initially arrived on our table, it was sent back to the maternity ward where it would continue to receive care. The baby's life will be very hard as the lack of an initial heart beat and lack of oxygen will result in cerebral palsy as a best case scenario. Scott and I concluded that we think the baby also had hydrocephalitis (water in the brain) which causes the head to be very large. The baby will have a very hard life- but it is alive!

Overall the experience I've had in Mombasa and with the other students has been memorable. I have made some great new friends and will hopefully be able to visit them when we all return back to the states.

Doing a medical elective in Kenya was an eye opening experience. I got to see the third world health system and range of tropical diseases not normally prevelant in Australia. It was a really hands on experience. I got to learn and perform skills like administering injections, catheters and suturing patients. I was also able to take part in the examining, differentials, diagnosing and formulating treatment plans. The highlight for me would have to be the amazing new friends I have made and the motivation I have taken back home. I would recommend this program to anyone considering it.

'Elective Africa is a highly educative program for all medical students. If you have special interests in fields like Obsterics/gyn, general surgery and tropical medicine this is a very good program. The experience I had in Mombasa has been memorable and I highly recommend Elective Africa to everyone who are considering applying.'

'I got everything I wanted out of an elective in Africa; plenty of experience examining patients, lots of opportunities to master practical skills and the chance to be involved in the management of complex diseases not seen in the UK. I gained an understanding of the frustrations of working in an understaffed and under-resourced environment helping me to develop my clinical intuition and appreciation of our system in the UK. The programme gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the way of the developing world in a safe and supported manner. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a challenging but inspiring elective experience.'

I hope other medical students will get the same opportunity as me to improve their clinical skills and experience the adventures Kenya has to offer.

'Elective Africa ...it's an experience i will never forget. The medicine, the people you meet, the place, the Masai Mara, are just some of the things that would make me go back their in a heart beat. I was able to gain clinical experience that i would never have had the chance as a student in Australia. I got to perform LPs, minor procedures, see diseases that you will only ever read about in textbooks. Overall I can't wait till I get a chance to go back.'