Preparing for a Medical Elective

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Preparing for a Medical Elective

• Dr Connie Wiskin
• Academic Lead SSC Elective
• College of Medical Dental Sciences
• University of Birmingham
• www.isu.bham.ac.uk

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Done placement and supervisors!

• To Do Health Safety, feasibility Protocol
  Dec 12th 12pm
• Elective period May 6-June 14th 12 (i.e. before
  re-sit week)

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If your placement lets you down you will need to
apply for an extension, clearly documenting when
the placement was confirmed, and withdrawn. You
might get lucky with something similar, but this
is likely to be where your Plan B comes
in. Contact SDSO if there is anything personal
impacting on your plans. If youve been
contacting countless places since June and had no
luck (although this shouldnt be the case at this
stage) you need to provide dated documentation of
all your endeavours
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Home or away? educational objective setting
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Robust?

• Properly contextualised
• Modelled on a NAMED model/inspirational
  publication or published style
• Thoroughly referenced (clinical area,
  demographics, methodologies etc as apply)
• A relevant subject that is important, and adds to
  the knowledge base
• Why do you need to be in that location, to do
  that project?
• So ask yourself
• the point of this is. WHAT?
• before submitting your protocol!

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Personal professional goals(attitude)
Do some reading!
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Practical considerations

• Documents
• Insurance (health, travel, indemnity)
• Visa
• ID
• Deans letters, etc
• Curtailment
• Email to self!

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James Scott, Australian medical student, lost in
the Himalayas for forty-three days without food.
Drawing by Martin Howard
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Risk assessment

• http//www.fco.gov.uk/
• Political instability
• Travel conditions

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Environment
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Personal safety
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FIRST?
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Vital preparation is a full risk assessment

• What is the anticipated risk and/or situation?
• What have you thought about in advance to
  minimise, manage or mitigate it?

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Problems? .

• We can you responsible for things youve not
  planned well, or should have foreseen
• We will NOT hold you responsible for the
  inevitable changes/challenges/barriers that can
  occur on location
• If there is a problem, be flexible what CAN you
  achieve with what you have?
• If the political or environmental climate changes
  and you are not comfortable GET OUT! You are more
  important than the report!!!

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Project?

• Think ahead
• Choose a focussed question or area for
  investigation
• Liaise with the host (eg about research
  opportunities, other experiences
• Publication?

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Ethical electives

• What does that mean to you?

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Self-preparation for working independently in a
new environment

• On Elective I was never asked/allowed to do
  anything that I wouldn't have been asked/allowed
  to do as a UK undergraduate medical student
• 39.2 replied FALSE
• 54 Were asked to do something not permitted for
  a UK medical student

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Communication professional behaviour

• Language (learn a phrase or two?)
• Culture
• Open minded curiosity (please avoid albeit
  unintentional - cultural imperialism!)
• Consultation style
• Local ethics
• Hierarchy
• etc.

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Bursaries

• There are School run and external bursaries you
  can apply for
• NB School ones total about 25, so they are highly
  competitive (so plan according to your means, and
  have a B-plan!)
• Look elsewhere too for subject specific
  opportunities
• Thoughtless applications represent us poorly, and
  could result in exclusion for all you apply for
  internally. (eg dont submit your paediatric
  study for an elderly care award!)
• ATT is based, in particular, on academic
  excellence, but this should apply to ALL
  applications
• Internal bursaries will be advertised in
  December. So watch your mailbox.

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SSC Team not individual academics please! We
have a system! SSCGeneralAdmin_at_contacts.bham.ac.uk
There are standard letters already in place for
you Ditto information re Bursaries etc 0121
414 6889
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NOW GO AND ENJOY IT!