About The USMLE
Adapted from the 2000 information booklet. ECFMG. USMLE Handbook. Done by Ng Hui Wen.
INTRODUCTION
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a
USEFUL LINKS
single 3-step examination for medical licensure in the United
USMLE Homepage
States. USMLE provides a common system to evaluate applicants
for medical licensure. USMLE is governed by a committee of members of Federal of State
Medical Boards of the United States (FSMB), National Board of Medical Examiners
(NBME) and Educational Commission for Foreign Medical graduates (ECFMG).
Step 1 and 2 may be taken in either order, providing eligibility. This however must be
completed before applying for step 3. Graduates of foreign medical schools must be
certified before applying for step 3.







USEFUL ADDRESSES
THE ECFMG
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST
WHEN BEST TO TAKE THE EXAMS?
SOME IMPORTANT NOTES
THE CSA
USEFUL ADDRESSES
1.
2.
To obtain the USMLE information booklets and the application forms:

US Education information Center
12, Prince Edward Road
Bestway Building #01-03
Tel: 2266996 Opening hours: 9am to 6pm

Call the US embassy for 2000 ECFMG info booklet/USMLE bulletin of
information.
Tel: 4769100 Fax: 4769340

Websites:
<www.usmle.org>
<www.ecfmg.com>
To take the TOEFL:

3.
US Education Information Center
12, Prince Edward Road
Bestway Building #01-03
Tel:2266996
Test Centres for Step 1 and 2:

In Singapore
Center: 8855-Singapore, Singapore
Sylvan Technology Center
25 Scotts Road #03-03 Scottswalk
Singapore 228220
Tel: 7367055

In United Kingdom
Center: 8064-Belfast, UK
Sylvan, The International Building
2nd Floor, Building B, Unit 1
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Center: 8087-Glasgow, UK
Sylvan Strathclyde Univ Incubator
141 St. James Road
Glasgow, G4 OLT
Centre: 8017-London, UK
STC 3rd Floor, Block A
Portland House, 4 Great Portland Street
London, W1-N5AA
Please note: Register with the following KL office and take the test in
Singapore.
KL Registration Office
Tel: 0203 4678600
4.
Test center for step 3/ CSA:

ECFNG Clinical Skills Assessment Centre
3624 Market Street, Third floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685 USA
This test is only administered at the above address.
THE ECFMG
The ECFMG assesses whether foreign medical school graduates are ready to enter
residency of fellowship programs in the United States that are accredited by the
Accreditation Council for graduate Medical Education (ACGME). ECFMG certification is
one of the eligibility requirements to take Step 3 of the three-step USMLE. Most States in
the United States require ECFMG certification to obtain licensure to practice medicine.
Requirements for ECFMG Certification:
Pass Step 1 and 2 in a 7 year period.
Pass the English language proficiency test (ie. TOEFL)
(Please note passing performance of either of the above is for 2 years from the date
passed for the purpose of entry into graduate education.)
Pass the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA)
(Please note that the CSA date is valid for 3 years from the most recent date of passing
performance.)
All graduates must have had at least 4 credit years in attendance at a medical school
that is listed in the World directory of Medical Schools at the time of graduation.
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
Description of Step 1
Assesses whether you can apply the knowledge and understanding of key concepts of
basic biomedical science with an emphasis on principals, mechanisms of health, disease
and modes of therapy.
Systems
40-50%
General Principals
50-60%
Individual Organ Systems










Cardiovascular
Hematopoietic / Lymphoreticular
Gastrointestinal
Nervous / Special Senses
Renal / Urinary
Skin / Connective Tissue
Reproductive
Musculoskeletal
Endocrine
Pulmonary / Respiratory
Processes
30-50%
Normal Structure and Function
30-50%
Abnormal processes
15-25%
Principals of therapeutics
10-20%
Psychosocial, cultural, occupational and environmental
considerations
Description of Step 2
Assesses whether you can apply the medical knowledge and understanding of the clinical
science considered essential for the provision of patient care under the supervision,
including emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.
Normal Conditions and Disease Categories

Normal Growth and Development and General
Principals of Care












Individual Organ Systems or Types of Disorders
Immunologic Disorders
Diseases of the blood and Blood-forming Organs
Mental Disorders
Diseases of the Nervous System and Special Senses
Cardiovascular Disorders
Gynecologic Disorders
Renal, Urinary, and Male Reproductive Systems
Disorders of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium
Disorders of the Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective
Tissue
Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
Physician Task
15-20%
Promoting Preventive Medicine and Health Maintenance
20-35%
Understanding Mechanisms of Disease
25-40%
Establishing a Diagnosis
15-25%
Applying Principals of Management
Description of Step 3
The Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) evaluates your ability to gather and interpret
patient data and communicate effectively in the English language. CSA consists of 11
stations, 10 of which are scored; in each station you will encounter a Standardised
Patient, a lay person who is trained to realistically and consistently portray a patient. SPs
respond to questions from examinees with answers appropriate to the patient being
portrayed and will react with appropriate maneuvers. Hence, CSA assess whether you
can obtain a relevant medical history, perform an appropriate physical exam and
compose a written record of the patient encounter.
CSA includes test cases representing the major clinical education programs encountered
at medical schools in the United States and Canada. These disciplines include:






Internal Medicine
Surgery
OB/GYN
Pediatrics
Psychiatry
Family Medicine
Total administration time is 8 hours. In each encounter, you will be allowed 15 mins to
interact with the SP and 10 mins to compose the written record.
CSA scores are based on checklist and score sheets completed by the SPs at the time of
the assessment as well as scores based on the written records.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST
For physicians who assume patient care responsibilities in graduate medical education
programs in the United States.
To qualify for the ECFMG certification, applicants must pass the ECFMG English Test on
or before 3 Mar 1999 otherwise, the TOEFL must be taken and a minimum grade
achieved.
If you take the paper based TOEFL, you must take a Friday or Saturday administration
and a minimum score of 550 must be achieved. If you take the computer-based TOEFL,
a minimum score of 213 must be achieved. But achieving these minimum scores does
not guarantee that ECFMG will accept these scores.
The TOEFL test results is valid for 2 years from the date of most recent passing
performance.
WHEN BEST TO TAKE THESE EXAMS?

Step 1:
After at least 3 months of clinicals.

Step 2:
After clinical finals or at least after 4th year.

Step 3:
After graduation but may take it up to 6 months before that.
SOME IMPORTANT NOTES
Step 1 and 2:
The first 2 steps must be taken within 7 years.
Please note that the application form is valid from July to September of the next year
while the choice of examination dates on the same form are from November to
December of the next year.
If the application form is received after 1 Sept 2000, it will be returned to you and you
must apply using the 2001 application forms.
The eligibility for Step 1 and 2 each is 3 month long, such as 1 Nov 1999 to 31 Jan 2000,
1 Dec 1999 to 28/29 Feb 2000 and so forth during which will you be eligible for that
particular Step.
You should allow 4 weeks for processing of your application, once it has been received at
ECFMG and approximately 6 weeks of mailing time, especially if you mail your
application from outside the United States. Hence choose an eligibility period of at least
2½ months ahead of the date on which you mail your application form. Otherwise,
ECFMG will assign the next most convenient period.
The examination fee is about US$570 NOT INCLUDING a surcharge of approximately
US$100.
Contact Slyvan before 12 noon at least 5 business days prior to the exam date that you
want, or the scheduled exam date for rescheduling.
Reexamination: If you fail a Step and wish to retake it, you must submit a new
application and application fees. You may not take a Step within 60 days of your last
attempt of the same Step. You may not take a Step more than 3 times in a 12-month
period. If you pass one Step, you may not repeat that Step and you have 7 years to
complete the other Step.
The CSA
The ECFMG accepts application on an on-going basis. Since ECFMG offers CSA
throughout the year, there is no dateline for submitting your application to register for
CSA.
Schedule CSA within 4 months of the date indicated on notification of registration.
Must take CSA within 12 months of date indicated on notification of registration.
The CSA date is valid for 3 years from the most recent passing performance.
Reexamination: If you fail CSA and wish to retake it, you must first submit a new CSA
application and payment. However, you may not take the CSA within 3 months of your
last attempt.
The CSA fee is US $1,200. (fee subject to change)
CSA is only administered at the following location:
ECFMG Clinical Skills Assessment Centre
3624 Market Place, Third Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2685 USA
Specialities in the UK
Popularity of the various specialities

Specialities at RISK of over producing:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Anaesthetics
Clinical Genetics
Endocrinology & Diabetes Mellitus
General Surgery
Haematology
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Ophthalmology
Paediatrics
Renal Medicine
Rheumatology
Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery
Specialities with spare National Training numbers:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Radiology
General Psychology
Child & Adolescent Psychology
Clinical Neurophysiology
Clinical Oncology
Genito-Urinary Medicine
Geriatric Medicine
Infectious Diseases
Learning Disabilities
Microbiology & Virology
Medical Oncology
Histopathology
Geriatric Psychology
Neurosurgery
Nuclear Medicine
Occupational Medicine
Oral & Maxillo-Facial Surgery
Orthodontics
Palliative Medicine
Plastic Surgery
Urology
Diaries of Boston, US and Toronto, Canada
travels
Written by Sheri Lim, Imperial College School of Medicine (St. Mary's campus)
Formatted by Charissa Thia, RFUCMS
Emergency Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Affiliated Hospital of Harvard Medical School, Boston USA
Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Hospital for Sick Children
- Affiliated Hospital of University of Toronto, Toronto Canada
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is an affiliated hospital of Harvard
Medical school situated in the Longwood area of Boston, USA. It is a major teaching
school and is internationally recognized for excellence in patient care, biomedical
research, teaching and community service. It is a level I trauma centre and a major
adult tertiary referral centre for New England, as well as being a primary hospital for the
surrounding area.
I spent four weeks in this hospital's emergency department as an exchange clerk. The
BIDMC Emergency department cares for both non-critical and serious medical and
surgical adult patients. The annual patient census is approximately 55,000, with 30% of
these patients requiring hospitalization after treatment and 7% requiring admission to
intensive care units.
Day 1
"Learn where there is wisdom
Where there is strength
Where there is understanding
That thou mayst also know
Where there is length of days & life
Where is the light of the eyes and peace"
-James Walker (Pastor of Harvard Church)
"I was glad to have finally arrived in Boston. The sight of Harvard medical school had
already taken my breath away. The school was majestic and it made me feel like the
work that was being carried out was both recognized and important- and also that what I
was about to do would be important."
Being in Boston is like being in a city somewhere between England and America, and it
comes as no surprise that it is called New England. Immigrants from Britain settled there
many years ago and till today she carries the taste and smell of a European American
city. This city is a paradox. It is historical yet modern, bustling yet quaint. Little satellite
villages characteristic of Italy, China, Theatre, European heritage speckle the Boston City
map and since the city is small and has a wonderful subway system, it is simple to get
around.
Day 2 - Orientation and work load
Medicine here is practiced slightly differently. The clinical examinations are fast and slick
but they don't follow the same thoroughness as in London. Of course there is a variation
between doctors themselves but they definitely rely more on technologically advanced
investigations such as computer tomography scans and magnetic resonance scanning to
diagnose problems, often as part of first-line investigations.
After an hour I am called up to the emergency department offices where I meet 6 other
international and local students. They are from Columbia, Slovakia, Pakistan, Germany,
Boston and neighbouring Worcester. We are each to work 8-hour shifts a day, 6 days a
week and scheduled to work in cannon style in a succession of two day, two evening
then two night shifts. Two students are to work each shift, one on the 'A' side- to see
more acute and serious conditions and one on the 'B' side where less acute conditions
are seen.
We meet with the department's director, the goals and roles are outlined and we are off.
Weeks 1 to 4 - Elective proper
Experience as an exchange clerk
On the 'A' Side: The shifts are tiring but are really useful. We are expected to 'pick up'
patients on our own then review them with a consultant equivalent- the attending,
before going back to see the patients. At any time of course we are to watch out for any
fast deteriorating signs and to inform appropriately. In this rotation, I managed to see a
wide variety of conditions both medical and surgical. We were encouraged to see as
many patients as possible.
What perhaps was a little disappointing was the fact that on the 'A' side, it was decided
that we were not to take primary responsibility of patients, even with an attending's
supervision. This was understandable with the number of malpractice suits and the
department's difficulty in assessing all of the international students, however, it
discharged some of our responsibility to patients and provided less incentive to follow up
as meticulously as if they were our own patients. Nevertheless, there was abundant
opportunity to take histories from patients who had just come through the door. This
was invaluable in building up confidence in tackling the difficult task of relying on a
history and examination to diagnose a patient.
What was very helpful was the presence of X-ray reviewing computers in the ED itself.
We could call up radiographs just taken, to magnify, adjust the penetration of the
radiograph and zoom in on problem areas. Electrocardiograms were stored in the
computer and they could all be printed out at a finger's touch to compare with the most
recent ones. Both these tools were very useful in emergent cases. The nurses were also
very supportive and pro-active seeing to patients and monitoring carefully even before
doctors had seen them. On top of this each room was fully equipped with an
ophthalmoscope, auroscope, oxygen saturation machines, respiratory and cardiac
monitors, which meant there was no need to run around looking for them!
On the 'B' side: There was much more autonomy and problems such as fractures, falls,
faints, bleeding and vomiting were common day sights. There was a sense of being
useful which I feel is often missing in London, as the patients were our responsibility.
You generally did not leave a shift until your patient was discharged, handed over to
another team or admitted. Arranging for consults, liasing with the other specialists,
helping to set casts, suturing and writing up prescriptions were among some of our
responsibilities.
Another interesting feature of the hospital is the recently built the Carl J. Shapiro Clinical
Center which houses primary practices along with specialty care, rehabilitation, testing,
procedures, and outpatient surgery. This enables primary care physicians and specialists
to be informed almost immediately of their patients and enables swift follow-up.
Procedures
On a practical note, the residents were very eager to teach and discuss and examine us
on what we knew. Procedures were quite protected but there was ample opportunity to
perform or assist in procedures such as lumbar punctures, gastric washings and placing
of nasogastric or endotracheal tubes.
Teaching
Teaching sessions went on all the time. There were formal lectures with the Harvard
medical students, case presentations by the attendings and conferences in the other
affiliated hospitals.
" The work is hard but very enjoyable. The staff are incredibly friendly and there are no
barriers to be broken down because you are accepted early on. The patient spectrum is
wide and as the health care system is privately funded through insurance companies for
those who can afford it, the emergency department serves as a wide sieve that catches
generally very sick people with serious pathology and it is indeed an eye-opener to have
been there. On some days I would wake up in the middle of the night, for a night shift
and wonder why I had chosen emergency medicine as my elective rotation, but there
was never a time that after having reached the hospital, I regretted a moment of it."
The hospital for sick children is an affiliated hospital of the University of Toronto. It is
Canada's largest paediatric hospital and caters primarily to complex tertiary care
pathology. It also happens to be the downtown walk-in paediatric centre for a large
number of socially disadvantaged children. The Emergency Department receives
approximately 50,000 visits per year or approximately 130 visits per day. Children are
eligible for care until their 18th birthday.
As one of the patients says of the hospital:
Sick kids is real cool
To bad they don't have a pool
The doctors are real nice
They comfort you & say guess what?
I have two mice
Sick kids is the place to be
When you have an owey
That's what sick kids is like to me
-Alicia age 12
I spent three weeks in this hospital's emergency department. It had been one and a half
years since I finished my paediatric rotation, but from the first day onwards we were
asked to see patients on our own, to report back to the attending and manage them as if
they were our own. This was notwithstanding the fact that the teams from the attending
through to the fellows down to the junior residents were extremely supportive and
always made me feel that I could approach them at any time.
Although the hospital was a tertiary referral centre, there was also a large proportion of
"bread & butter" paediatrics to be seen such as urinary tract infections, fever, abdominal
pain, upper respiratory infections, kawasaki's disease, henoch schonlein purpura…. In
addition to rare conditions such as channelopathies and rare syndromes.
With the winter period (Toronto winters tend to be very harsh at -30 degrees!) and
Christmas looming, we saw a record number of children as families flocked to the 125
year old downtown paediatric hospital. Children from as old as a few days to 18 were
seen and it was great knowing that after some time you could confidently walk into a
room and be equipped to deal with whatever situation presented itself or at least know
who to turn to!
The elective program is wonderfully tailored to suit students. They protect teaching time
and arrange student shifts during the busiest times of the day to encourage exposure,
but never past midnight which tend to have few patients not to mention tire one out!
I had a wonderful time in the Hospital for Sick Children. It was fun working with children
again but even better knowing that the teams who looked after them were just as fun to
be with!
Arranging for an elective with the University of Toronto is relatively simple. You can write
to the Visiting Electives Co-ordinator or email at the address below for an application
form:
Faculty of Medicine
Medical Sciences Building, Room 2124,
University of Toronto
1 King's College Circle,
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8
Canada
Tel: 001 416 978 2691 Fax: 001 416 971 2163
Email: sheila.binns@utoronto.ca
Primary considerations:
Elective group (A, B, C)
Developing vs Developed nations and Urban vs. Rural medicine:
Potential Hospitals
Potential Rotations (e.g. paediatrics, obs and gynae, surgery)
Alone or with company
Grants
Cost (flights, accommodation, living expenses)
In choosing where I wanted to go for my elective, I considered carefully the above. I
decided on America and Canada as I wanted to experience the practice of medicine in
America as an option later on in life as well as spend my elective in a developed country
with a similar setting to London in order to set a platform leading up to finals. I chose
emergency medicine as I enjoyed the rotation in the third year as well as the fact that it
would be a great way to see a steady stream of patients within a relatively short period
of time.
The choice of hospitals was no doubt important. They are both well-established hospitals
situated in interesting cities not too far away from each other and which provided easy
access to information on their web sites
(http://medcatalog.harvard.edu and http://www.utoronto.ca).
Do your research early into what you might be interested in doing because you are really
spoilt for choice!
A substantial hurdle to cross would no doubt be the cost of the elective. For Harvard
medical school there is the question of a ~US$2250 tuition fee and a relatively nominal
application fee in comparison of ~Cn$300 for University of Toronto on top of the costs of
flights and accommodation. However you can apply for grants from the grant directory
(ask behind the counter). Two generous charities are Hyde Park Place Estate Charity and
The Vandervell Foundation. You can write to them or any other charity outlining what
you would like to do. Several correspondences normally does the trick so start early
even though you need proof of acceptance before they can consider giving you a grant.
It is important to give ample time for the Imperial immunization department to process
your immunization status as well as for the general office to approve your application
and prepare the necessary letters to accompany your application form after having
received it from the university to which you have applied. Insurance: Call either the MDU
or MPS for elective insurance as the hospitals will require proof of health and malpractice
insurance. There are elective insurance plans some may even be free so ask around!
After you have decided on what you want to do and have gotten the paper work back
from the office, down load (Harvard) or write for (U of T) the application form and send
it off ASAP. It is not uncommon for the American post system to lose your mail, so if you
want to be sure of them receiving it, consider courier mail. Whatever way you send it,
approximate the time of arrival and make sure you call to check they have received it to
prevent any delay.
It is helpful to know early on that most American universities will only confirm
acceptance of your place 3 months before the actual start date and plans for flights and
accommodation and grant applications can only be made after everything is confirmed.
In the meantime, prepare your curriculum vitae! It is useful later on and handy when
applying for elective grants.
Travel:
Council travel @ 28 Poland Street (Off Oxford St.) Tel: 0171 2873337 specialize in
American travel so they might be a good place to call regarding ticket prices.
Accommodation:
Accommodation in Boston is relatively expensive. Your best bet is the residence opposite
the medical school. Inquiries may be addressed to:
Manager,
Vanderbilt Hall,
107 Avenue Louis Pasteur,
Boston, MA 02115 6092, USA
Tel: (001) 617 432 1630
Fax: (001) 617 432 1630
Email: vandhall@warren.med.harvard.edu
(the email address though printed in the application form seems faulty so beware!)
Should there be no vacancies ask them to email a list of alternative accommodation.
The most important advice is be organized and be pro-active, always checking to make
sure things are going to plan so you will not be caught unaware. American applications
require a bit more work in a shorter space of time because of the late notice they give
you, but it is definitely worth the trouble as they take the trouble to provide a structured
and worthwhile elective.
Good luck!
Sheri Lim
Imperial College School of Medicine
St. Mary's Campus
Special mention
I would like to thank the Vandervell Foundation and Hyde Park Place Estate Charity, Mr
Teoh for his interest and help in seeking arrangements for a place in the Hospital for Sick
Children, and last but not least the general office for their help in organizing the elective.
Elective Report (II)
Interview with Dr. Karen Kee about her elective in Israel
Dr Kee went to the Nazareth Hospital which is part of the EMMS (Edinburgh Medical
Mission Society) for a total of 6 weeks. It is a Christian hospital situated in Nazareth and
can be contacted at nazhosp@netvision.net.il or
The Nazareth Hospital,
EMMS, P.O. Box 11,
16100 Nazareth,
Israel
a. What prompted you to go to Israel?
I wanted my elective to teach me something medically, and challenge me spiritually as
well and I actually wanted to go to some 3rd world country like but I didn't get an
elective as Africa was having some trouble at that time. Therefore the agencies that I
wrote to told me not to go and I decided that Israel would be an interesting place to live
in for 6 weeks and also because of my Christian faith, I wanted to learn more about the
Holy land and experience Christmas there!
b. How were the local conditions such as food and accommodation?
I actually stayed in the hospital. Hospital food around the world is much the same. Bad
but cheap. Accommodation was very nice, being a Christian hospital it had quite a few
other people from all around the world helping out and so I shared a proper flat with a
medical student from New Zealand and another from Scotland!
c. Were there any interesting cultural practices?
Of course! Nazareth is mainly an Arab town and so the people I met were mainly Arab,
thus the town is split between Muslims and Christians. They are very welcoming people,
always willing to invite you for a cup of tea and are very expressive. However, they do
not understand much English as everything there is in Arabic, which is a really cool
language. I learnt a lot more about the Arab-Jew conflict and I now have a better
understanding of the Middle East.
d. Did you meet any interesting people?
I met a few NZ medical students, 2 German chaps doing their National service there as
carpenters and many others from all over the world. I met the locals, a young chap who
shared my interest in music! And lastly, there were these whole lot of Aussies who came
in my last 2 weeks to help out at the hospital. It was really fun having them around. I
travelled around with them as they organized trips to the nearby towns.
e. How did you find travelling in Israel?
They mainly travel by bus. The buses are quite easy to find, but as I don't speak much
Hebrew or Arabic, I had difficulty finding which direction to take. However, my
guidebook was very useful. Oh! There are no public buses on Sat in Jewish towns and in
some Arab villages. In Nazareth, there are no buses on Sunday as it is mainly a Christian
community!
f. Did you have any landmark events or memorable experiences during your
elective?
My first day when I had to be quizzed twice before being allowed to check in because of
the tight security. After landing at Tel Aviv and being quizzed again and I tried to find
my way to Nazareth. I got lost and had to take a cab there. And finally I got to the
hospital. I didn't learn much medicine as it was all in Arabic and Hebrew but I went
round Israel. I visited Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and I woke up at 4am to get to Masada
where I saw the sun rise over the Dead Sea. I went to Bethlehem for Christmas with
these 4 guys and that was the best! It was a good thing that two of them were Arab as
Bethlehem is in the West Bank and we were treated as locals.
It was really an experience to remember in terms of seeing the Holy Land and I had a
different experience because I saw things from the Arab perspective rather than the
Jewish one. I visited the local churches and went to Manager Square to watch a concert
where choirs from all over the world sang and we had parties in the hospital. I recall
cycling down a hilly route to Cana and then having to cycle back up a steep hill to
Nazareth. Oh! And carolling around Nazareth!
g. On the whole, how did you find your experience?
In terms of medical experience, my experience was limited by the language barrier as all
their medical notes are in Hebrew and everything else is conducted in Arabic. So, I
ended up in theatre quite a bit, watching orthopaedic and general surgery, as I did not
understand a single bit of the medical ward rounds! It was useful to see how different
countries practise medicine and I did learn a bit of orthopaedics and it was interesting to
see how different cultures react to illness and pain!! I must admit that it would have
been nice to do medical stuff on the elective, which is what I would have done in a 3rd
World country. Israel is quite strict about allowing students to help out medical,
especially since I didn't speak the language but otherwise, it was a great way to visit
Israel and I had a most enriching experience! It was quite a cultural experience and I
now understand the Arabs a little better. It was wonderful to be able to experience living
with the locals and seeing how they live! And I made a lot of good friends as well!
h. Any advice for people who would want to do their electives in Israel?
Do get another Singapore Passport from the High Comm. so that you don't have Israel
stamped on your passport as that may hinder you from visiting other Muslim countries
who don't recognise Israel. Also, you need to check out the situation because from what
we have been reading in the news, things are a bit hairy out there!
i. Could you supply us a list of addresses or contact details for Christian
hospitals in India, Thailand and Nepal?
Actually, the best place to ask is the Christian Medical Fellowship. Their address is as
follows :
Christian Medical Fellowship,
157 Waterloo Road,
London SE1 8XN.
Their only condition is that people respect the Christian beliefs that the hospital is based
on.
Anyone with questions, do contact Dr Kee directly at:
karenkee@medix-uk.com
Attachments in Singapore
Contact Information
People to contact for attachments in the hospitals.
ATTACHMENT TO SGH
Winston Bau
The Secretary
Associate Dean's Office
Singapore General Hospital
Outram Road
Singapore 169608
Fax: (65) 226 1492
E-mail Address: gmbwbc@sgh.com.sg
(Administration fee: S$5.15 for Singaporeans, S$103 for Foreigners)
ATTACHMENT to NUH
Lee Siew Mun
Executive
Medical Affairs Dept
National University Hospital
Tel: 772 5926
Fax: 775 6757
Email: LeeWM@nuh.com.sg
N.B.: Ensure that you have an ORIGINAL letter from your university stating that you are
a bona-fide medical student there and that your results are satisfactory.
CONTACTS IN VARIOUS SPECIALITIES
People to contact for clinical attachment posts or for electives.
Orthopaedics


Dr Tay Boon Keng
SGH, Head of Orthopaedics
Professor Lee Eng Hin
NUH, Head of Orthopaedics & Dean of Medical Faculty
Radiology


Dr Robert Kwok
Mount Elizabeth, Head of Radiology
Dr Michael Toh
Computer X-Ray Centre (Promenade)
Urology


Professor K.T. Foo
SGH, Head of Urology
Dr E.C. Tan
Former Head of Urology at NUH (Now in Mount Elizabeth)
Endocrinology

Dr John Thambiah
Mount Elizabeth
Neurosurgery

Dr Timothy Lee
Head of Neurosurgery
(Main hospital for Neurosurgery is TTSH though)
Gastroenterology

Dr Vincent Kwok
Mount Elizabeth
ENT

Dr Sunny Abraham
Mount Elizabeth
Paediatrics

Dr Lee Wei Ling
KKH
Anaesthesiology


Dr Dhara
Dr Natasha Ghadiali
NUH
O&G

Professor Prasad
NUH
Cardiothoracic Surgery / Cardiology

Professor Lim
Heads the Singapore Heart Centre in SGH
Opthalmology

Dr Balakrishnan
Heads the Singapore Eye Centre in SGH
Pathology

Professor Raja Sinniah
NUH
General Surgery

Professor Walter Tan
Head of General Surgery