Career planning
Planning a medical student directed international research project
How to plan for a research project abroad
- By: Lindsey E Roeker, Maria Bachman, Nirmala Narla, Rochelle Molitor, Kathryn Handlogten, Kathy MacLaughlin
United by an interest in global health and a desire to experience another country’s medical system, our team of five medical students carried out an international research project. We screened nearly 400 women for cervical cancer in the Ashanti region of Ghana and, through trial and error, learnt what is needed to perform successful international research, and the importance of flexibility. It took six months of planning before we set out for Ghana. The process of planning requires patience and can be frustrating, but the reward of a well executed project and the difference it makes for the people you serve make the effort worthwhile. In this article, we provide a practical guide to planning such a project.
People’s diverse personalities are critical to plan and execute the project well.
The organiser—will respond to emails before anyone else reads them, ensure responsibilities are divided fairly, and colour code things that