Clone of KwaZulu-Natal
Spring 2025
South Africa is a country with a turbulent history, which has resulted in large inequalities in wealth, education, and health. Despite the challenges it faces, South Africa has developed significant expertise in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, particularly TB and HIV.
This year, GHP is excited to place students in one of two hospitals in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Mseleni Hospital and Emmaus Hospital.
Description
Mseleni Hospital, located in the remote uMkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal, and Emmaus Hospital, situated in the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal, are both managed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health. Mseleni Hospital began as a mission project in 1936 and is about 60km from the Mozambique border, while Emmaus Hospital has a rich history serving the Drakensberg region.
Most patients at both hospitals speak Zulu, although cases are discussed in English. These hospitals serve large and varied populations in their respective local municipalities. Mseleni Hospital has six wards and serves about 90,000 people, whereas Emmaus Hospital is a multi-ward facility catering to the diverse healthcare needs of its community.
Both hospitals provide extensive services through numerous clinics and mobile clinics in their catchment areas. Patients can be referred to these hospitals from their respective clinics or come on their own. For more specialized care, patients are referred to tertiary hospitals.
Inanna Carter '22 and Boris Pavic '22 reflect on their MS4 global health clinical rotation in rural South Africa
In spring of 2025, students will have the opportunity to work with a wide range of patients at Mseleni or Emmaus Hospitals, including those presenting with common opportunistic infections associated with HIV (i.e., tuberculosis and cryptococcal meningitis).
The experience can be tailored to student interests, with opportunities in the Ob-Gyn, surgery, and general Internal Medicine services. This rotation will also expose students to various specialities in rural medicine. Supervision of UCLA medical students is by family physicians on site, and students work alongside Clinical Officers and the equivalent of residents and medical students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (“UKZN”) School of Medicine.
The rotation has been developed with formal goals and objectives. We are seeking students with an interest in caring for underserved populations, and those with enthusiasm for learning more about global health, infectious diseases, and health care delivery in resource-challenged settings. Students will be expected to demonstrate the highest level of maturity, professionalism, and cultural sensitivity.
Details
Given the location of Mseleni and Emmaus Hospital, it is recommended to fly into Durban. Students may then rent a car together for the 4-hour drive to the hospital, and to keep for the duration of the three-week rotation. A few different options for accommodations may be arranged, including a local homestay near the hospital or accommodations at heritage site Soldana Bay, which is about 20 minutes away by car. All rotating medical students must be pre-register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Students will receive roundtrip airfare and $1,000 of additional support for the Mseleni Hospital, South Africa clinical rotation. These funds will offset the costs of in-country accommodation and food. Students will need to cover the remaining expenses from other funds, as the cost of this rotation will likely exceed the amount provided by the Global Health Program.
Participation in this rotation will likely require a short 10-minute interview with Dean Miller. Students selected for this rotation are required to participate in a mandatory full-day pre-departure training program in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Upon return home from South Africa, students will be expected to provide feedback through written evaluations and to participate in a mandatory lunchtime feedback session on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Separate from this, students will be asked to attend a site-specific debrief to be arranged upon return from South Africa and prior to graduation.
Rotation dates for this elective have been confirmed. Students applying to this three-week elective must be able to commit to this elective from April 14, 2025, through May 2, 2025. Note that a April 14 start date will require departure from the U.S. by April 11, 2025, at the latest.
Questions regarding this rotation should be directed to Dr. Traci Wells at TWells@mednet.ucla.edu.