El
Ellie Metcalfe, 5th Year
Medical Student
I decided to complete my elective close to home, unfortunately I couldn’t afford to go anywhere exotic and
this meant I could save some money and book a trip away after. I wanted to complete my elective in the
North-East, electives there are arranged through Newcastle University. You fill in some paperwork and pay
£70 and they arrange the rest for you. They ask what specialities you are interested in and find a consultant
willing to take you on. I completed my placement in respiratory medicine, I got to get really involved in the
team and was allowed to attend whatever interested me. In doing this I got to experience being an F1 in a
hospital I may be working in next year, so it will help me when making those decisions.
I think if you can’t afford to go abroad it is worth considering where you would like to work in the future and
look into how you arrange an elective there, that way you can see what your job will really be like!
Recommended Winter Reads!
Jess Catchpole, 2nd Year Medical
Student
The Tidal Zone- Sarah Moss
‘The Tidal Zone’ begins with a call to Adam Goldschmidt, a stay at home Dad from the English
midlands, telling him that his eldest daughter Miriam has suddenly collapsed and stopped
breathing. With a dramatic beginning, this modern novel is surprisingly a tale of every day
personal politics, encompassing the themes of parental love, fear of illness, and the tension that
comes with the mother being the breadwinner of the family. What makes the book so
contemporary is that the NHS is a central theme, as Emma, Miriam’s mother, is a frantically
overworked GP, and the novel centres around the heights of parental anxiety concerning a sick
child.
Don’t read this if; middle class people get on your nerves.