Gimbernat
Surgical Association
Clerkship Experiences 2022
Claudia Peretó - San Raffaele Hospital in Milan
Hello! My name is Claudia Peretó and I am a medical student at UPF-UAB and Hospital del Mar (Barcelona). From April to the end of June I have done my Erasmus at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, specifically in the Department of General Surgery under the direction of Prof. Riccardo Rosati.
San Raffaele Hospital is an internationally renowned university and research hospital associated with the Vità-Salute San Raffaele University, a fully private university that is part of the Gruppo ospedaliero San Donato, the largest hospital group in Italy. In addition, the hospital has received a significant increase of interventions in oncological surgery associated with the digestive system, becoming the first Italian center for esophageal surgery since 2015.
During my internship I observed a large number of surgical procedures (including adrenal gland surgery), mostly associated with esophageal, stomach and colon cancer. I learned a lot about these oncological processes, the most frequent surgical techniques, as well as the characteristics and treatment of inflammatory diseases affecting the digestive tract.
On the other hand, I would like to highlight esophagectomy, because I had the privilege of seeing and learning how this complex surgery is performed by the General Surgery team and Prof. Rosati, who has an extensive experience in open and minimally invasive surgery of the digestive tract, and for this reason, this intervention is only performed in very few centers in the country.
In addition, I also had the opportunity to go to the hospitalization floor and the outpatient clinic, where the follow-up and treatment of the surgical wounds of the patients after surgery were performed. This is the reason why during the internship I appreciated the balance between the surgical and the clinical part.
Apart from the internship at the hospital, I have had an incredible experience on a personal level because this opportunity, given to me by AQG, has allowed me to travel around Italy, make new friends, see incredible landscapes, learn Italian, as well as enjoy the wonderful culture and the delicious Italian gastronomy. It has certainly been one of the best experiences of my life!
From my point of view as a student, doing an internship in another country is a great experience that offers the opportunity to grow academically, get to know another health system and explore another country, as well as live unforgettable experiences.
Agust 2022
Alex Godó Jiménez and Pelayo Aguilera Fernández - Kings College of London
As part of the goal of expanding the interest of medical students in fields of surgery, there is great potential to the opportunity of travelling to other parts of the world and learning about different approaches to surgery. In oder to provide this opportunity for some of our students, we were able to set up an exchange with King’s College London Surgical Society, by which three KCL students and two AQG students travelled to our respective hospitals in order to take part in a two week intensive rotation at their specialty of choice.
This experience was incredibly enriching for the students involved, allowing them not only to expand their knowledge and interest in medicine and surgery, but also to immerse themselves in a new environment. Some of the strongest points in the program, according to the participating students, were the kindness and inclusivity they experienced at their host hospital and the wide range of surgeries they were able to observe.
This exchange was an amazing experience for everyone involved, as well as a big opportunity for AQG and KCL Surgical Society to build bridges and expand internationally. It would have not been possible without the support of Dr. Manuel Pera and Dr. Chandak Panjak, whom we thank dearly.
Here is a small paragraph recalling the experience from some of our participating students:
“Travelling and pursuing a career as a doctor has always been my ultimate goal. Spending 2 weeks at the beautiful Hospital del Mar, Barcelona was amazing. After taking a year out to complete a research Master’s, I fell back in love with medicine! I chose OBGYN for its unique combination of medicine and surgery. Most of my time was spent in the operating theatre watching hysterectomies to remove cancers. I also got a chance to use a state-of-the-art robot to help the surgeons with their laparoscopic procedures, sit in on consultations and gained interesting insights into the Spanish healthcare system. I recommend anyone wanting to undertake some experience abroad to take the leap! You do not have to wait until your elective to learn what other doctors are doing across the pond”
“I have spent an amazing time during this KCL-AQG 1st edition exchange! I have been so welcomed by the Neurological Surgery Deparment, I have learned a lot during this twoo weeks and also I spent some time visiting the city. I would 100% recommend this experience to the every medical student eager to learn how other healthcare systems works”
“I am very grateful for this unique experience, not only I got the chance to see all the varied and different procedures plastic surgeons perform on their daily practice, but I also had the incredible opportunity of living in one of my favorite European cities: London. The exchange was enriching in so many ways! I want to give a big THANKS to all the amazing, kind and so talented people I met during my stay. And to the reader, if you ever have the chance to do clinical rotations outside your country, don’t doubt for even a second and take it!”
.png)
.png)
.png)
April-June 2022
Marta Victoria Alvarez Yustes -Karolinska Institutet
Karolinska Institutet is one of the most famous and foremost research centers in Europe. It has been ranked as the 5o best medical university in the world by QS Top Universities. It features research areas in cancer, hematology, cell, molecular and structural biology, endocrinology, neuroscience, developmental biology, healthcare sciences and aging. The institution selects the laureates in the Nobel Prize in Physiology and medicine each year.
I had the opportunity to stay in the Övre Buk department, upper gastrointestinal department, for two and a half months. The group is formed by 4 surgeons or kirurger, nurses or sjuköterska, läkare residents and students. Their main focus is on gastric and esophageal cancer. Nonetheless, they also treat achalasia, hernias, inflammatory, genetic diseases and other acute procedures. They also work with dietists and palliative doctors and nurses. Furthermore, they have consults with other specialists, such as plastic surgeons, urologists, digestologists, endocrinologists, nefrologists...
My day to day on the team started with the ward round. The team would discuss each patient individually: the lab results, the results of any imaging the patient may have had… After the discussion, we would visit each patient and interview them each day regarding new symptoms, their feeding schedule, any worries the patient may have...
Following, the surgeries would begin. On Mondays and Wednesdays the smaller surgeries would take place. In these days they would perform esophagus dilations, stent placements, acalasia interventions, eso-sponge placement... On Tuesdays and Thursdays the big operations would happen. The main operation would be total or partial gastrectomies, esophagectomies, hernia repairs, CPRE, fistula reconstructions... Apart from that, some of the surgeons would have a clinic in the afternoon or morning. In the clinics the patients would come for a first visit, a follow up after a big or small procedure.
In spite of these scheduled interventions, every day there was a doctor on call. That meant that he/she had to take on every acute surgery that may come to the emergency room; such as esophagus perforations, self-injury incidents like bleach ingestion...
One of the most interesting skills I was able to develop during my stay was the ability to do ultrasounds. I learnt how to do a basic gallbladder ultrasound in which I would look for gallbladder stones or other signs of blockage of bile flow. Another kind of ultrasound I learnt was the E-FAST examination, it is a protocol designed to detect fluid (peritoneal or pericardial), hemothorax or pneumothorax. The FAST examination is divided in 4 sections: perihepatic, pericardia, perisplenic and pelvic. And the E-FAST includes the anterior and lateral pleural spaces to evaluate hemothorax and pneumothorax.
I was also able to improve my basic surgical skills. They let me scrub in many surgeries. In some laparoscopic interventions they let me control the camera. On others I could practice my stitching techniques and other times I was able to staple the main incision.
Furthermore, on the ward rounds I had to do physical examinations and anamnesis to most of the patients. In general surgery it is important not to focus just on the gastrointestinal system but to take into consideration the body as a whole. The upper GI interventions can cause many complications that might involve other systems in the body such as pneumonia, diaphragmatic hernias, abscess, fever without source..
Apart from my day to day at the hospital, I feel like a very important part of my erasmus experience has been getting to know another culture, Sweden.
In Sweden, they value tranquility, nature and self time, whilst in Spain we tend to be more outgoing, have parties...I would want to point out the way they preserve nature. Near Stockholm city, the capital of the country, there are a lot of natural reserve. Some are as big as the city itself. One of my favorites was Tyresta. This encourages people to go more outdoors and be in contact with nature. Which can help not only to appreciate it but also has a benefit in people's mood.
I would like to finish this memoir by encouraging every student in Europe who has the chance to live this experience. It has been life changing to develop new relationships that allowed me to learn from different cultures and backgrounds. You develop a more open mind by listening to other people's opinions in a different environment than the one you are used to. Also you get to learn how hospitals work in other countries and you value how things are done at both places. It is the perfect combination of learning experience and personal development.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
Spring semester 2022
Lucía Pastor and Adrián López - St. James’ Hospital of Dublin
Hello! Our names are Lucía Pastor and Adrián López. We have been members of the Gimbernat Surgical Society throughout our whole career in Pompeu Fabra University, and we have done a surgical clerkship inside the Erasmus program in the St James’ Hospital of Dublin (Ireland).
Our ten week experience in the Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Unit, under the supervision of Prof. John Reynolds, has been really profitable since we have not only learnt new concepts about gastrointestinal surgery but also practiced our skills in theatre.
Some of the tasks we were involved in our daily week were visiting patients in morning rounds, taking histories and examining patients, learning and participating as second or third surgeon in some common general surgery procedures, such as laparoscopic scholecistectomies and inguinal hernia repair, and also some more complex ones including oncologic surgery, esophagectomies and gastrectomies. We have broadly improved our suturing technique as well as starting to feel more comfortable in the surgical area.
Our experience has been sharpened by an extraordinary team who made us one of them since the first moment, and let us participate in many parts of the patient’s medical assistance.
On the other hand, we made met really nice irish people and visited many places from the lovely city of Dublin. And also, it was even a nice opportunity to improve our English!
Without any doubt, we recommend taking part in international clerkships like this. We would finally like to thank Prof Manuel Pera and the Gimbernat Surgical Society for organizing this incredible opportunity.
.jpeg)
Spring semester 2022
Joana Clivillé Pérez - Beaumont Hospital; Dublin
Hi! I’m Joana Clivillé Pérez, a human biologist and a 5th year medical student. I have just come back from Dublin and I’m already thinking of going back. I spent three months doing an internship in the surgical Upper Gastrointestinal unit of the Beaumont Hospital, and I couldn’t have been happier with Mr. William Robb and his team. I was so comfortable with the country and the people, that I decided to stay in Dublin for the summer to work as a Healthcare Assistant!
Beaumont Hospital is located at the North part of Dublin and it’s associated to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), one of the best Medical universities in Ireland. Complementary to my rotation in the Upper GI team, I could attend voluntarily to many seminars and lectures that were so useful to review multiple medical concepts and, indeed, I met several medical students with who I still keep in touch quite closely.
From the very beginning, the team welcomed me as one more of them. Apart from teaching me surgical concepts, I took active part in all the surgeries we had, such as esophagectomies, cholecystectomies, hiatus hernias, appendicectomies, GIST extirpations, etc. During all these surgeries, I could learn how to use the laparoscopic instruments by performing small parts of the surgery such as introducing the gallbladder into the laparoscopic retrieval pouch and, of course, I improved my suturing skills by closing the surgical wounds in every surgery.
Likewise, I could also learn transversal skills that in our country are usually performed by the nurse team, such as withdrawing bloods or introducing urinary catheters or nasogastric tubes.
Apart from going to the theatre three days per week, I also attended the morning ward rounds every morning at 6:45am, multidisciplinary team meetings and some endoscopic procedures. One of the things that surprised me the most is that in Ireland, the vast majority of the hospitals work with charts instead of computerized clinical data, so I had to adapt to a completely different type of working modality.
One day per week we had outpatients clinic. After a couple weeks shadowing, I started visiting patients by myself, which was not only a big responsibility but also a great chance to improve my communication skills.
Last but not least, I had time to go out almost every evening and meet people from all over the world that nowadays I can call best friends. During the weekends, we used to travel all over Ireland and discover all the stunning landscapes it has to offer over a pint of Guinness.
I can’t be more grateful for the opportunity that Dr. Manuel Pera offered me. I joined the Gimbernat Surgical Association when I was at my first year of Human Biology, so I’ve taken part of it 7 years now, and it has probably been the best decision I ever took in my university life as it has brought me not only superior surgical skills, but also a huge network of colleagues, friends and experiences that I will never forget.
.jpeg)
Clerkship Experiences 2019
"Hi! I’m Miriam Cazador, a 6th year medical student at Hospital del Mar (Barcelona) associated to UPF-UAB. I spent last July doing an elective abroad at St James Hospital in Dublin, for one month I was able to live the everyday of the surgical Upper Gastro-intestinal Unit, under the supervision of Prof. John Reynolds."
St James’ is one of the largest university teaching hospitals in Ireland, which is associated to Trinity College. St James’s Hospital also is the national centre for oesophageal and gastric cancer in Ireland, therefore there are a large amount of cases and it is a very busy team.
My schedule included many different activities such as ward rounds, endoscopic procedures, multidisciplinary team meetings, clinics and surgery. My favourite days were Monday and Friday, because they were Surgical theatre days. I could scrub in at almost all surgeries, being first and second assistant at open and laparoscopic procedures, and even doing some stitching at closures!.
I am very happy for the fact that I could learn about oesophageal cancer and see many esophagectomies, procedure which is centralised to be performed by a few hospitals (by a team of experts), and is not performed at Hospital del Mar. I want to thank Dr Manuel Pera for making possible that I lived this huge opportunity and, also thanks to Prof John Reynolds, who is a distinguished surgeon with a considerable experience in surgical, academic and research fields who welcomed me on his team.
Besides the academic activity, I also had a great opportunity to discover Ireland, with its great history, traditional culture, incredible natural landscapes and warm people (among them, a few medicine Trinity College students, with who I became friend).
I joined the Gimbernat Surgical Association on my 2nd year of medicine degree and became part of the organising committee on my 4th year. Since last year I am part of the Directive Committee of the Society as I am especially interested in surgical specialties.
As student and a member of the Society, I consider the possibility of doing a surgical elective abroad one of the strengths of the Society and a great opportunity for learning while you are enjoying and discovering a new country and his Health System.
"Hi! My name is Victoria Puchades and I’m a 5th year medical student. I had the opportunity to undertake a clerkship at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford (Upper-GI Surgery Unit).
It has been a great experience. During my clerkship, I was able to see different aspects of an upper-GI surgeon’s job.
I spent time in clinics, theatre, guard changes and ward rounds, as well as endoscopies.I was able to scrub almost in every surgery and sometimes to help a little bit.
I consider that I have learnt a lot during my clerkship, especially with Dr. Shaun Preston and Dr. Rodrigo in theatre during the weekly esophagectomy.To discover a different health system was really compelling, I learnt a lot about the NHS England (National Health Service) and its functioning.
During the weekends I was able to travel around England and explore new places such as Oxford, Brighton or London.
Erasmus Experiences 2019
"Hi everyone! We are Miranda and Sílvia, two 6th year medical students from UAB-UPF. During the last term, as a member of the Gimbernat Surgical Association, we were given the opportunity to spend 3 months abroad in Erasmus with Professor Thomas N. Walsh, a renowned upper GI surgeon who works in 3 different hospitals in Dublin. "
Professor Thomas N. Walsh is an excellent surgeon and teacher. He was very kind with us and he organized a wide ranging schedule. We were mainly in Connolly Hospital but we also went with him to The Bonsecure and Hermitage Hospital. We also spend two whole weeks at the Emergency department, where we improve our communicative and physical examination skills.
As part of the team, we scrubbed and assist in major and minor surgeries, attend to the meetings and ward rounds, help performing endoscopies, go to multidisciplinary meetings and to outpatient clinics. We really improved our surgical skills! This training allowed us to know better how is the day life in a surgical specialty, something very important to make a decision in the future.
Apart from that, we also had time to travel a lot and get to know Ireland, an amazing country with warm people and amazing landscapes. We will come back for sure!
With no doubts, we recommend you this opportunity offered by AQG, for us it is been an unforgettable and enlightening experience.
"Hi! I’m Mar de Pablo, a 6th year medical student at UAB-UPF. I’ve had the opportunity of staying 3 months at the Upper-GI Unit, under Professor John Reynolds at St James’s Hospital in Dublin. "
The hospital is in association with Trinity College Dublin and is the national center for oesophageal and gastric cancer. I am lucky because I have learnt a lot while feeling completely part of the team. I could take part in many different activities: ward rounds, endoscopic procedures, multidisciplinary team meetings, outpatients clinics and major and minor surgeries. At ward I was capable of assisting and following the patients like one intern more, and at theater I could assist in the surgical procedures.
Apart from the academic activity, I had time to discover Ireland, an amazing country full of incredible landscapes and warm people.
I would strongly recommend this experience, and I am happy to be contacted if further details are needed!"
"Hi! My name is Eva Alberch and I have just finished my 5th year of the degree in Medicine. During the last term, I had the opportunity to do a placement at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, specifically at the Upper-GI Surgery Unit under the mentorship of Mr. Shaun Preston. He is one of the most skilled European surgeons, not only in the surgical treatment of oesophageal cancer, but also in laparoscopic surgery. "
For 10 weeks, I had the chance to experience the daily work of a surgeon. I could daily attend to the guard changes and ward rounds, as well as to outpatients’ clinics, endoscopies, MDTs (Multidisciplinary Team meetings) and M&M (Mortality and Morbidity) meetings and the annual general meeting. However, what I enjoyed the most was the time I spent at the theatre, where I was able to scrub up and assist from the first day in all the surgeries. I was even given the opportunity to put the pleural drains and cut the rib in the oesophagectomies!
Mr Preston was very kind with me and he organised a wide ranging schedule so as to see as many different surgeries as possible. I used to attend to either Hepatobiliary and Colorectal surgeries once a week, in which I was also able to scrub up. Moreover, I spent two whole weeks at Breast Surgery Unit where, not only I could attend to breast surgeries, but also to clinics and some radiology and minimal invasive procedures.
Finally, this training let me understand the organization of a foreign health system, the NHS, and familiarise with its way of work.
The integration in a new team and hospital with a different language was a challenge for me, but I was lucky to meet a team in which I felt welcomed from the very beginning. I have no doubt that it was one of the best experiences in my life from both academic and personal point of view. This is the reason why I would strongly encourage any medical student interested in surgery to go abroad and live it.
Clerkship Experiences 2018
Hi everyone! My name is Ester Puig and I am a 5th year medical student at Hospital del Mar. I have been taking part in “Associació Quirúrgica Gimbernat” since my second year of medical studies as I am especially interested in surgical specialities.
Last summer I did a clerkship at Guy’s Hospital in London and at St James Hospital in Dublin. Both are world renowned teaching hospitals.
At Guy’s Hospital I was in the department of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT – Ear, Nose and Throat) and Head and Neck surgery service with Mr Ricard Simo and his team. At St James Hospital I was in the Upper Gastrointestinal Surgical Department under the supervision of Professor John Reynolds. At both hospitals I was allowed to scrub almost all surgeries and assist the principal surgeon. All the members of both teams were very kind and made me feel very comfortable.
The experience was highly enriching, allowing me to improve my medical knowledge and to discover more about these two beautiful cities.
I encourage all students to do an overseas placement, discover surgery and, of course, enjoy the experience.
Hi everyone! My name is Inés Martínez and I’m a medical student at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.
It all started last year, when I started thinking about my future and what I would like to do.
ntil then, I didn’t know if surgery was for me, so when I heard about the surgical clerkship that Gimbernat Surgical Association was offering I didn’t hesitate in asking for it.
I spent three months with Professor Thomas N. Walsh, an excellent Upper GI surgeon, with who I could learn a lot, not only because I could work with him in four different hospitals but also, he and his team were always kind and helpful with me. I was given the opportunity to feel like one more in Professor’s team, so I could scrub in major and minor theatre, perform an endoscopy procedure by myself, go to multidisciplinary meetings and outpatient clinics.
Apart from that, I also had time to travel and know Dublin, an amazing city with warm people that you should know even if the weather it’s not the best. Moreover, it’s a very good opportunity to meet people from different countries and travel a lot!
In fact, it was an unforgettable experience for me, it made me realise how much you can learn in the daily activities so and I strongly recommend it to everyone who is interested in surgery!
Hello everyone! My name is Núria, and I am a 6th year student of Medicine at UPF.
I had always wanted to live an experience abroad as a medical student and when I heard about the opportunity of the Gimbernat Surgical Association, I did not hesitate it for a moment!
I was a member of Upper-GI unit in St. James’s Hospital in Dublin during three months, headed by Professor John Reynolds. St James’s Hospital is the national center for oesophageal and gastric cancer in Ireland, therefore there are a large amount of cases and it is a very busy team. During my stay there, everyone made me feel as one more in the team, and they encouraged me to participate in every procedure.
My schedule included ward rounds, endoscopy, multidisciplinary meeting, clinics and surgery. I could assist in most of the surgical procedures and also take part in following patients or endoscopic procedures.
But not everything is about work! I had the chance to discover the amazing landscapes Ireland has got; and I also made great friends with whom I travelled all around. It is definetely an experience I will never forget and I strongly recommend it to anyone!
Clerkship Experiences 2017
Hi everyone! I am Manel, a 6th year medical student at UAB-UPF. As a member of the Gimbernat Surgical Association I was given the opportunity to spend 3 months abroad performing my Erasmus term doing a surgical clerkship in St. James’s Hospital in Dublin, one of the largest university teaching hospitals in Ireland in association with Trinity College.
In the hospital, I spent most of my time in the Upper-GI Unit, headed by Professor John Reynolds, a distinguished surgeon with a considerable experience in surgical, academic and research fields. All the members of the team were very kind and helpful making me feel like home.
I could take part in many different activities such as ward rounds, endoscopy procedures, multidisciplinary meetings, outpatient clinics, minor surgeries and main theatres. I was also given the opportunity to attend other surgeries and modify my timetable as pleased, as well as asking for rotation in other services such as urology or vascular surgery.
Besides the academic activity, I also had a great opportunity to discover Ireland, with its great history, traditional culture and warm people guided by the rain and surrounded by incredible natural landscapes. Moreover, the hospital is in a very convenient location near Dublin city centre that allows you to easily enjoy the character of the city every afternoon.
I encourage all medical students to experience a clerkship abroad to broaden their outlook of medicine and discover surgery as well as themselves.
Hi there! I am Sergio Sans, member of the Gimbernat Surgical Association, which gave me the opportunity to do a summer clerkship at the Royal Surrey County Hospital (Guildford) for a month. My main objective in this experience was to decide if I could be a surgeon in the future.
My head doctor was Dr. Shaun Preston, who is one of the most skilled surgeons in laparoscopic surgeries. I spent this year’s August with the hospital’s Upper GI surgery unit. They arranged me a personal schedule, which consisted on attending morning multidisciplinary sessions, ward rounds, endoscopy, clinics and theatre while joining the Upper GI surgery unit at their daily work. I could assist to surgeries from all the digestive organs: oesophagogastric surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, pancreatic surgery and colorectal surgery. I was given the chance to attend other surgeries such as breast surgery as well. I was able to scrub at most surgeries and assist the main surgeon.
Apart from surgery, I could travel to London and other villages in South England, meet lots of people and enjoying tourism with my friends, who visited me during a weekend.
I strongly recommend this experience to whoever has any interest in surgery and even to any student who is uncertain about surgery as their speciality!
Hi everyone! My name is Marta Contreras, I am studying 6th of Medicine at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Last year I became to be aware that my student days were almost over and one day I will have to decide whether I want to go for the clinics or surgery. As I have always stood up for “If you don’t try, you will never know”, I decided to ask the Gimbernat Surgical Association a surgical clerkship.
I spent almost four months with Professor Thomas N. Walsh in Dublin. He is an excellent surgeon specialized in Upper GI surgery. We managed to work together in four different hospitals: Bon Secour Hospital, Hermitage Clinic, Beaumont Hospital and Connolly Hospital. I was one more in the team so I scrubbed and assisted in almost all the surgeries, learning that every single step is important.
Above all, this opportunity was not only about work, it was also about traveling to a foreign country, meet new people, visit new places and enjoy Dublin. There is time for everything!
Come on! It is a wonderful experience, there is no doubt, if you can, you should go.
Clerkship Experiences 2016
Hi there! I’m Pablo Jiménez, a medstudent of 6th year at Pompeu Fabra University- Autonomous University of Barcelona. As a member of the Gimbernat Surgical Association, I had the opportunity to explore the North Italy and its culture and language, and the general surgery specialty deeply. I enjoyed all these experiences at the same time.
Milan is the capital of the Italian administrative region of Lombardy. Lombardy enjoys the reputation of being the region with the best coverage and technological progress in the field of Italian healthcare.
I had the privilege of doing a month of clinical clerkship in the section of esophageal surgery of the Department of General Surgery at the IRCCS San Donato Hospital. With about 700 beds of hospitalization, it is the hospital a major referral center in northern Italy for minimally invasive surgery and the surgical treatment of cancer of the esophagus. My daily activity was distributed between operating theater, outpatient surgery, endoscopies, surgical ward, and emergencies or pronto soccorso. I had really good times with the head Professor Bonavina and the surgical staff. They are extremely aware to teach their science to the new generations.
At the same time I was doing practice I realized of the value of the North of Italy and its people. Milan and its Duomo, Sforza Castle, Last Supper, Planetarium, Scalla Theatre of Milano, ….and the surrondings: Como Lake, Verona, Padova, Modena, Parma, Bologna, Turin, and so on. I’m Pablo and I have put one of my best experiences in my life’s backpack.
Hi everyone! I am Ana Fernández Marrón and I am a Medicine student at Universidad Pompeu Fabra. Since I started Medicine and I trod on an operation theatre I had known that I wanted to be a surgeon, so I joined Gimbernat Surgical Association from the very beginning. Thanks to the association I have had the chance to attend to differents activities related to surgery, courses and interesting talks but, above all, I have had the opportunity to make a Practical ERASMUS in Dublin.
I spent almost four months with Professor Tom Walsh’s team which is focused on Upper GI surgery. I was able to go to three different hospitals, and in all them I was treat as one more of the team. I scrubbed in almost all the surgeries and I assisted lots of them.
Nevertheless, not all was hospital and theatre, an ERASMUS is much more than this, is a new country, a new city, a new culture, experience and above all a lot of friends. Ireland is a very beautiful country with incredible landscapes, and you should try to travel and discover it as much as possible. Dublin is also amazing, the weather is not the best but the environment around the pubs is more than great! I encourage all young student to live this experience, it makes you grow in many ways.
Hello everyone! My name is Marina García and I am a 6th year medical student at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona). I joined the Gimbernat Surgical Association during my second year because I was really interested in Surgery. During these three years, I’ve attended to a lot of talks, suture courses and other interesting activities, and finally, thanks to the Association, I had the opportunity to join a research team in the Queen’s Medical Research Institute (QMRI) in Edinburgh during three months.
When I arrived in Edinburgh, I was really welcomed by the team, which consists of research nurses, surgeons and biologists. I was involved in all steps of the research project: first of all, we had to recruit the patients, explain them the project and sign all the documents. Then, we had to go to the theatre and explain the surgeons what kind of samples we would need, collect and take them to the laboratory and finally process the samples.
Despite participating in everything, my daily work was in the laboratory, doing all the digestion of the tissues, staining techniques and analysis of the results by flow cytometry and confocal microscope. Also, when I had free time I was able to see some surgeries and procedures in the hospital thanks to Dr.Damian Mole, one of the surgeons of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
But not everything was working. Edinburgh is an amazing city, full of young people and things to visit. Also there are a lot of cities nearby to visit such as Saint Andrews, Stirling or Glasgow.
To conclude, I’m really grateful to the Gimbernat Surgical Association for giving me the opportunity to make this experience and I really recommend it. If you want to know more information, please feel free to ask me.
Hi everyone! My name is Maria Soriano, member of Gimbernat Surgical Association for some time now. Last year I did a summer clerkship in Guildford thanks to the GSA, and furthermore the third term of 5th year I spent 3 months in London at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Both hospitals are two of London’s oldest and most well-known teaching hospitals. My medical elective consisted on a weekly rotation in different specialties from Otorhinolaryngology (or ENT – Ear, Nose and Throat) and Head and Neck surgery service, such as paediatrics, maxillofacial surgery, skull base surgery, thyroid cancer, rhinology, vestibular disorders, voice, oncology… Not only did I work in the hospital, but I discovered more about this beautiful city called London as well.
All in all, taking advantage of my placement, I did contact King’s College Surgical Society in order to successfully establish some collaboration between both Societies. Therefore, I encourage all students to do an elective/clerkship abroad and enjoy this experience that is offered to us.
Hello everybody. I am Ana Segarra. I am just starting my sixth year of medicine at the “Hospital Del Mar”, where the students of the Universidad Pompeu Fabra/ Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona do our medicine degree. I am part of the association “Associació Quirúrgica Gimbernat” since my second year of medicine because I am especially interested in surgerical specialties. In the association I have had the opportunity to improve some surgical skills as stitching or knotting thanks to the workshops and also attending some pretty interesting speaks.
I finished my fifth year in Ireland, where I was living from April until the end of June. There I did an internship in St. James´s Hospital. This is the largest University teaching Hospital in Dublin and its academic partner is the University of Dublin, Trinity College.
I spent these months in the Upper Gastrointestinal Surgical Department under the supervision of one of the most important surgeons in this area, Prof. John Reynolds. He and his colleges welcomed me warmly since the first day and made me feel like home. There I learnt how to work in a team and the surgeon´s every day. I saw several surgeries and I understood every process in the field. I also improved my relation with patients and above all my English became much better. Ireland was also a great place to go not only for the academic interest but also for the personal and social ones. In three months I had the opportunity of meeting a lot of interesting people and discovering the island with them. It has so many incredible landscapes to offer and to make every trip unforgettable.
Clerkship Experiences 2015
Hi everyone! My name is María Rodríguez and I had the opportunity to spend 3 months in Dublin. I've been at St. James's Hospital, specifically in Upper gastrointestinal surgery. I've been really integrated with all the members of the team, who were absolutely charming and tried to teach me a lot. At first, I was given a schedule to organize my daily activities: ward rounds, endoscopy sessions,surgical theatre, day surgery, multidisciplinary meetings, clinics, and so on. The team uses the theatre twice a week and most of the operations are open. I was allowed to scrub and take part in many operations.
Furthermore, I benefited from seeing some especialties of surgery that I'd never seen before, like cardiac surgery or colorectal surgery. I've attended the theatre with these teams and they let me take part in.
Also, one the doctors allowed me to take case histories and examine patients in the wards by myself and then, I had to explain him all the information I was given to.
Apart from this, Dublin is a nice city to visit and there are plenty of activities and sightseeing to enjoy. Ireland has beautiful landscapes, so you can spend the weekends travelling all around the country.To sum up, it’s been an amazing experience. I think it’s important to have a different point of view of Medicine in another country. If you like surgery and you have the opportunity to have a stay in a department of surgery, take it, and you’ll know if you really like it.
Hi! My name is MªTeresa Murcia and I am a medical student of Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Last year I became a member of Gimbernat Surgical Association and I am really glad about it. Thanks to the Association, I had the chance of doing a summer clerkship in the Royal Marsden Hospital of London, which is a world-leading cancer center. There I joined the Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Unit where I acquired first-hand knowledge related to diagnosis, treatment and current surgical procedures that are being used to treat esophageal and gastric cancer nowadays.
During my 4-week elective internship, I attended ward rounds, theatres and multidisciplinary sessions. I wasn’t allowed to participate directly in theaters but I had the opportunity to see all the operations they performed.
Moreover, I could go to Urology Theater and learn how they deal with cancer. Along this period, doctors, residents and nurses took care of me and made me feel like one of them.
In conclusion, I definitely recommend applying for a clinical elective abroad. Not only will it be a good way of learning medicine, but also you will realize how a surgeons’ life is.
Hi everyone! We are Celia and Maria, members of the Gimbernat Surgical Association, which gave us the opportunity to do a summer clerkship at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, in Guildford.
Our head doctor was Mr. Shaun Preston, who not only operates laparotomies, but he is also one of the most skillful surgeons in laparoscopic surgeries.
The Upper GI surgery unit arranged us an assorted schedule, which consisted on attending multidisciplinary sessions (MDT), ward rounds, endoscopy procedures, clinics, accident & emergency section, theatre and training a bit at Minimal Access Therapy Training Unit (MATTU).
Moreover, as Upper GI belongs to General Surgery, we could assist either to the Colorectal unit or Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic unit. During our stay, we could also modify the timetable if there was something we wanted to see or do. For example, we attended to Maxilofacial and Breast Cancer theatre.
Furthermore, as we are really interested in surgery, we were allowed to scrub ourselves and help in the theatre. We were even able to finish the stitching!
Related to the accommodation, it belongs to the hospital and it is only 2 minutes far from it and 20 minutes walking or 10 minutes by bus from the centre of Guildford.
But not everything was being at the hospital. During the weekends we travelled to London (which is 30 minutes by train) or to some beautiful villages in South England.
We could not finish without encouraging any medical student to go abroad and experience themselves this clerkship as the members of the team are really kind and they help you with anything. If you have the opportunity, live it since you’re not only going to improve your language and clinical skills, but also you will see how the National Health Service of another country works.
Clerkship Experiences 2014
Hi! My name is Carlos Ruiz. As a student who joined the Associació Quirúrgica Gimbernat 3 years ago, I was given the chance of spending 3 months in the upper gastrointestinal surgery team in St. James's Hospital of Dublin. There I had the opportunity to scrub in and assist in surgery, take case histories and perform examinations, and attend clinical skills workshops, endoscopy sessions, multidisciplinary meetings and ward rounds.
Moreover, Dublin is a great city to live, maybe a little bit expensive (mainly the accomodation) but with many daily activities to do and amazing landscapes all over the island. I learnt and enjoyed the 3 months as much as I could and I strongly recommend this experience abroad to any medical student.
Hi there! I’m Irene, a member of the Gimbernat Surgical Association who was given the opportunity to travel abroad and participate in a student clerkship in the Upper GI surgery section in The Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, during the month of July.
Throughout my stay I was given a schedule with a rotation among the ward round, theatres, endoscopy, clinic and mortality and multidisciplinary sessions. I wasn’t allowed to participate directly in theaters, but I had a great view of it all through the big screens hanging on the walls. I could also modify the timetable as I pleased, for instance by including a weekly oncoplastic theatre list in the breast cancer unit, or even attending the maxilofacial theatre.
Guildford is a small city with two main streets, but it’s located 30 minutes from London by train, so I took advantage of it to visit the big city in two of my four weekends. As for accomodation, I was provided a locked room in a shared building two minutes from the hospital. Even though my stay was in a period of time with no students in the hospital, I got invited to have dinner with the surgery team, and I also met some nice people from the building, with whom I could go have a drink in the evenings. I think seeing a different country is an enriching experience, not only to improve your language skills but also to discover a new way of doing things. I was amazed by the dedication to their job and many other different features about which I could write a whole book. I encourage everyone to have a go at doing a placement in a foreign country!
I’m Nerea Sevilla and I feel grateful that Associació Quirúrgica Gimbernat gave me the opportunity to do a summer Elective in one of the best hospitals in London, St Mary’s Hospital. It was in this hospital where Sir Alexander Fleming discovered “penicillin” in 1928 and where Prince George was born last year.
During the Elective I did plenty of activities. First time in the morning I attended handover and ward rounds, and after I went to either clinics or theatre. In clinics I could take case histories and examine patients. In theatre they mostly operate gastric and esophageal cancer and perform bariatric surgery, and if there was an open surgery I usually scrubbed in. I also assisted to Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards, department meetings and some residents’ lectures.
To sum up, it has been a wonderful experience. I would recommend this kind of Elective to everyone who, apart from learning medicine, wants to improve their English, meet new people and make useful contacts, learn how does NHS (National Health Service) in England works, and get to know London in deep, the city where you’ll never be bored, because as Samuel Johnson said "When a man is tired of London, he's tired of life".
Clerkship Experiences 2013
Hi! My name is Marina Munarriz. Two summers ago, when I had just finished my fourth year of the bachelor's degree in Medicine UPF-UAB, I had the opportunity of spending a summer clerkship period at the Upper GI Unit of the Royal Surrey County Hospital, under the mentorship of Dr. Shaun Preston.
During six weeks I shadowed Dr. Preston and by doing so I could take part in many different activities. I attended to endoscopy procedures, multidisciplinary (MDT) and morbidity and mortality (M&M) meetings; I took part in the Ward Round with the other FY1 doctors and in the outpatient clinic; and, what I liked the most, I could assist in major surgery procedures as oesophagectomy, both open and minimal invasive. Also, I was given the chance of acquiring some laparoscopy skills at the Minimal Access Therapy Training Unit (MATTU).
From my first week in the Hospital, that supposed my first approach to its way of working and to the famous National Health System (NHS), to the end of my stay I really felt a change. I slowly familiarized and got involved in the day by day tasks of the Unit, and I learnt more that I could have imagined. Besides, I have no doubt that all this progress will not have been able without the help and kindness of all the members of the Upper GI Unit. All in all, it was a great experience and I encourage any medical student interested in surgery to live it.