Anas, a medical student from Al-Quds University, completed his elective in San Francisco, California, gaining extensive clinical experience at UCSF Medical Center and Asian Health Services. He rotated through Internal Medicine and Cardiology departments, participated in multidisciplinary patient care, and conducted research on healthcare disparities, enriching both his clinical and academic skills.

“This elective strengthened my ability to combine patient-centred care with data-driven research to make a meaningful impact on healthcare delivery.”

Check the testimonial below.

During my elective in San Francisco, I gained comprehensive clinical experience at UCSF Medical Center and Asian Health Services (AHS), providing a diverse range of settings. At UCSF, I rotated through the Internal Medicine and Cardiology departments, managing intricate cases with multiple comorbidities. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, including attendings, residents, and pharmacists, I actively participated in patient assessments, daily rounds, emergency department admissions, and case discussions. This experience honed my clinical skills in diagnostic reasoning, management planning, and bedside procedures, including ultrasound and echocardiography.

At AHS, a nonprofit clinic serving over 50,000 patients in 14 languages, I provided shadowing opportunities to providers in a culturally diverse outpatient setting. This experience allowed me to observe the comprehensive spectrum of ambulatory care, including chronic condition management, acute issue response, and long-term health planning. I witnessed the pivotal role of continuity of care in patient outcomes, particularly through follow-up visits, diagnostic testing, and treatment adjustments. Additionally, I acquired effective patient communication techniques, emphasising education, reassurance, and trust-building, especially in communities facing linguistic and socioeconomic challenges.

Concurrently with my clinical rotations, I conducted research under the mentorship of a physician-investigator at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). We analysed a dataset exceeding 13,000 hospitalisations to investigate disparities in pain management among racial and ethnic minority patients with substance use disorders. I actively participated in all project phases, including literature review, statistical analysis (e.g., ANOVA, chi-squared tests, multivariable regression), and manuscript writing sections. This experience significantly enhanced my research abilities, deepened my comprehension of structural inequalities in healthcare, and strengthened my capacity to utilise data for effectual change.

Overall, this elective marked a pivotal milestone in my medical education. I gained firsthand experience with two distinct yet mutually beneficial healthcare models: an academic hospital and a grassroots community clinic. Each setting provided valuable insights into patient care. The mentorship I received, the diverse patient population I served, and the interdisciplinary teamwork I experienced have all broadened my perspective on medicine.

This acquired knowledge and experience will be invaluable in my future practice in Palestine, where healthcare delivery can benefit from the integration of innovative research and community-based care models. I return with a heightened sense of responsibility to contribute not only as a clinician but also as a researcher and advocate for healthcare system improvement. I aspire to incorporate the approaches I observed, particularly in patient education, chronic disease follow-up, and data-driven care, into local practice. Ultimately, this experience reaffirmed my commitment to a career in academic medicine and public health, equipping me with the tools and mindset necessary to serve my community with compassion, rigour, and purpose.

Read more about the international training placement programme here