A caution against medical student tourism

Interest in international clinical electives is growing rapidly in the United States and
Canada, especially among first-year medical students who often have time for extended travel the summer before their second year. While these students are rarely qualified to provide much in the way of direct care, they often get their first exposure to health care in a less-developed country through international electives. When they are well-designed and well-structured, international electives can be a powerful catalyst for a career of public service to underserved populations at home and abroad. In this commentary, however, we offer some words of caution.