This summer, five of our Swansea medical students are packing their bags for Africa! The students will be spread across two main projects and are being joined by a trainee pathologist from Wales.
Each year, various exchange placements are organised. This trip aims to both strengthen the link between Wales and The Gambia and yield worthwhile outcomes from the work undertaken.
While some of the students are well-travelled, for most this is the first trip to Africa. The students have given up part of their summer break to join the project – for some there is a deep interest in international medicine, while others have specialist interest in the specifics of the projects.
Three of the team are aiming to assess and rejuvenate clinical audits that are already in place in the link hospital. These audits are being run by Gambians and were set up after audit training was provided by a UK sponsor.
The remainder of the team, including the Welsh trainee pathologist, are focusing on a project to bring self-directed learning to the Gambian medical school. Short, targeted learning packages are initially being developed by the Swansea team.