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.
