Clinical Exposure in Taiwan Gives New International Perspectives to Taylor's School of Medicine Students

Several final year students in the School of Medicine completed their clinical elective in a Taipei general hospital. While they were there, they were exposed to a range of different clinical areas and approaches and were also able to explore some of the island.

(L-R) Dr. Chang Sou-Yi, Denise Zhang and Specialist Nurse Chang Jing-Qi

Three students from Year-4 of the School of Medicine (SoM) recently completed their clinical elective in the Taipei Tzu Chi General Hospital in Taiwan. Opened in 2005, this 800-bed hospital was built with charity-funds. The hospital is a tertiary healthcare institution, offering a range of specialised treatments to referred patients and also patients who are admitted through the emergency department. As a Buddhist institution, the hospital itself follows a vegan diet, and even the commercial food and beverages shops in the hospital (including Starbucks) are only allowed to sell vegetarian products.

The three students, Denise Zhang Shu-Eu, Ng Sijie and Ong Hwee Chin were all rotated through various departments in the hospital including; Oncology, Hematology, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology. This gave them a wide range of perspectives and insights, and at one point they were also able to participate in organ harvesting of a donor. The students also attended regular lecture by specialists and while what was taught was based by the Taiwanese clinical guidelines, the students found it interesting to be exposed to the difference in the approaches and style of treatments.

Reflecting on her experience in Taiwan, Denise Zhang Shu-Eu said that "We all learnt a great deal of discipline specific knowledge, and about how professional practices are done within the fields using different approaches" adding that all the "Doctors and nurses there are very forthcoming in sharing their knowledge". As this was a travel-study experience, the three students took full advantage of their leisure time exploring not only Taipei but also getting to see parts of Taizhung and Hualien.

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