Alumni engagement and philanthropy



HSF SUPPORTS MEDICAL ELECTIVES AT QUEEN’S  

05 June 2019

Members of the Hospital Saturday Fund (HSF) were at Queen’s University today (05 June) to handover cheques for £1,000 to each of ten 4th year medical students to support the cost of their medical electives.

Welcoming Dave Thomas, Vice Chair HSF and Roy Smith, Head of Sales and Business Development at the Fund to Queen’s, Helen Carrick, Head of Major Gifts at the University spoke about the importance of the philanthropic support provided by HSF and wished the ten travelling students well on their forthcoming adventures.

Outlining the impact of HSF funding, Dr Ian Walsh, Urologist and Clinical Academic in the School of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences at Queen’s said: “The Hospital Saturday Fund support has been a transformation for the medical electives module at Queen’s.

“Previously only about half of our students were able to travel overseas; now the vast majority can go away.

“Folks are now really stretching themselves. This year students are going to countries such as Cambodia, Swaziland and Vietnam and doing plastics and facial auxiliary surgery; it’s actually quite incredible the experience our students are now getting.

“The generous funding from HSF presents not only a fantastic opportunity to students but it has a knock-on effect – it creates a cultural shift within senior undergraduates when they hear where their friends and colleagues are going and the work they are undertaking in their placements,” added Dr Walsh.

The HSF medical elective award enables students to undertake a final year elective overseas when otherwise the financial burden of travel, accommodation, subsistence, visas and vaccinations would otherwise prevent them from doing so. Offering a unique opportunity, students use the awards to broaden their horizons and gain invaluable life experiences by spending 6 weeks overseas working in a medical environment.

Last year the Fund donated £1.3m to 400 charities and organisations. In 2019 they hope to increase that amount to £1.5m, making HSF the largest donor to medical electives in UK and Ireland.

The ten Queen’s students receiving awards this year are:

  • Katherine Beattie who is going to New Zealand
  • Colin Burke (Ecuador/Peru)
  • Louis-Phillipe Delaugere (Cambodia)
  • Simon Feist-Wilson (Eswatni aka Swaziland)
  • Holly Gaze (Tanzania)
  • Katie Khong (Cambodia)
  • Christopher Madden-McKee (New Zealand)
  • Shrina Patel (Nepal)
  • Amy Ross (Vietnam)
  • Calum Simpson (Australia)

The HSF is a UK/Ireland organisation which was established in 1873.  A leader in the health insurance market, all profits from their health plan product goes to charity, including medical electives.

A registered charity HSF provides financial assistance in a variety of areas, such as hospitals, hospices, medical organisations and also supports medical training within the United Kingdom and Ireland.

To find out about supporting medical research at Queen’s visit the Development and Alumni Relations Office website or contact Teresa Sloan, Head of Health Fundraising, telephone +44 (0)28 9097 5394. Medical queries arising out of this news story should be raised directly with a GP/consultant and not with DARO staff.

For general enquiries about this story, or to submit graduate news items, please contact Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office, Queen's University Belfast or telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.

Caption (L-R): Dr Ian Walsh; Anne McGuiness (Administrative Co-ordinator, Final Year Electives); Katie Khong; Christopher Madden-McKee; Holly Gaze; Louis-Phillipe Delaugere; Amy Ross; Simon Feist-Wilson; Helen Carrick; Colin Burke; Dave Thomas (HSF); Calum Simpson, Katherine Beattie and Shrina Patel.

 

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