Friends of the University of Otago, Wellington
Can you help our young doctors?
Become a friend of the University of Otago, Wellington
We are seeking the help of volunteers to help teach our medical students.
To be a good doctor a medical student must learn many things. The most important are the abilities to communicate effectively with patients, to listen to their problems, and then to take measurements like blood pressure, pulse and reflexes, and then to work out what might be wrong.
Spending time with patients is the best way to learn.
Medical students are usually taught by spending time in hospitals and in general practices. These are busy places however, and the best learning is likely to take place when a student can spend unhurried time with patients, to really learn to listen to their stories, and to carefully examine the patient.
We are looking for people to help our students learn.
The University of Otago Wellington is seeking the help of people who could come to the School and, under the supervision of a medical teacher, allow a student to talk to them, to listen to their medical complaints and if appropriate, and with consent, to examine the relevant part of the body.
You do not need to be currently ill to help us.
Our students would benefit from talking to anyone with any chronic complaint such as problems with the heart or breathing, diabetes, joint, skin, liver or kidney complaints. Basically anything where you have had symptoms that a doctor has had to treat.
As well as being able to talk to people, it would be especially helpful to find people who have medical conditions where there is something a student can see, hear or measure, such as a heart murmur, high blood pressure, a rash, joint swellings or an irregular pulse.
If you could help us, we would ask for an hour or two of your time.
You can be involved as much, or as little as you wish. There is no obligation to do any more than you feel comfortable with. We would refund your travel expenses and would provide you with morning or afternoon tea.
Is this something that you would like to do?
Talk to Alana Clark about getting involved :
Alana Clark
Coordinator Friends of the Medical School
Tel 64 4 806 1896
email alana.clark@otago.ac.nz