theMEDICALSTUDENT
Freshers 2013
The voice of London's Medical Students/www.themedicalstudent.co.uk
Welcome to London
Surviving Clinics
Picking your speciality
Living life in the capital >> page 14 How to make the most of it >> page 5 Have you chosen yet? >> page 8
Thank Eebowai
Mormons take over >> page 13
New London Medical School? Peter Woodward-Court Last year a private medical school in Malaysia, the Allianze University College of Medical Sciences (AUCMS), purchased what used to be Middlesex University’s Trent Park Campus. The plot came up for sale in April 2012 when Middlesex University began to move all its operations to Hendon, North London. The £30 million sale brought speculation as to what the intentions of the university were. Last month, it was announced that 300 students from AUCMS will descend on the campus this October. The Chair of the university, Dr. Zainuddin Wazir, said “Our students in Malaysia will have the opportunity to study here for three to six months in another environ-
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ment. This will enable them to enjoy a totally different experience and will give them further exposure under the guidance of foreign experts.” But in addition to this, it has emerged that the university intends to spend an extra £20 million renovating the site, and will apply for accreditation as a British university; it would therefore become London’s first private medical school. In doing so it would be hot on the heels of Britain’s first ever private medical school. On the 28th August the University of Buckingham confirmed it would be providing medical degrees for UK students, with the first cohort starting in 2015. Many are still reeling at the new £9,000 per tem fees, but to study medicine at Buckingham will set you back a lofty £35,000 per year, leading to a final bill of £157,000. The National Union of Students said the course would “rank among the most expensive on earth”. AUCMS has not announced what its fees would be, but it would seem likely to be a similar region. As well reading medicine at AUCMS, students will be able to study a range of other courses in the life sciences. “Our vision for Allianze University College of Medical Sciences London is a thriving modern university campus offering the very best of academic excellence for diploma, degree, masters and PhD studies.” As well as providing a ‘premier’ higher education establishment, Dr. Wazir hopes the acquisition will boost the North London economy by providing more jobs and investment in the local area. The university will work closely with Enfield Council when considering the future plans for the site.
London NHS trusts rated poorly by cancer patients Zara Zeb & Peter Woodward-Court A Macmillan Cancer Support survey of 68,000 patients has found nine of London’s NHS Trusts to be in the bottom ten of its annual patient experience league table of hospitals in England. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was worst performing, amongst a list that included Barts Health NHS Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Whittington Health London and St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust. 2013 marks the third consecutive year that London NHS Trusts have filled the majority of places in the bottom ten. The survey compares the performance of hospitals across England on a number
of patient measures: whether their diagnosis and treatment options were explained clearly to them; whether they felt supported in their care; and whether they felt they were treated with respect. Many of the trusts include key London teaching hospitals, where the example of what constitutes good care will be tacitly passed to the next generation of doctors. Carol Fenton, Macmillan’s General Manager, said: “It is unacceptable that some cancer patients in London are being let down by hospitals failing to provide crucial support, alongside medical treatment. There can be no excuses - especially post-Francis and the situation at the Mid Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust.” Shelley Mason was one such patient who had a negative
experience during her stay in a London trust after she was diagnosed with breast cancer: “Some of my experiences in hospital were traumatic. I remember a drain being pulled out of me like I was a piece of meat, and staff talking about me just behind my bed curtain. I also felt that some of my questions were dismissed in a patronising way, which really upset me. When I asked to be referred to a psychologist to help me cope with my rare cancer diagnosis, I was curtly dismissed with a ‘why?’ I was new to this world of breast cancer and needed someone to guide me, not dismiss my fears.” As we are so frequently reminded, there is more to caring for patients than simply giving [cont’n on page 2]