How is hospital shadowing in Czech Republic?

[medellie]

Hi guys,

I want to get some practical experience in medicine, before applying to university specifically in cardiovascular surgery and spinal surgery, so I decided to partake in some hospital placements program.

When I was doing my research I stumbled upon this program called Czech Hospital Placements Program on facebook. It seems very convenient that you can decide which specialty you want to focus on, so there is the possibility to spend one week shadowing doctors in cardiovascular surgery and the other week in spinal surgery.

Does anyone have experience with this program and medicine in Czech Republic, is it really on such a high level as they claim?

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[candbgirl]

Do you live in the Czech Republic? Do you plan to go to med school in the Czech Republic or in the USA? If you live in America and plan to attend school in America do your ECs in America.


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[medellie]

Do you live in the Czech Republic? Do you plan to go to med school in the Czech Republic or in the USA? If you live in America and plan to attend school in America do your ECs in America.


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I live in the USA and I plan to go to the med school here, but I thought that it might be interesting to get international experience and to know the system outside of USA. It might help me with the application process, don't you think?

 

[Catalystik]

I live in the USA and I plan to go to the med school here, but I thought that it might be interesting to get international experience and to know the system outside of USA. It might help me with the application process, don't you think?

No.

 

[candbgirl]

@medellie @Catalystik has spoken. If you do it fine but it won't help you. ADCOMs consider it voluntourism.


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[LizzyM]

Hi guys,

I want to get some practical experience in medicine, before applying to university specifically in cardiovascular surgery and spinal surgery, so I decided to partake in some hospital placements program.

When I was doing my research I stumbled upon this program called Czech Hospital Placements Program on facebook. It seems very convenient that you can decide which specialty you want to focus on, so there is the possibility to spend one week shadowing doctors in cardiovascular surgery and the other week in spinal surgery.

Does anyone have experience with this program and medicine in Czech Republic, is it really on such a high level as they claim?

One does not "apply to university specifically in cardiovascular surgery and spinal surgery". In fact, except on fictional TV shows, one is either a cardiothoracic surgeon (heart & lungs) or a neurosurgeon (brain, spine, nerves) but not both. The choice to pursue one or the other would not be made until you were at least through the first 18 months of medical school and deciding about clerkships (3 year training) and electives before making residency applications. Cardiothoracic surgery requires a 6 year residency right out of medical school or 2-3 years of residency after a 5 year general surgery residency. Neurosurgery is a five year residency. Orthopedic Surgeons also do some spine surgeries and that's a separate 5 year residency. Neurosurgeons and Orthopedic surgeons may do a spinal surgery fellowship after residency training.

I would not call this "voluntourism" as no one is volunteering or trying to help people. That said, there isn't much value unless you've also shadowed the same specialties in the US and are able to compare and contrast in a fairly sophisticated way. If you don't understand the language, culture and health policy in the place where you are observing, you may miss many nuances. I would not recommend it.

 

[Mansamusa]

Hi guys,

I want to get some practical experience in medicine, before applying to university specifically in cardiovascular surgery and spinal surgery, so I decided to partake in some hospital placements program.

When I was doing my research I stumbled upon this program called Czech Hospital Placements Program on facebook. It seems very convenient that you can decide which specialty you want to focus on, so there is the possibility to spend one week shadowing doctors in cardiovascular surgery and the other week in spinal surgery.

Does anyone have experience with this program and medicine in Czech Republic, is it really on such a high level as they claim?

The point of shadowing is to better decide if this career is for you. Medicine in the Czech Republic =/= Medicine in the US. The science part is similar, but the politics and bureaucracy is completely different.

The role of a MD is the Czech Republic is different than in the US. The use of APRNs is different in both countries. The responsibilities of each specialty is different in country. Prumary care-specialist relationships are different. Etc. If you want to practice in the US, you should learn about US healthcare

And shadowing is never going to be practical experience no matter where you do it

 

[PB&Jam]

One does not "apply to university specifically in cardiovascular surgery and spinal surgery". In fact, except on fictional TV shows, one is either a cardiothoracic surgeon (heart & lungs) or a neurosurgeon (brain, spine, nerves) but not both. The choice to pursue one or the other would not be made until you were at least through the first 18 months of medical school and deciding about clerkships (3 year training) and electives before making residency applications. Cardiothoracic surgery requires a 6 year residency right out of medical school or 2-3 years of residency after a 5 year general surgery residency. Neurosurgery is a five year residency. Orthopedic Surgeons also do some spine surgeries and that's a separate 5 year residency. Neurosurgeons and Orthopedic surgeons may do a spinal surgery fellowship after residency training.

I would not call this "voluntourism" as no one is volunteering or trying to help people. That said, there isn't much value unless you've also shadowed the same specialties in the US and are able to compare and contrast in a fairly sophisticated way. If you don't understand the language, culture and health policy in the place where you are observing, you may miss many nuances. I would not recommend it.

I 100% agree with your overall post, I just think OP is suffering from a case of ambiguous sentence construction. I think they "want to get practical experience in medicine, specifically in cardiovascular surgery and spinal surgery, before applying to university." (Which, as you pointed out, aren't exactly a thing.) I hope they do more research and construct their sentences better before writing their PS.

 

[Lawpy]

Hi guys,

I want to get some practical experience in medicine, before applying to university specifically in cardiovascular surgery and spinal surgery, so I decided to partake in some hospital placements program.

When I was doing my research I stumbled upon this program called Czech Hospital Placements Program on facebook. It seems very convenient that you can decide which specialty you want to focus on, so there is the possibility to spend one week shadowing doctors in cardiovascular surgery and the other week in spinal surgery.

Does anyone have experience with this program and medicine in Czech Republic, is it really on such a high level as they claim?

The more important question is, if you do go to Czech Republic for that hospital placements program, how are you going to finance your expenses?

 

[sp4k]

I stumbled upon this program called Czech Hospital Placements Program on facebook.

Have you ever seen Hostel? You might want to.

 

[JustaDO]

Subtle advertising in full play here.

 

[wizzed101]

The more important question is, if you do go to Czech Republic for that hospital placements program, how are you going to finance your expenses?

The same way as those "disadvantaged" spent their summers "volunteering" oversea.

 

[LizzyM]

The more important question is, if you do go to Czech Republic for that hospital placements program, how are you going to finance your expenses?

For US$1200/week you can live in a single-sex cozy bedroom in my house and eat dinner with me! /jk

 

[ThoracicGuy]

For US$1200/week you can live in a single-sex cozy bedroom in my house and eat dinner with me! /jk

Someone will offer to take you up on it. It's a chance to influence you to accept them into med school!!!!

 

[TMC07]

I think such an experience could be valuable if, as stated above, you can compare it to your experiences stateside. Also, in an age where we are in desperate need of health care reform, it could be especially valuable for a future physician to see how the health care system is setup in another country. I have had extensive experience in Europe and can speak intelligently about the positive and negative aspects of so-called "socialized medicine" that some are so afraid of. However, this experience would not be valuable if you have not had sufficient exposure in the US and come out of it understanding very little about the Czech Republic.

 

[LizzyM]

Someone will offer to take you up on it. It's a chance to influence you to accept them into med school!!!!

Or kill any chance they had!

 

[ThoracicGuy]

Or kill any chance they had!

High risk, high reward.

 

[medellie]

Thanks for your feedback. I plan to do my ECs here as well.

 

[medellie]

I think such an experience could be valuable if, as stated above, you can compare it to your experiences stateside. Also, in an age where we are in desperate need of health care reform, it could be especially valuable for a future physician to see how the health care system is setup in another country. I have had extensive experience in Europe and can speak intelligently about the positive and negative aspects of so-called "socialized medicine" that some are so afraid of. However, this experience would not be valuable if you have not had sufficient exposure in the US and come out of it understanding very little about the Czech Republic.

Thanks. I understand your point.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

before applying to university specifically in cardiovascular surgery and spinal surgery,

Wut? I'm confused, are you an undergrad? A high school student?

 

[medellie]

Undergraduate