Location: Basel, Switzerland
How long was the ultrasound-related portion of your trip?
4 Weeks
How many UCI medical students were a part of your team?
A total of four students went.
Activities:
Did you conduct ultrasound research? If so, what type?
We conducted research on our effectiveness as ultrasound instructors to other medical students. We gave them a written pre- and post- test and a practical exam, to determine this.
How many abstracts did your group (in total) submit to the World Congress in Ultrasound Medical Education Conference in Montreal this year?
Zero
Which other conferences did your group submit abstracts to?
None yet, but we plan on submitting one soon.
What types of clinical activities did you participate in aside from ultrasound?
No major clinical activities outside of our teaching. We did get a tour of the emergency department and had many discussions about how the medical system works in Switzerland. Some of our members also got a demonstration and practice at microsurgery through a contact made on the trip.
Non-medical adventures?
Some of us toured Europe before the ultrasound portion of our stay. On the weekends when we weren’t teaching ultrasound, we toured other cities in Switzerland (Geneva, Bern, Lugano, and Lucerne). We also got the opportunity to float the Rhine in Basel with our students on many occasions.
Testimonials:
“This was an absolutely amazing opportunity to briefly live in another country, experience their medical system, and accomplish something worthwhile at the same time!” – Mike Friedman, MS2
Recommendations for those going to the same place next summer:
Pack for warm weather. Switzerland is much hotter in the summer than I expected, and they don’t believe in air conditioning!
