Exchange report - incoming students
Home university: Christian Medical College, Vellore
Study programme: Medicine
Exchange programme: INK
Semester: Spring semester 2010/2011
Name: Swapan Deep Singh
Email address: swapandeepsingh@gmail.com

Arrival and registration

Unfortunately i did not get a host student contact as i arrived on a weekend. i arrived in the middle of the semester, hence couldnt attend the introduction day. however i had already made friends with a student in KI. he picked me up at the station and collected my keys. The first day in university was great and everything had been planned out for my first rotation. the department arranged my appointment with the student health centre, where i got my MRSA test done the same day.

Acommendation

i applied for my accomodation through UAC, and i was really happy with the room i got. the room i got was big enough and the facilities in the accomodation were very good.

Leisure time and social activities

i was a part of global friends and went to picnics organised by them. also, i made many friends from different countries including sweden, pakistan, italy, USA, greece.
the information about social programmes was always sent in time through email. 

Pre-departure


Choosing to go on exchange in KI

it was always my wish to go on exchange programme. As a student in a particular college, medical students must get exposure to how healthcare works in various parts of their country and the world. I always wanted to see how healthcare works in different parts of the world. KI is a very renowned institute and our college has exchange agreements with three colleges in different parts of the world. out of these three, KI is the most prestigious and like many students, i wanted to get an opportunity to visit it. That KI chooses the nobel prize in physiology and medicine every year was such an inspiration to see an institute of such prestige. 

Information 

KI provided us with a lot of useful information. The application procedure was very comprehensive and simple. Also, the number of courses to choose from were a lot, making it very interesting and providing enough opportunity to me to choose what in wanted to do. 



Vaccine

I was not vaccinated for anything but i took an MRSA test before coming on the recommendations of KI, although i was tested for it again on arrival 

Courses during the exchange period

ELAX20 : Inflammatory Diseases
It was one of the most interesting rotations i have ever attended. the integration of inflammatory conditions in various systems in one rotation was and exciting concept and i really enjoyed it. particularly i was surprised to see how patients are trained to do dialysis on themselves.The case discussions were very fruitful and i got a chance to present my case in front of a panel of doctors. i got a chance to attend a guest lecture which was also very interesting. the supervisors were very helpful. the examination was a case presentation. all in all it was a great rotation and i would recommend all to be a part of it.
ELAXX6 : Surgery 1
Surgery was a wonderful course. I was privileged to be under endocrine surgery unit and assist in many surgeries with renowned surgeons. it was a humbling experience. i liked the robotic surgery that i saw, it was a very new experience for me. the examination was an evidence based medicine project, which was very detailed and gave me a chance to look at medicine in a whole new perspective. the teachers and interns were really helpful and the opd was also great. i got a chance to use the ultrasound machine myself and learned many ways how to suture.
DVPX01 : Research oriented project, 4w
the research oriented project was divided for me so that i could see many different procedures in various labs. i got a chance to do the pcr myself. also i saw various animal experiments and lab techniques using many different and technologically advanced equipment. i think every medical student should visit such labs for some weeks so that they get a chance to explore their interest towards research. the staff and phd students were of great help and were more than happy top show me various lab techniques.

Summary

My three months in sweden were one of the most fruitful experiences of my life. not only in studies, it has also given me a window of opportunity to see the lifestyle in swede. it has taught me many lessons about society, people, medical education and life as a whole.
I am thankful to the KI exchange programme for this wonderful opportunity

Language and Culture

i did not participate in the language course. most of the time, i was able to manage with english

Studies in general

Study

the study in sweden is pretty relaxed as compared to my home university. Students are given enough vacation and the study seems not very difficult. much of it , i think , is because the patient load in my country is a lot as compared to sweden. 

Teacher Student Relationship

I was surprised to see teachers being called by their first names. This was very odd for me. i think it is a good system and the gap between teachers and students is very less as compared to where i come from. the patients here are also more open in ideas and opinions. they are more aware, hence question the doctor more often.  the teachers here are very friendly and treat students as colleagues rather than juniors. 

Suggestion

I think more emphasis should be given on theory. i did not find any students reading the very popular textbooks. personally, i believe they should be encouraged to read textbooks, instead of using online encyclopedias (which may give information but can never give a whole trustworthy picture of the topic)