Elective Aid
Every year, medical students in their final year are required to go an ‘Elective’ to experience medicine in a different environment from which they are used to. Elective Aid offers students a life-changing and unparalleled medical experience, but also gives them a chance to make a real difference to the lives of thousands.
Our elective program is not for the faint-hearted, an intensive fortnight in challenging conditions where students can expect to see close to 10,000 patients with a plethora of diseases only read about in textbooks here in the UK. Students have described the Elective Aid scheme as being demanding but highly rewarding.
This summer the Elective Aid team will be conducting health camps in underserved rural areas of Bangladesh. More than 60% of Bangladeshis currently have no access to basic healthcare. For many inhabitants, the health camps are their only means of getting medical attention. You will commonly find patients travelling for several hours by foot to attend such camps.
Health camps are held in conjunction with local doctors, who will supervise students throughout the camp and will sign off any prescriptions. A typical camp would start at 8am in the morning and continue until early evening. Interpreters are also available for those patients who do not speak English. Due to time pressures during the camp, every student is expected to have a firm grasp of clinical examinations, be able to take a thorough history and will be required to present a concise list of differentials to their supervisor. Patients will vary immensely and every student will be given exposure to a great number of different clinical presentations.
The camps are not the type of environment where you will be given direction or teaching all the time so this placement suits volunteers who have lots of initiative, drive and ability to cope well under pressure. It’s important to be realistic how much benefit you can bring in a short period, but recognise that you are part of a bigger picture of ongoing volunteer support and development. You will find it emotional as you treat people from various backgrounds, the majority of whom will be destitute and poverty-stricken. It is likely this will leave a lasting impression on you.
Places on the Elective Aid scheme are highly competitive as we can only take a small cohort of students every year. Applications for this year have now closed.
VOLUNTEERS: We have 10 places on the Elective Aid 2011 trip for young people aged 18-25. No previous experience is required, just enthusiasm, energy and a willingness to get involved. Ability to speak Bengali preferred.
What You Need to Know
• Elective Aid 2011 will run between July – August 2011 (dates to be confirmed), during which 3 camps will be held in various regions of Bangladesh. Students will also be taken to visit Dhaka Burns Centre, one of the largest burns units in the world. You must be available for the whole duration of the trip.
• On receiving acceptance letter we require a £100 non-refundable deposit to confirm your place.
• Students are required to fundraise £500 towards their trip (this will go towards administration, transport, accommodation and purchasing medication for the camps). We will give you a list of fundraising ideas to get you going!
• Flights (£450), Visas, food, travel insurance and general daily living costs (£30 per week) are not included.
• We require all Elective Aid medical aid workers (not volunteers) to be in their penultimate or final year of studying medicine.
• All offers are subject to signing Elective Aid Volunteers Agreement form.
