The medics guide to work and Electives Around the World

Mark Wilson
Arnold, 2000; £14.99
ISBN 0 340 76098 2
Rating: 4/4

The Medic's Guide to Work and Electives Around the World has been put together by an experienced traveller and qualified doctor who is well placed to enlighten us on all the vagaries of a medical elective or work abroad. Mark Wilson has tried to put together a Lonely Planet of medical electives and to a large degree has succeeded.

This plump, yet cheap, book gives a sound grasp of what is needed in planning and organising an enjoyable elective. It tells you what you need to know in a basic layout rather than with colour pictures and glossy pages. It is easy to follow and has a simply written text. The section on destinations is the guts of the book with short accounts of countries in each region of the world. The countries covered are far from exhaustive, but there are few major omissions in the 80 listed.

Each country takes on a similar, if not identical format, with a basic map, short account, a touch of medicine, and details of individual hospitals. Some accounts are more thorough than others with the addition of accommodation information and elective notes. This lack of consistency is one of the few downsides of an otherwise admirable first edition.

The section "Getting Ready" covers the details of planning an elective, the particulars needed to work abroad, and how to stay healthy. This includes little touches, such as an example of a letter for approaching foreign hospitals. The appendix is a useful resource of contacts, including addresses, telephone numbers, and website addresses for foreign embassies, voluntary organisations, and elective grant donors. Vaccine requirements for all countries are included, but should not be used without checking the latest developments.

This book will be most useful to the undecided rather than those who have already chosen a destination for which a large part of the book would be irrelevant. Medicine is a passport to the world and this book's infectious inspiration and advice should serve you well in your elective or job - wherever you go.