FPHC HEMS ELECTIVES 2023

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The Faculty has arranged with The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS), the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) and the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) for successful medical student applicants to spend a 4-week elective experiencing a HEMS based PHEM system. There will be four positions available for successful applicants: 1 with TAAS, 1 with EAAA and 2 with EHAAT.

The periods currently available for 2023 are:

• TAAS - 1 x 4 weeks between 20 March 2023 and 30 June 2023 (The candidate must be able to drive and have access to a car, to enable access to all the placements).
• EHAAT - 2 x 4 weeks between June 2023 & December 2023
• EAAA - 1 x 4 weeks between April–July 2023

Be aware that you are unable to apply for a specific service – this will be allocated depending on the outcome of your application process and the timing of your elective period.

What you can expect from this elective placement:

1. Inclusion in daily training exercises with the duty crew.
2. Attending and contributing to governance meetings.
3. Observation shifts on the helicopter and rapid response cars with the duty crew.  Please note that due to limitations, some services may only be able to offer a few observation shifts during your elective placement
4. Completion of an audit or other project on an element of HEMS work.
5. To offer the opportunity to report back to both the charity and the faculty in terms of elective report / experience and any projects completed therein
6. A full induction and briefing program will be provided, and full details will be discussed with the successful applicants.

There will also be other activities which you should be able to participate in, including spending time with the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), shifts with a single crewed RRV and visiting the Ambulance Service Control Centre.

What will be expected of you:

1. To be enthusiastic and interested in the activities you undertake

1. To be well prepared for any sessions where teaching or instructing is involved.
2. Many individuals will have put a large amount of time and effort into ensuring your elective placement is possible, so you must be punctual and turn up to EVERY shift with appropriate kit – PPE will be provided.
3. This elective placement relies upon your predecessor having made a good impression to allow the elective placements to continue, make sure you do not jeopardise this opportunity for the next student
4. To write a report to be featured on the FPHC website.

How to Apply for this Elective:

Answer the following questions with each answer being 200 words or less. Applications exceeding this word count for any question will be disregarded. The word count applies to the body of each section, including any headings.

• Why you would like to undertake this elective?
• What area of interest would you be keen to complete an audit on during this elective?
• What do you think the likely challenges have been for pre-hospital practitioners during the covid-19 pandemic?

If you are successful in this part of the application process you will receive an email from someone associated with the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care, arranging a suitable time for a short interview. This will be conducted by several individuals from the FPHC Student and Junior Trainee Group, including someone who has previously undertaken a similar elective.

This is a competitive process – the final decision will be made by a panel comprising previous successful elective students, the Chair of the FPHC Student and Junior Trainee Group, an FPHC Office Bearer and a Senior Member of this year’s elective placement organisation with whom a substantial part of this elective is undertaken.

There will be no bursary provided by the FPHC and therefore expenses fall to the individual.

Please send your completed application electronically to fphc@rcsed.ac.uk to be received by 12:00 Monday 10 October 2022. Please attach evidence that you are currently a student at a UK medical school and are eligible to undertake the elective if you are successful. We will also require your (mobile) phone number in order to contact you for the interview.

The decision will be made and the successful applicant notified no later than Monday 31 October 2022.