Andrew Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 Hi. I'm interested in doing some kind of pre-clerkship elective at UBC this summer (2007). I will be done 1st year by then. Just wondering how to go about finding if there's any stuff available (I'm not in Vancouver currently, but I have family there that can do ground work if necessary). Are pre-clerkship electives paid or volunteer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirsteen Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 Hi there, Pre-clerkship electives are generally volunteer. (I've never heard of any electives garnering pay unless they're funded research electives, or if they're connected to some award.) Many Electives Offices are hesitant to help arrange pre-clerkship electives for you (and if I recall correctly, UBC is one such school). Thus, if you'd like to do one (and many have) then you should go about contacting the preceptor of your choice directly to arrange it. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 The only paid pre-clerkship electives I have run across is through the Canadian Rheumatology Association and the Ivan Smith Studentship for placements in Ontario in cancer care. Numerous awards exist to fund summer research, but less so for clinical learning opportunities. It is much easier to find subsidized travel and housing if you wanted to pursue a clinical elective in a remote location though (ie. NOMP, ROMP in Ontario). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted October 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Thanks for the help guys. I'd still like to find something in Vancouver, so I can spend the summer with family. Any ideas on how to approach people? I'm thinking VGH or UBC Hospital... do I just look at a directory and e-mail or call people cold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirsteen Posted October 30, 2006 Report Share Posted October 30, 2006 Thanks for the help guys. I'd still like to find something in Vancouver, so I can spend the summer with family. Any ideas on how to approach people? I'm thinking VGH or UBC Hospital... do I just look at a directory and e-mail or call people cold? Hi there, Yep, you can look up departments that are of interest to you and start e-mailing people with your interests. Another good route to doing what you want to do is to ask faculty at your home school in your field of interest if they know of any good preceptors at UBC. I did this and was happy with the result: although I couldn't get through to my preceptor of choice, my UofC faculty member knew him and sent him a letter on my behalf, leading to the arrangement of the elective. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted November 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Hi. Thanks again for the help. I just have a few more questions: 1.How long are typical electives in clerkship. Are pre-clerkship electives longer or shorter or the same. 2. Given the level of knowledge and skills after 1st year, what kind of tasks will one be able to carry out during a pre-clerkship elective or will it be mostly observing i.e. a very long "early exposure". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirsteen Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 Hi. Thanks again for the help. I just have a few more questions: 1.How long are typical electives in clerkship. Are pre-clerkship electives longer or shorter or the same. 2. Given the level of knowledge and skills after 1st year, what kind of tasks will one be able to carry out during a pre-clerkship elective or will it be mostly observing i.e. a very long "early exposure". Hi there, Clerkship electives generally span anywhere from two to four weeks. Although I've heard from some folks who are arranging electives now that some schools are stipulating a four week minimum. Pre-clerskhip elective length will largely depend on: 1) your medical school, i.e., how much time you have for electives; 2) your inclinations. For example, at UofC we had a total of 7 weeks availabe in between first and second year. Many people scheduled one four-week elective then spent the next three weeks on vacation. However, if you wished to spend all 7 weeks on elective, that was a possibility. Regarding the kind of work that you'll do in pre-clerkship electives, that will depend on your preceptor and many personal factors, e.g., your level of ability and confidence. As an example, during my 4-week pre-clerkship elective in burn surgery, in the OR I was harvesting skin and grafting it as well as amputating digits with supervision. In clinics, I got to know the routine and saw my own patients. In short, it depends. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocks Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 Hey everyone, Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the wording of a letter to request an observership. If anyone feels like posting an example letter, it would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance. ~Jocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 Hey everyone, Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the wording of a letter to request an observership. If anyone feels like posting an example letter, it would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance. ~Jocks How about: Hi Dr X, My name is Jocks and I am a x year student at x medical school. I was wondering whether it would be possible to do an observership with you between date1 and date2. Sincerely, Jocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocks Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 hahaha...that was damn hilarious. Well said though, I'm probably overthinking it, I was going to make a big formal e-mail but I suppose it would be better to just cut through all the bull**** and just ask. Cheers Blinknoodle. ~Jocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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