PERU MEDICAL STUDENT ELECTIVES

Our Peruvian elective takes place at 3500m in Cusco, deep in the Andes. This ancient city claims to be the oldest living city in the Americas. It was an ancient spiritual capital for the Incas, later overtaken by the Spanish Conquistadors, and has a fascinating mixture of Inca and Colonial architecture. It is a complex and vibrant place, well suited to tourists and adventurers with excellent facilities and plenty to do. Students will be able to try Cusco nightlife, Peruvian style, and check out the impressive archaeological remains in the area.

Orientation: Students will spend the first week in orientation, acclimatising to the high altitude and taking intensive Spanish classes. For three hours a day, students will benefit from one-on-one or one-on-two tuition that is specifically tailored to the medical context in which they will be working and particularly aimed at those with no previous experience of Spanish. The language course will go a long way in equipping medics for the weeks ahead but some prior knowledge of basic French will help, too. Students will have 30 hours of tuition which will suit both complete beginners as well as those who are fluent and just require some medical terminology. Students can arrange further classes if they wish.

Hospitals: Elective attachments will be with hospitals in Cusco or in Quillabamba. We have a number of hospitals in Cusco which include both a very modern private hospital and a slightly more basic government hospital.We also support a local charity for disabled children, students will be able to fully participate on this elective and should get good teaching and plenty of hands-on experience, as well as learning a new language.

Many students will progress from Cusco to the quieter Quillabamba, a mountain city that serves as a gateway for exploration into the Amazonian Jungle and an important commercial centre for the surrounding valleys. The Quillabamba attachment is with the district hospital, serving the local people and some students have had the opportunity to accompany local doctors in jungle clinics.

Accommodation: We have a large 5 bedroom house close to the centre of Cusco. It’s very easy to get from the house to the hospital or to any of the Cusco attractions. Fiona and her staff, our local representatives, will be on hand to make sure you have a good elective and to help you if there are any problems.

Discovery: Peru is well known for its adventure holidays. We have our own company called Eco Trek Peru which can be found at www.ecotrekperu.com . Our Peruvian elective includes the 4 day Inca Trail and visit to Macchu Picchu; very occasionally we cannot provide the 4 day Inca trail due to government quotas in which case students can still visit Macchu Picchu but we will provide substitute trips. There’s lots of opportunities to go white water rafting or trek deep into the jungle. These can be booked before departure or once you get out there.

Our Peruvian elective can be taken for any period of time but costs £1500 for 4 weeks and £1700 for 8 weeks. This includes the hospital attachment, accommodation, pick-up and hotel in Lima en-route to Cusco (at extra charge), Inca Trail and 30 hours of Spanish classes. We’ll also give you visa and vaccine advice. Our electives do not include flights and so students should go to Cusco for the start of the elective, where we will pick you up and make sure that you are comfortable in our house. We strongly advise students to have BMA Elective travel insurance throughout their elective. For more information on this elective then either phone us on 01305 815231 or email us at info@medicsaway.co.uk .

Contact us for further information: info@medicsaway.co.uk