Reporter: Clare Lipetz, Cardiff Medical School

Contact at destination: Mme Françoise Rannon – Personnel department, Chef de service – M Pierre Germain

Year of visit: 1994

Country: France

Region: Brittany

Institution: Centre Hospitalier Laennes, Ave Yves Thepot, 29000 Quimper, France

Department: Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Work / Study undertaken

Assisting in theatre – allowed to less than in UK

Out patient department – full examintion of patient by student considered routine.

Oportuinty to take smears and colposcopic examinations

Antenatal surveillance; ctg monitoring ans examination

Ultrasound Transvaginal and absominal

Labour ward: deliveries, episiotomies and repairs ( provided some previous experience}

Family planning clinic

Hours left to the discretion of the student, I did 40 to 50 hours a week with no nights

Description of the service and department:Provides service to the city and the surrounding area

Description of the destination

Were the local people friendly? Yes

Did you feel safe and if not why not?

What did you do in your spare time?

Is there anything that you would particularly recommend others to do?

What time of the year were you there? What was the climate like?

What was your accommodation like?Room with bathroom and kitchenette, two three course meals a day.

Was it provided? Was available in the Interenat

If not who arranged it? Self

How much did it cost? Approx £50 a month

Did you enjoy your visit?

Did you find it useful medically? – in what way?

Has it improved your French? Fluent before visit

How has it increased your knowledge of French culture?

If you went back would you do anything differently?I was ther for six weeks and would spread my experience of a a wider range of departments

How did you get there?

What was the approximate total cost?

Is there any other information that you think may be useful? I would not advise going to France unless one speaks good French if one really wants to be included in clinical work.