UK medical students flocking to the island
MEDICAL students from the UK are flocking to Guernsey to do extra work placements or electives at the Medical Specialist Group as Covid has limited other options abroad.
In previous years, fewer than 10 yearly electives have been arranged locally for students, but for the year ahead 24 students have already been accepted and more are expected to apply.
‘We are keen to support the learning of the next generation of doctors and provide them with the opportunity to do an elective which is being denied to a lot of students right now due to Covid,’ said consultant paediatrician Dr Clare Betteridge, who also runs MSG’s 'Taste of Medicine' course for sixth formers.
‘We can only take on a limited number of students at a time, but we do our best to support and provide them with alternative dates if possible. We hope that some will love the island and want to return to work here in the future.’
The electives, which usually take place during the fourth year of the five-year medical degree, are essential for students to see how their learning is applied in real situations. Students tend to do their eight-week placements abroad but with travel restrictions, many have had their electives postponed or cancelled.
Eva Papaionnou, a medical student from Bristol, said doing her final year elective at the MSG in Guernsey was one of the best decisions she has made.
‘The consultants and hospital staff in the obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatric teams were so welcoming and very enthused by having students around. It was nice to feel appreciated and part of the team as well as to learn from senior members of the team,’ she said.
‘It was great to have an insight into a professional medical career on a small, gorgeous island and returning as a doctor is definitely something I will consider in the future.’
Pippa Richardson, another student from Bristol, said her cohort had not been allowed to go outside of the UK for their placement, and the lack of opportunities elsewhere meant the clinical electives in the UK were limited.
‘I hadn’t been to Guernsey before and was intrigued by the different medical system and how the hospital functioned without junior doctors. My placement was split between obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics. Before the placement, I was given a lot of valuable information to assist with the transition to the PEH.
‘I’d definitely recommend an elective in Guernsey to anyone interested in applying,' she said.
