Elective Students


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HOPE Cape Town, together with FAMCRU, offers a 4 week elective program for international medical students. This elective aims to expose students to the practice and challenges of managing paediatric infectious diseases (particularly HIV and TB) within Cape Town both from a clinical as well as public health perspective – and the research and initiatives that seek to improve their management. Students will also gain insight into the running of NGOs and research units. They should gain a holistic understanding of managing HIV positive children by the end of their elective.

HOPE Cape Town- FAMCRU Medical Elective Student Programme

HOPE Cape Town has been running a combined clinical and research elective for international medical students since 2008. This elective is run in partnership with KIDCRU (Children’s Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit which is now called FAMCRU) and the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Stellenbosch.

A maximum of 3 students at any one time will spend a total of 4 weeks in the elective program. This program includes:

  • Time in Tygerberg Children’s Hospital paediatric wards
  • Attending Paediatric HIV Clinics with the HOPE Cape Town Doctor – experiencing the difference between primary and tertiary level care
  • Learning about HIV in South Africa, anti-retrovirals (ARVs) and the management of HIV positive patients
  • Understanding the Medicine (ARVs, tests and assessments, side effects, etc.)
  • Infectious diseases ward rounds
  • TB clinic
  • Time with other related specialists (Immunology, Virology etc.)
  • Understanding Prevention efforts (clinic, support mechanisms, outreach)
  • Examining children with AIDS defining illnesses
  • Understanding the unique challenge of Adolescent HIV
  • Spending time in Community clinics
  • Exposure to informal housing and their related health challenges
  • The role of Support groups
  • Condom distribution and demonstration
  • Farm mobile clinics (reaching rural populations) where available
  • Spending time with a Hope Community Healthcare Worker to understand their role
  • Exposure to the operation of an independent NGO
  • Insight into HIV research through FAMCRU. The students will also learn about the challenges faced in maintaining a research unit

All elective students are required to choose an aspect of care that they are interested in and to present a short talk on it at the end of their rotation.

For more information about FAMCRU, please visit their website; www.kidcru.org.za.

All applications are managed by the International Student Office at the University of Stellenbosch:

Tel: + 27 021 938 9042

Fax: +27 21 938 9789

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