RT Journal
A1 Disston, Alexander R.
A1 Martinez-Diaz, Gabriel J.
A1 Raju, Sarath
A1 Rosales, Maria
A1 Berry, Wil C.
A1 Coughlin, R. Richard
T1 The International Orthopaedic Health Elective at the University of California at San Francisco: The Eight-Year Experience
JF The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery
JO The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery
YR 2009
FD December 1
VO 91
IS 12
SP 2999
OP 3004
DO 10.2106/JBJS.I.00460
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.I.00460
AB 
It is estimated that half of the world's population lacks access to adequate primary health care and that two-thirds of the population lacks access to orthopaedic care1. While opportunities for orthopaedic surgeons to volunteer internationally have existed for many years, only a small percentage of practicing orthopaedic surgeons in the United States do so. One reason for this low rate of volunteerism is that physicians who have recently finished residency training face substantial loan burdens. In addition, recent graduates need to establish and build their practices2,3. Residents at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) may elect to participate in an overseas volunteerism program as early as their third postgraduate year. This program is rooted in the hope that early exposure will encourage future participation in similar activities throughout the residents' professional lives. While reports on the early experience of this elective have demonstrated a trend toward increased future participation in volunteerism, to date there have been no formal investigations of the long-term impact of this elective experience on orthopaedic surgery residents4,5.