International Visiting Physician Program
Partners International offers a series of short-term clinical experiences for international visiting physicians. Clinical interactions take place at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), and the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Many programs take place in more than one of these settings. The typical duration is about four weeks.
The focus of each program is tailored to meet individual academic interests, and is predetermined by mutual agreement between the visiting physician and his/her mentor. Mentors are members of the medical staff at the Partners hospitals and faculty of Harvard Medical School.
All participating physicians must have a sponsor. Partners International administers Visiting Physician Programs through agreements with sponsoring organizations; sponsoring organizations may be members of the medical industry or other private corporations, private hospitals or medical groups, universities, government agencies, foundations or other charitable organizations.
For more information, please email us at internationalvisitingphysicians@partners.org
Participant Qualifications
Participating physicians are usually early- to mid-career specialists who are recognized as current and future leaders within their medical communities. Participants must be able to speak and read English with enough fluency to engage with colleagues in a dynamic and interactive clinical environment.
Previous participants have come from Algeria, Argentina, Bermuda, Egypt, India, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
Program Design
Visiting Physician Programs are offered in Cardiovascular Disease and Oncology, as well as other specialty and subspecialty areas upon request.
Cardiovascular topics may include: heart failure and transplantation, electrophysiology, interventional cardiac catheterization, peripheral and cerebral vascular disease, acute coronary care, nuclear medicine, and cardiovascular radiology.
Oncology topics may include breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, thoracic cancers, genitourinary cancers and other disease subspecialties.
Visiting physicians engage in weekly rotations, case conferences and clinical observation, as well as clinical and teaching conferences. Visiting physicians may be given an opportunity to present during clinical conferences if prearranged with program medical directors.
Visiting physicians do not directly participate in patient care.
Sponsoring Organizations
A sponsoring organization agrees to:
- Sponsor a minimum number of physicians over a period of time (usually a minimum of four per year)
- Identify physician candidates who have demonstrated the potential to make significant contributions to medical care in their home institutions
- Outline candidates' clinical expectations and explain how such expectations are relevant to the candidates' future career needs
- Provide the candidates' curriculum vitae to Partners International for final screening and approval
- Fund the tuition and related expenses (temporary housing, living stipend, air travel to Boston) for each sponsored physician
Role of Partners International
Partners International assists sponsors and visiting physicians with the following:
- Identifying the appropriate mentor and program that best suits the candidate's needs
- Managing all contracting and financial issues
- Providing information on local accommodations
- Arranging airport transfers
- Coordinating visitors' program schedules
- Reviewing health documents required for temporary hospital identification badges
- Coordinating hospital orientations
- Granting certificates of participation
Comments from Past Participants
"The Visiting Physician Program gave me an opportunity to receive one-on-one attention from renowned specialists at high profile facilities."
-- Temidayo O. Ogundiran, MD, Nigeria
“During my 2006 observership at Partners, I had the good fortune to meet Dr. Hani Jneid. Now, four years later, what began as a short-term research project has grown into a long-term collaboration that has enriched me intellectually and enhanced my career. As I write, Dr. Jneid and I have just published our second journal article together. Thank you, Partners International! "
-- Teoman Kilic, MD Assistant Professor of Cardiology Kocaeli University, Turkey
"Your faculty's endless patience and devotion to our success are an unmatched example of core values and partnership, not only to support our development, but also to support the places where we live and work."
-- Drs. Khalid al Faraidy and Ali Almasoud, Saudi Arabia
