Iquitos, Peru

Spring 2027

Description

Note: Students must have strong conversational Spanish skills in order to participate in this elective.

The UCLA Global Health Program has established strong relationships at the Regional Hospital of Loreto in Iquitos, in the Amazon region of northern Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, and has been described as the densest city in the world that cannot be reached by road. The government’s Regional Hospital serves over a million residents from the city and its surrounding rural communities in the Amazon basin. Some patients travel by boat from remote villages for over two weeks to reach medical attention.

We are pleased to offer a clinical rotation in Iquitos in the spring of 2027. This global health elective will provide broad exposure to an extremely underserved population, with opportunities to see patients at both the Regional Hospital of Loreto and a highvolume outpatient setting.

At the Regional Hospital, students may choose to rotate on a general pediatrics ward service and/or an adult infectious diseases inpatient service. Some of the most frequently seen diagnoses include pneumonia, diarrhea and dehydration, tuberculosis, dengue fever, malaria, HIV/AIDS, trauma, seizures, meningitis, snake bites, burns, leptospirosis, and Zika virus infections.

Dr. Samantha Maisel '24 shares insights from her global health clinical rotation in Peru

At the Clinica de Nanay, students may see patients of all ages for both preventive medicine and acute illness visits. They may also participate in Ob-Gyn and emergency medical services at the Clinica de Nanay. A highlight of the experience at the Clinica de Nanay is joining the public health team on home visits (by boat or by foot) in the community pictured below.

While in Iquitos, students are supervised by attending physicians in pediatrics, primary care medicine and adult infectious diseases. At the Regional Hospital, students will work alongside the equivalent of transitional residents and pediatric residents, and with medical students from the Universidad Nacional de la Amazona Peruana.

The rotation in Iquitos 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 global health, tropical medicine, and health care delivery in resource poor settings. Students will be expected to demonstrate the highest level of maturity, professionalism, and cultural humility.

Details

Funding and Housing

Students will receive roundtrip airfare and an additional $1,000 in financial support for the Iquitos clinical rotation. The host institution will provide housing recommendations. These funds are intended to help offset expenses such as housing, local transportation, and other travel-related costs. Students should anticipate contributing personal funds, as the total cost of the rotation may exceed the financial support provided by the Global Health Program.

Application and Orientation

Applications for this elective are due Monday, September 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Interviews for this elective will primarily be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026. Limited interview appointments may also be available on Friday, September 18, 2026, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Students selected for this rotation must attend a mandatory, full-day pre-departure orientation in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 6, 2027.

Rotation Dates and Post-Rotation Requirements

Rotation dates for this elective have been confirmed. Students applying to this three-week elective must be able to commit to the rotation from April 12 through April 30, 2027. Please note that international travel will require departing Los Angeles approximately two days before the official start of the rotation to allow sufficient time for travel and arrival in Iquitos.

Following the rotation, students will be expected to complete written evaluations, participate in a mandatory full-group debrief on Thursday, June 3, 2027, from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., and attend a site-specific debrief, which will be scheduled following their return and prior to graduation.

Questions

Questions regarding this rotation should be directed to Dr. Traci Wells at TWells@mednet.ucla.edu.