which base hospital (coming from St A's)?

[Scarlett]

Hey, I've never posted before but here goes.....
I'm at St Andrews at the mo and we have to put down our choices for base hospitals this week....but I feel like I really don't know enough about any of them to decide!! I came to Manchester a few weeks ago and had a look round all 4 hospitals which narrowed it down to MRI and Wythenshawe. I've looked through the threads on here but they're mostly for people going into first year - hardly anything on the hospitals.

I'd really appreciate any help from anyone who's at Manchester now! So basically....what are your views on the hospitals, esp Withenshawe and MRI?? Any info at all would be great, here's a few things esp:
-student/staff ratio - how many students crowded round a bed?
-amount of contact with staff
-friendliness
-SSC options
-transport
-practical things like how nice the cafeteria food is! (I'm coeliac so it helps to know if there are salads as well as the usual junky stuff)

Thanks and see you in 2007!!

Scarlett

[Ianl87]

Hey, I've never posted before but here goes.....
I'm at St Andrews at the mo and we have to put down our choices for base hospitals this week....but I feel like I really don't know enough about any of them to decide!! I came to Manchester a few weeks ago and had a look round all 4 hospitals which narrowed it down to MRI and Wythenshawe. I've looked through the threads on here but they're mostly for people going into first year - hardly anything on the hospitals.

I'd really appreciate any help from anyone who's at Manchester now! So basically....what are your views on the hospitals, esp Withenshawe and MRI?? Any info at all would be great, here's a few things esp:
-student/staff ratio - how many students crowded round a bed?
-amount of contact with staff
-friendliness
-SSC options
-transport
-practical things like how nice the cafeteria food is! (I'm coeliac so it helps to know if there are salads as well as the usual junky stuff)

Thanks and see you in 2007!!

Scarlett

Hey im a 1st yr med student. I put down my choices last week:
1) MRI
2) Hope
3) Wythenshawe
4) Preston

Dunno the exact details but the staff always tell us that MRI is always oversubscribed and overcrowded but because its so close to the university, most people like to put it down as 1st choice. I personally put it down because of the fact that its a city centre hospital and so its likely that we'll see things that won't be seen in the other hospitals.
In general, all the hospitals are friendly. They say that at preston, u'll probably get the best teaching whereas at MRI, its so busy that the teaching isn't as good.
For me, Wythenshawe was far too quiet but very friendly, with a good staff-student ratio. Transport links are OK is suppose, with a couple of busus headed in that direction.
Hope hospital has excellent transport links, very friendly, good staff-student ratio and is located in an OK area.
Preston is a fantastic hospital, except for me, its way too far from manchester uni lol and so that put me off.
Unfortunately, I dont know anything about the food at any of the hospitals, although all 4 have their fair share of cafeterias and shops.

Ian

[Scarlett]

Thanks, that's really helpful! I't useful to know that MRI is oversubscribed by you guys - no one in St A's wants to go there, everyone's putting down Wythenshawe! you've reassured me that i'm not alone in liking MRI, i think I'll prob choose it....
Cheers!

[sparkygirl]

cool, i'm applying from st andrews too. i really don't feel like we know enough bout the hosps! are there any other manc medics who can help us out with some insider details?!

[ant1076]

Hello,

In terms of the course content, we all learn the same thing. We all get taught by consultants (good and bad ones at every hospital) and lectures are arranged by the respective undergraduate centres. If you're a keen student, it really doesn't matter which hospital you go to - if you show initiative, you will find whatever it is you want to do at whatever hospital you're at.

The exception is this: neurology is done at Hope (but we all go there for an attachment in Yr4 anyway), and heart transplants are done at Wythenshawe. So for hardcore neurologist- and cardiac transplant surgeon-wannabes, MRI is not the place to be. But if you're a HN/CTS-W with initiative, you can probably arrange SSMs and things in those hospitals. MRI is home to Manchester Heart Centre, so we have lots of cardiology and cardiac surgery.

Anyway, to answer Scarlett's questions about MRI:
- Student:staff ratio at MRI is about 8 students to a consultant for a formal teaching session (happens a few times a week). Informal sessions you can just go with your clinical partner.
- Lots of contact with staff - the same in every hospital - if you go find them, they will be there.
- I think MRI staff are very friendly.
- SSC options are plenty in all hospitals, but again - if there's nothing you fancy in the list, then you can use your initiative and find something.
- One of the many good things about MRI is its location (very central and easy to get to where ever you are in Manchester).
- cafeteria - we have 3 hospital cafes, a WHSmiths and a hidden restaurant (only open for 2 hours a day!) which I recently found. The food is ok, and just outside the hospital are 2 Subways, a McD, Cafe Nero, Tescos, Greggs, several pubs, the Medical Bookstore and a sun-tanning place. Chinese food and Rusholme is just 1 minute's walk away. There are lots of options for food, so your (and just about anyone's) requirements for food will be met.

I also wouldn't let the number of people you think are applying to a particular place influence your choice. If you like a particular hospital, put it down and don't try playing the numbers.

So, in summary, all the hospital are great and equal in terms of education and opportunities. No one will lose out at any hospital, since they are all as good as each other.

But, in my (un)bias view, MRI is quite clearly the best hospital

Anthony

[pacdorme]

Wytheshawe sucks, Julia Dickinson overload.

[Ianl87]

Wytheshawe sucks, Julia Dickinson overload.

Lol.. i dont think its THAT bad pacdorme! Its jus quiet in my opinion

[j00ni]

I know nobody ever wants to come to Preston, but I'm going to big it up anyway, because it's by far and away the best BH.

Student:Staff Ratio - as you may already know Preston has the lowest intake of 3rd years of all BHs (though it is increasing). There are also a good number of StAs students here. At present the student:consultant ratio is no more than 6 for your firm-lead consultant. However there are a number of consultants associated with each firm, so for practical purposes it is often a 2:1 ratio. This is of course excluding SpRs, SHOs and PRHOs who are almost all very willing to teach - usually the Student: Dr ratio is over 1:1 just on your firm. Additionally, and I am not sure if this is available at other BHs, we have relevant firm placements (i.e. GI surgical and Gastroeneterology during NME; Cardiorespiratory, ICU and A&E placements during HLB, etc). In fact I think I am right in saying that we are the only 3rd years who get A&E placements

Preston is also the northwest cancer centre, so there is a lot of oncology and cancer surgery, which you will not get much exposure to at other BHs. It is also a large neurology/neurosurgey centre, and only has Preston students, so your neurology placements will not be overcrowded like in Manc. We also have a PET scanner and very enthusiastic consultant who will teach you (in excessive detail) about PET.

The amount of saff contact is incredible, you will get specific ward based/clinical teaching sessions at least 3 times a week on your firm. Pkus there are regular (2x week) lectures on ICU/physiology of disease, X-rays (upwards of 10 1 on 1 sessions per week), cancer MDT meetings. In addition, the education centre provides 2hrs of lectures a week (1 generic and 1 specific to your module). This teaching is in addition to ward rounds (of which there will be a relevant one at least twice a day which we can attend - and many are teaching ward rounds which you can present on), clinics (again, there is probably a relevant one at least twice a day - and again these are often teaching clinics where you can clerk, examine and present), surgery (most consultants are happy to have you observe any procedure if you ring their secretary and ask, some, especially firm leads, will have you scrub in and assist) - the only major disadvantage with surgery at Preston is that cardiothoracics is done at Blackpool, but you can go up if you wish.

Preston also has a brand new education centre, with skills lab, canteen, and plenty of seminar rooms set up for PBL. The staff are all very friendly and helpful.

SSC options are plentiful, in all areas of medicine, if you PM me your email I can send you the list of options I have just received.

Transport between hospital sites (Preson and Chorley, our firms are split between both sites) is via a free shuttle bus. Free coaches are provided to travel to Manc for the progress test (OSCEs are done at preston). Costs to the hospital from the student housing areas of preston are between 50p and £1.10 on the bus.

Food at Preston is passable (at Chorley canteen though its excellent, there's a carvery FFS!!), and with all the MDTs, other meetings and drug reps it is possible to blag free food every day if you are patient

I will cover the other points later, I have to rush to a teaching session now

[motherfcuker]

I'm at Hope and I never have to go in. There is scheduled teaching and we go in for that, but if there is free time, we are supposed to fill it up by choosing which clinics and ward rounds we'd like to go to. In my case, none! Best choice for me by far when I look at some of my mates at MRI! Ha ha ha ha

[Scarlett]

Wow, cheers everyone!! The application form's due in tomoz and I'm gonna put MRI first....
It's weird none of you liking wythenshawe much though - I can only think of a couple of St A's people NOT putting wythenshawe as their first choice! Everyone keeps raving about it!!