Overview
HelMSIC, as member of IFMSA (International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations) organiσes the Professional and Research Exchanges program, since its establishment in 1958.
Every year, 400 medical students from Greece travel abroad, to attend a clinical clerkship at a university hospital or to participate in a research program for 4 weeks. At the same time, a corresponding number of medical students worldwide come to Greece for the same purpose.
During the exchange period, incoming students have the chance to meet the greek culture and hospitality, visit the most beautiful places in Greece by participating in the local and the national social program and find out more about the Greek Healthcare System and the research process that is carried out in Greece.
The program is taking place in the 7 Local Committees of HelMSIC.
What are HelMSIC Exchanges?
Professional and Research Exchanges are the biggest exchange programs for medical students worldwide.
The Professional Exchanges program, gives the opportunity to more than 14000 medical students, every year, to visit a foreign country, in order to attend a clinical clerkship for one month. In the Research Exchanges program, medical students participate in a research project for one month in a foreign University, which can be a Basic Science Project, a Clinical Project with or without Laboratory Work.
The goals of the Professional Exchanges program are:
- To acquire new clinical skills and gain knowledge by attending a clinical clerkship
- To meet, collaborate and interact with medical students and health workers from different cultures
- To learn more about different healthcare systems
- To meet the culture, lifestyle and tradition of the hosting country
The goals of the Research Exchanges program are:
- To train medical students in basic science, clinical and preclinical research and its methods
- To gain experience of working in a science field of their interest
- To introduce different approaches of clinical expansion, health care and basic principles and ethics of research
- To meet different cultures, lifestyles, health and medical education systems
The Exchanges program is coordinated by IFMSA (International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations).
Professional Exchanges are organised in the 7 Local Committees of HelMSIC by the Local Exchange Officers (LEOs) in a local level and the National Exchange Officer (NEO) in a national level.
Research Exchanges are organised in the 7 Local Committees of HelMSIC by the Local Officers on Research Exchanges (LOREs) in a local level and the National Officer on Research Exchanges in a national level.
In the following section you can find more information about the HelMSIC’s Exchanges Program.
Incoming students are hosted by greek medical students or at student hostels and dormitories. They are provided with at least one meal per day at the hospital or at the student restaurant, or with “pocket money” in order to afford the boarding costs during the exchange period.
Every incoming student has a Contact Person, a greek medical student who is their “buddy” before, during and after the Exchange Period.
A Contact Person is responsible for getting in touch with the incoming student before the exchange period in order to provide useful information about the program or the city and answer any possible questions. During the exchange month, the Contact Person picks up their incoming student and helps them getting around the city.
Α Contact Person gets along with medical students from all over the world and is given the opportunity to accompany them in local and national social events of the exchanges program.
The clinical clerkships take place in all the University hospitals of Greece. HelMSIC collaborates with a wide range of their departments. The research projects are held either at the laboratories of the 7 Medical Schools of Greece or at the University hospitals.
During their exchange, the students have the chance to participate in the Upon Arrival Training. Upon Arrival Training (UAT) is a training delivered by soft skills trainers and exchange officers. Its purpose is to get the incoming students in touch with the Greek healthcare system as well as the greek culture and tradition.
During the exchange period, social program is organized by the Exchange Officers and the Contact Persons and it includes sightseeing in the city, outdoor activities and trips to the most beautiful places of Greece during the weekends. During the summer months, a National Social Program is organized to the most touristic places of Greece and incomings from all local committees of HelMSIC can participate in it.
Looking for more information about HelMSIC Exchanges? Take a look at our Explore Pages.
Participate
HelMSIC organizes the program all year round, accepting incoming students for all months.
If you are interested in participating in HelMSIC Exchanges and have an amazing experience in Greece, you should approach the National Member Organization (NMO) of IFMSA in your medical school and follow the instructions given by the Exchange Officers.
You can find more information about the conditions under which a student can apply for an exchange in Greece and availability for each Local Committee here.
Especially, we provide incoming students with:
- A Clerkship in the best University Hospitals in Greece
- Focus on Academic Quality, use of Student Handbook and Evaluation Techniques
- A detailed Welcome Package with our own Survival Guide
- A special Upon Arrival Training during the first days of their exchange
- Best motivated and trained Contact Persons through our CPs Workshop
- Unforgettable Local and National Social Program
Local Committees
HelMSIC consists of seven Local Committees, one in each city with a Medical School.
You can find more information about our Local Committees here.
Evaluations
126 medical students who came to Greece for an exchange in June, July, August or September 2018 evaluated their exchange on a scale from 1 to 5 (with 5 being excellent). Here are some graphs of the results concerning the Communication with the hosting Local Committee, the Tutors, the Accommodation as well as the National Social Programme.
Communication with the hosting LC
Tutors
Accommodation
National Social Programme
