Elective Directors/Contacts: Krystle Perez, MD, MPH (Assoc. Program Director)
206-987-6556 | kmperez@uw.edu
Elective Contact: Sylvia Lago
206-779-5621 (mobile) | sylvia.lago@seattlechildrens.org
Description: International electives are an amazing opportunity to experience life and medicine within another culture and health care environment with illnesses and severity of disease that is not encountered in the United States. This is a very self-directed elective. As in any away rotation, in order to optimize your experience and education, you should be independently preparing for your trip several months ahead of time. As you start to think about your goals for going away, talk to your colleagues and faculty to learn about where others have gone in the past. Our elective director will assist you in finding an international location that will meet your educational needs. If you already have a site in mind, meet with the elective director at least 6 months ahead of time to ensure it meets our programs requirements. You will also be required to complete a pre-departure proposal identifying a supervisor that will be present for the entire duration of your rotation, securing safe housing, and meeting UW Health and Safety requirements. We are here to support you to insure you get the most out of this experience.
Important Note: Not all healthcare insurance plans offered by the University of Washington provide coverage for expenses occurred abroad, (notably the UW Kaiser plan.) If your insurance plan does not cover medical expenses during international travel, you may purchase Optional Medical Coverage through the UW Office of Global Affairs for a low daily rate, ($2.16 per day as of 2023. This cost is not reimbursable per the UW Travel Policy.) See here for details: https://www.washington.edu/globalaffairs/global-travelers/global-insurance/employees-abroad-insurance/.