Volume 195 - Issue 1
Launch of “A guide to working abroad for Australian medical students and junior doctors”
Authors: Jake Parker, Rob Mitchell, Sarah Mansfield, Jenny Jamieson, David Humphreys, Fred Hersch, Hamish Graham and Kate Brennan
Med J Aust 2011; 195 (1): 44. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2011.tb03189.x
Published online: 4 July 2011
Published online: 4 July 2011
Medical students and junior doctors are increasingly interested in opportunities to practise their craft abroad. Some will undertake a medical elective, others will assume training positions in foreign hospitals and research institutes. Many will commit to an extended period of time working in a humanitarian or development setting.
Organising a placement is not a straightforward task, however. Navigating the quagmire of available resources can be laborious and confusing. And while good sources of information do exist — travel books, websites and databases among them — identifying current and targeted content can be a challenge.
This Guide aims to provide practical information that will help medical students and junior doctors undertake work abroad that is meaningful and rewarding for their own personal and professional development and, more importantly, for their host community. While it has been developed with all international settings in mind, the focus is on medical practice in under-resourced environments.
The Guide was launched as an MJA eSupplement by MJA editor Dr Annette Katelaris and guest speakers Professors Rob Moodie and Mike Toole at AMA House, Victoria, on 21 June 2011. This was a joint project by the Australian Medical Students’ Association, the AMA and the MJA, and is freely available on the MJA website. http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/194_12_200611/working_abroad.html.
