The Medical Specialist Group is running its medical elective programme again this year, with 12 students already confirmed for 2025 and more expected to apply.
Medical electives are a period spent away from a student’s medical school so they can explore different areas of medicine to give them an idea of where they might specialise in the future.
They often take place during the fourth or fifth year of the five-year medical degree, usually for a six-week period.
Alexander Howson (pictured), a fourth-year student on his graduate entry medicine programme in Scotland is the latest student to undertake his medical elective on the island this year.
Alex said: “I saw on the Guernsey Medic Network that the MSG organised elective placements and was attracted by the location, experience and price and it was very easy to arrange. An important selling point was the clinical experience – healthcare is completely consultant delivered, and I could experience a variety of specialties here.
“My elective is six weeks in total. The clinical experience I’ve had in adult medicine has been excellent. Being the only trainee here, I have had more consultant exposure than would be expected from a UK-based medical course and the variety of clinical experiences has opened new possibilities in terms of what I might want to pursue in the future. For example, I am now very interested in exploring cardiology as a future specialty, whereas previously I had not had a great exposure to it.
“My time here has been fantastic and I would absolutely recommend an elective in Guernsey. As a final year medical student who is post final exams, I’ve been able to take a lot from having the one-to-one access to consultants and have been able to review patients more independently during on call shadowing placements. If you want an interesting elective with the opportunity to live in beautiful scenery, with close proximity to Jersey and France, then coming to the MSG would be ideal.’
MSG Deputy chair Dr Michelle Le Cheminant said: “We’re always delighted when students choose to undertake their placement in Guernsey. Medical electives are crucial for students to discover what specialty they want to enrol in as enter further into their medical career, and Guernsey’s unique opportunity to learn one-to-one from experienced consultants really offers a valuable experience.
“Having students also offers our consultants a greater opportunity to teach again and pass on their knowledge, which doesn’t ordinarily happen in Guernsey as we don’t have resident doctors undergoing training.
“I’m pleased that Alexander has had such a fantastic and worthwhile experience with us and wish him all the best for his future in medicine.”
