Views
- Truro Medsoc BBQ 2010
Peninsula is one of the newest medical schools in the UK, taking in it's first cohort in 2002. This means there is plenty of enthusiasm from both teaching clinicians and patients.
Contents |
Where is Peninsula?
A few photo's to give you a flavour of this part of England!
Peninsula is run in partnership with the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth and is located on 3 sites Exeter, Plymouth and Truro in the South west of England.
Exeter
- Exeter is one of Britain's oldest cities, so there are plenty of beautiful old English buildings to look at. The countryside and beaches are a short bus ride from the city. There is a good mixture of mainstream shops and individual, interesting local shops.
Plymouth
- Plymouth is the capital of Devon, it is a historic seafaring port and hosts a large naval base. The skyline is a contrast of very modern and old English buildings. It has beautiful seafront, the Barbican, which has great local and international cuisine. There are local beaches and Dartmoor [1] just a bus ride away. The university and student accommodation is right in the center of the city so everything (apart from the hospital) is within walking distance.
Truro
- Truro is a market town in the heart of Cornwall, it is also counts as a city due to it's 250ft high Gothic Cathedral. The nearest beach, Perranporth, is an awesome surfing spot with about 2 miles of sandy beach to play on. In the city centre there is usually a local produce market and plenty of pretty little shops, cafes and bars to discover.
What is there to do here?
Loads! Each locality has a brilliant Medsoc, there will be plenty of nights out to choose from, from Bin Bag balls to Pub Crawls! Or if you prefer a quieter drink we can recommend good English pubs and bars in each city.
There is also lots to do if you like the outdoors. Not only are there stunning beaches very close to all three cities, there is also some pretty amazing geography too. Walk or pony trek to explore Dartmoor if you are based in Exeter or Plymouth; or there are miles of cornish coastal path to choose from if you are based in Truro.
Take a sailing trip or fishing trip from Plymouth Harbour.
Visit Lands End at the westernmost tip of Cornwall, or visit the Minack Theatre, an open air theatre which is always showing something good.
Go to the Eden Project, and see many different kinds of plants and climates from around the world. They also have some good live music events, have a look here to see whats on when you are here.
And of course there are plenty of good things to eat and drink. Devon is renowned for its delicious cream teas and fresh cider (known as 'Scrumpy' to the locals). And Cornwall is home to the Cornish Pasty (although you can get Pasties in Devon and cream teas and cider in Cornwall). All of these MUST be tried when you are here.
The hospitals
All the Hospitals in the Peninsula are large teaching hospitals.
- Exeter
- Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. The student accommodation is within walking distance from this hospital.
- Plymouth
- Derriford Hospital is situated on the outskirts of the city, there is a free Medical School bus service to take you to and from your accommodation in the center of the city every day.
- Truro
- Royal Cornwall Hospital also known as Treliske, is within walking distance of the student accommodation. It is about 30mins walk or a short bus ride from the city centre.
Our medical education
Being a new medical school our course has been designed specifically to develop students to meet the challenges facing health care in the new century.
At the moment the incoming exchange student will undertake a special study module in a subject. These special study modules are designed to be studied in depth beyond that of the BMBS course.
Previous subjects we have been able to offer include;
Radiology Emergency medicine Plastic surgery Trauma and orthopedics Dermatology Urology Cariology Endocinology
Please note these subjects are for example only, when you are accepted we will contact you with the subjects we can offer you.
Accommodation & Boarding
At Peninsula we house you in the house of an outgoing student, you will be living with their housemates. This does mean you will be expected to help out which might entail a little bit of house keeping. In some circumstances we have to provide you with hospital accomodation, you will be informed of this upon being accepted.
We provide you with pocket money to buy your own food which you can then cook and prepare in your student house.
Social program
Previously we have organised trips to Dartmoor, surfing lessons in Newquay and excursions to local cities such as Exeter. We do recomment that you are prepared to travel, the south west is big and we have students in three cities, we want you to see as much as possible! When you are accepted for an exchange with us we encourage you to let us know what you would like to do so we can incoporate this into our activity plan.
How to get here and how to get around.
You must arrive before the first day of your exchange! We also expect that you stay until the last day, unless there is an emergency. If you cannot comply with this then we will not be able to host you.
Airports
The airports in London have good transport links by bus and train to the South West.
If you are looking to fly into a closer airport we recommend Bristol or Bournemouth airports.
Exeter also have an international airport although there are less destinations available from this airport.
Trains
There is a very good and scenic (but direct) train line from London Paddington. To look at times and prices and to book go here
Look up national coach transport go here
For local buses look here
You can also use this website to plan local journeys here
Weather
We have a very mixed climate in the UK. In September when you are on exchange here you may see beautiful warm sunny days along with long periods of rain and wind, it is best to be prepared for anything!
Exchange conditions
Here is a link to the complete exchange conditions for the UK:
http://www.ifmsa.net/public/ecscope.php?id=35.
The individual requirements for Peninsula are listed below:
- Level of studies: Previous clinical experience is required - so you will get the most from your exchange
- Type of Clerkship: Direct Bilateral Clinical exchanges
- Months available: September 2011
- Languages: English Only
- Duration of Clerkship - 4 weeks
- Working Conditions - Working hours depend on department and supervisor's schedule. Typical working hours are Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.
- Dress code:
- NO White Coats
- Bare Below the Elbow policy (no watches, bracelets, rings and sleeves must be rolled up)- for infection control
- Smart & Professional dress:
- Men: Shirts, trousers, smart shoes. Ties are debateable: some consultants prefer you to wear a tie, others don't. Bring a few just in case!
- Women: NO short skirts or plunging necklines. NO open toed shoes/very high heels. Hair should be tied up.
Application documents & deadline
'Please not that documents required may change depending on which city you will be working in.'
Completed AF Letter(s) of Motivation 4 Passport photos Photocopy of passport English Language Certificate (Compulsory for all students): IELTS/TOEFL or a copy of any language exams taken in your University 2 Academic references* Academic transcript* Proof of registration at medical school* Confirmaton of Indemnity insurance (see'Insurance' below) Peninsula's own application form (this will be sent to you once we have received your online AF) Peninsula Health Questionnaire (this will be sent to you once we have received your online AF) Documentary Evidence of Immunisation status of Hepitatis B, Tetanus, Polio, TB, Mumps, Measles, Varicella and Rubella. Criminal Records Evidence
All documents should be translated into English where possible.
Visas
At the moment we are only accepting EU students. No visa is required.
Insurance Health insurance and medical liability insurance are MANDATORY. Medical liability insurance can be provided for free by the Medical Protection Society (MPS) in the UK. Forms can be found on the NEO yahoogroups in the UK section of the additional documents file or on their website (www.mps.org.uk) under 'Overseas student membership'. The forms must be filled in and sent to the following address:
Membership Services,
- Medical Protection Society,
- Granary Wharf House,
- Leeds,
- LS11 5PY
- England
- Leeds,
- Granary Wharf House,
Questions: Email: student@mps.org.uk or Phone: +44(0)8459000022
Feedback
Any questions or feedback email: LEO Peninsula
Other UK Cities offered for exchange
Leicester, London Barts (Queen Mary's), London RUMS (UCL), London St. George's (SGUL), Nottingham and Southampton.