FQMS Advice to Students for 2010 Electives

• General introduction

  The Foundation: FQMS is a UK charity which raises funds to help medical education in Palestine – its funds are limited and there is competition to get support for many different  projects. All projects are regularly reviewed and may be cancelled or curtailed if reporting and feedback is negative or inadequate. If you get support for an elective it is important to realize that we need your help and cooperation in maintaining this programme.

    The role of the FQMS in organising electives is:

1. to seek friendly and supportive supervisors in the UK and to encourage PMSS and IFMSA to find additional supervisors  both in the UK and other countries.
2. to make grants to Students who have secured placements approved by their Dean or Director of Studies to help in meeting some of the expenses of the placement. The selection of placements and the organising of the students is delegated to the student organisations PMSS and IFMSA working jointly to gain the maximum benefit for the maximum number of students.

• Educational benefits of an overseas elective
The benefits are both medical and cultural: close attention should be given to differences that they find throughout the period of the elective:  students are required to keep a record of their experience on a day by day basis; noting techniques & procedures that are new to them.  Cultural differences in doctor patient relations and colleague relations, standards & methods of hygiene, record keeping, patient care are all relevant and important topics.
• General information about organising an elective

  See below for notes on preparing your application.

• Costs and funding of an elective

  Refer to the PMSS or IFMSA for recent experience of the country and placement you wish to apply: be sure to feedback to them updates of revised figures.

• Paperwork

• Visa requirements and timescale for obtaining a visa.
• When you have an invitation from a Supervisor – take or send this to the Consular department of the country concerned and ask for advice of gaining entry visas.
• Local hospital paperwork & Occupational Health requirements.
• Ask your supervisor to be put in touch with the relevant Director of Studies so that hospital paperwork can be prepared as much as possible ahead of your arrival.

• Available electives

• Host - Specialties offered – Length of time-  Likely dates -Local information including how to arrange accommodation.
• Gaining approval from local bureaucracy for the elective.

• Assessment of student activity whilst on the elective

• Evaluation of the elective

 

 

• Guidance

 

FQMS is again supporting a number of elective placements for the best students who find a place through their own efforts, either in the UK or approved hospitals in other countries.

We are providing here a list of co-operating UK hospitals and supervising specialists, most of whom have helped Al-Quds medical students in the past.

Some details given are from previous years and may alter- it will be necessary for you to enquire about this. Take advice from students who have recently been to the UK.

You must apply independently and raise your own funds. You may get information and help from FQMS, but only through the PMSS, or IFMSA.

The amount needed will vary with each hospital, some provide free tuition and a few give free accommodation. On average the cost at each hospital is about £60 a week, but this must be checked on application. Air fare will be about £400 return. Costs in the UK are approximately £60 a week minimum. Also travel costs within the UK and visa charges are to be taken into account.

Previous electives have been booked for a duration of 6 weeks commencing in early September. Placements normally start on a Monday.

Applications should be made as soon as possible as there is very strong competition for places. We would advise you to apply by mid January.

Attached to these notes is an Application Form which you should fill in - make a separate copy for each placement to which you wish to apply. When your emailed application and CV have been acknowledged it should be confirmed by a fax of the same documents accompanied by a photocopy of your passport details. A good presentation of your CV and the application form, is important, as there is strong competition for elective places in the UK hospitals.

Do not make applications to a supervisor without first carefully considering his/her speciality and whether this is what you want to learn about. As there is always competition for places, make sure you explain something of what you have learnt about the field and why it is important to you. Do not apply to every supervisor without regard for this - you will lessen your chances of getting any acceptance.

 

 

• Notes

 

Students will be responsible for their own flight bookings, travel arrangements and vaccination certificates. Some of the hospitals ask for evidence of extensive immunizations.

There are very high charges for excess baggage weight over the 20kg allowance so be careful with your purchases in the UK.

You may need a visa if traveling through another country e.g. by Alitalia via Milan

All correspondence with UK people and institutions will be in GBP £ pounds. The current exchange rate (£1 equals approximately $1.58) may change. You should check the expenses against the current rate for JD and Shekel to the £pounds at the time of application.

Do not accept an elective placement if you do not intend to take it up. This deprives other students and leaves a bad impression. Remember, you represent not only yourself but also your country and your people.

If you have to cancel, do so at the earliest possible date and give your reasons.

 

 

• Cancellations

 

It is very important that students accepting an elective placement do not cancel afterwards. Such cancellations, particularly at a late stage, are very wasteful of UK hospitals' and supervisors' time and risk losing for future Al Quds students the offer of elective placements.

To repeat: If you have to cancel any placement you have found, please do it as soon as possible and with courtesy, an apology, and a good reason.

 

 

• FQMS Placement List

 

Mr Munther Al Doori, Consultant General Surgeon*

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary Lindley, Yorks HD3 3EA

Email: liz.hirst@cht.nhs.uk

No of places: 2

Applications by end of January, decisions by end of February

Specialties available: Urology & General Surgery, Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and can be more flexible with regards to specialities

Costs: low

Dr. Ahmed Massoud, Consultant Paediatrician

Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow. HA1 3UJ

Email: Ahmed.Massoud@nwlh.nhs.uk

Specialty: paediatrics

No. of places: 2 or 3

Costs: not known as no students last year.

Dr Mustafa El Zebdeh, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Newham University Hospital Trust, Newham General Hospital Glen Road, Plaistow, London E13 8SL

Email: elzebdeh@excite.com

No of places: 4

Specialities: Orthopaedic (also known as Trauma) and General Surgery

Costs: average but accommodation cannot be arranged by the hospital. Students must make their own contacts for accomodation.

Placements can be arranged as late as May/June for starts in early September.

Professor Simon Frostick, Professor of Orthopaedics*

Royal Liverpool University Hospitals Prescot Street, Liverpool L69 3GA

Email: sramos@liv.ac.uk

No of places: 5

Specialities: Medicine and Neurology

Costs: Low

Mr. Naif El-Barghouti PhD FRCS Consultant and Vascular Surgeon*

Scarborough General Hospital Woodland Drive, Scarborough, North Yorks YO12 6QL

Tel: 01723 368 111 ext 2024 & 5224

Email: naif.el-barghouti@acute.sney.nhs.uk

Mr. El-Barghouti is a surgical tutor at the Royal College of Surgeons.

No of places: 2

Specialties: General and Vascular Surgery

Costs: not known, as we have not used this placement, but it comes highly recommended.

Dr Chris Stephens, Director of Education

Southampton General Hospital Hants, SO16 6YD

Tel: 02380 777 222

Enquiries to Tracy Finn, Administrative Officer

School of Medicine (MP 801),Southampton General Hospital, Hants SO16 6YD

Tel: 023 8079 6586

Email: mdb3@soton.ac.uk

No of places: maximum of 2

Specialties: There are very few places available in General Medicine and General Surgery (none in Paediatrics or Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust Web site is http://www.suht.nhs.uk/index.cfm?articleid=112

Costs: Average. Note: A non-refundable fee of £70 is payable upon confirmation of acceptance of an elective

Accommodation: Successful applicants will need to find their own accommodation. Further information will be made available to successful applicants on confirmation of an offer of a placement.

Applications: Applications forms are available from: mdb3@soton.ac.uk

Other information: English Language Qualification: in order to be considered for an elective period applicants will need to have an IELTS certificate or equivalent.

1. The last dates when applications can be received - 3 months before they wish to start their elective (this allows us time to make the necessary arrangements from this end depending on what specialties they wish to do etc).

2. Date when acceptance will be given - asap. It's difficult to give an exact time scale.

3. Any info you can gain on expenses and local support - further information will be sent to successful applicants

Dr. Hashim Reza, Clinical Director*

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust,1-6 Carlton Parade, Orpington BR6 0JB

No of places: 2 - decision within 4 weeks of application

Tel: 01689 892345 Fax: 01689 879062

Email: Hashim.Reza@oxleas.nhs.uk

Dr Reza writes:  This elective experience can provide a range of experiences through observation of a high quality Community Mental Health Service in the suburban London region. The students will be able to see a diverse range of psychopathology in working age adults by shadowing a number of teams in the community and hospital settings. The detailed elective programme can be finalised with the applicant based on their personal objectives. The students would be allowed to sit in the weekly teaching sessions of the trainee psychiatrists. There is no other formal tuition available but they will be encouraged to shadow the multidisciplinary team to see how community nurses, social workers and occupational therapists manage acute and chronic mental illnesses.

It is crucially important that the students must have a very good command of spoken English to get any benefit out of this elective experience.

Unfortunately, most training schemes have become bureaucratic in terms of Criminal Records Bureau checks, etc. This takes many weeks to complete and incurs fees. Fortunately, our NHS Trust does not charge tuition fees for electives or clinical observorships which has become the norm in some UK hospitals. If there are any newer requirements that students may need to fulfill nearer their application time, I am happy to give an update if contacted through e-mail. 

Our Trust does not have any accommodation to offer and private rentals may be costly around Orpington/Bromley area in the South East. I am not in a position to give any advice on the likely living costs in this area.

English Language Qualification: IELTS certificate or a letter form the Dean of the School of Medicine or from Dr Hani Abdeen

Mr Magdi El Guindi FRCS, Consultant Surgeon

Stoke Mandeville Hospital , Aylesbury

Email: Chris.Austin@smh.nhs.uk

No of places: 2

Specialities Orthopaedic & General Surgery

Costs: average

Dr Saif T Awwad, Consultant in Clinical Oncology*

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury, SY3 8XQ

Email: awwad@btopenworld.com

No of places: 3

Specialities Oncology, Medicine, Opthamology, General Surgery, Paediatrics, Gynae & Obs, Psychiatry

Cost: low

Initially students will need to complete an application form and return it to Carol Roberts, together with a copy of their CV, for the record.

Click here for the Application Form

Please note that non-EU students will only be allowed to come on an elective for a maximum of 4 weeks, and during that time they are only able to oberve under UK Border Agency regulations.

Students need to organise any visas required themselves.

Once the elective has been confirmed with the Consultant, students will be sent the following:-

Registration Form
Confirmation Letter
University Acceptance Letter
Health Questionnaire
CRB Form
Guidance on Ethics

All above paperwork must be returned to Carol Roberts by post, together with a non-refundable registration fee of £50.00.

Any offer of an elective is dependent upon satisfactory health clearance.

When students arrive they will be issued with an ID badge, and they will need to pay a £50.00 refundable deposit, in cash, for their badge. This is to ensure that for security reasons all ID badges are returned to us at the end of electives.

Unfortunately we are unable to provide elective students with any accommodation - it would be their own responsibility to research and organise this.

Carol Roberts
Senior Administrator
Shropshire Education & Conference Centre
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
Shrewsbury
SY3 8XQ

Tel: 01743 492505

E-mail: carol.roberts@sath.nhs.uk

Dr Pauline Cutting FRCS, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Bangor Hospital Gwynedd, LL57 2PW

01 248 355 024h/372748 fax: 01248-384003

Email: kimberley.thomas@nww-tr.wales.nhs.uk

From end July

Specialities: various surgical/Medicine

Costs: Low

Professor Paul Boulos FRCS

University College London Hospital

Email: p.boulos@ucl.ac.uk

Specialities: Colo-rectal, Breast, Vascular, and General Surgery, plus Urology

No of places: 2

Dates and costs to follow

Dr Ramzi Freij A&E Department

Queens University Hospital Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH

Email: ramzi.freij@btopenworld.com

0115 970 9151

No of places: 2

Tuition & accommodation costs to follow

Dr Ramzi Freij writes: For general information the A&E department at Queen's receives 130 to 140,000 patients per annum, there is an opportunity to get involved in seeing a wide spectrum A&E patients we have an active research and audit programme and should the students wish to get involved we would encourage that.

Mr Basil Ammori FRCS*

Department of Surgery, Manchester Royal Infirmary Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL

No of places: 4-5

Email: Basil.Ammori@CMMC.nhs.uk

For electives in Barts & London

These are my details, I am the electives co-ordinator at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Emily Mclean-Inglis

SSC and Electives Assistant
Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Student Office
Garrod Building
Turner Street
Whitechapel
London
E1 2AD

Telephone: 0207 882 2128
Fax: 0207 882 7206
Email: e.mclean-inglis@qmul.ac.uk

http://www.smd-edu.qmul.ac.uk

No of places: 2

Professor Carl Shakespeare, Consultant Cardiologist*

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Woolwich, London SE18 4QH

Email: carl@carlshakespeare.com

Specialities: 4-6 weeks intensive cardiology experience and general medicine

No of Places: 2

Dr David Worth, Consultant Physician & Nephrologist

York Hospital, Wigginton Road, York YO31 8HE

Specialty: General (acute) medicine and nephrology, including dialysis, with the possibility of attachment to colleagues in gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrine, chests, haematology, dermatology, rheumatology and neurology
Undergraduates in York are from HYMS (Hull York  Medical School)

 


Hospital email address: david.p.worth@york.nhs.uk

Personal email: dworth@doctors.org.uk

Phone: 01904 725393 (my secretary)
Contact me and I’ll make enquiries with our HR department

I had 3 5th yr students from Nablus with me in June and July 2009 - they were a credit to their medical school; enthusiastic, knowledgeable and fun. They told me they found it really useful and certainly seemed to have a good
time. Future elective students need to realise that there are some administrative and tuition charges levied, which are made known to students in advance by our administrative staff. Accommodation is also expensive in York, and there
is no free accommodation available in the hospital.

Other countries: please check the following Websites of IFMSA Palestine:

Egypt

http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=31

Germany

http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=23

Lebanon

http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=25

Norway

http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=19

Poland

http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=18

Spain

http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=5

Georgia

http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=15

Bahrain

http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=133