CRISIS RESCUE FOUNDATION
MEDICAL SCHOOL U.K. ELECTIVE PROGRAMME
About:
On the 4th of April 2022 Crisis Rescue Foundation established the Crisis Rescue Foundation (CRF) Medical School U.K. Elective Programme. The first of its kind virtual and free medical school elective programme supporting overseas trainee and qualified doctors, including from Ukraine and Sudan, with medical education, peer and wellbeing support during times of war and crises in their countries. We collaborate with overseas and U.K. medical schools’ lecturers to deliver the Programme.
Some medical schools’ lecturers based overseas have had to leave their bunkers to deliver lectures, and this work has taken colleagues away from the priorities of survival in the midst of a war situation. The CRF Medical School U.K. Elective Programme aims to take the pressure off lecturers in war-torn and crises hit countries by delivering online and on demand lectures to students in and displaced globally from these areas. We have so far delivered four in person events in London for refugee medical students and doctors, including two PLAB training days and one CRF Medical School U.K. Elective Programme Symposium day at BMA House, and a GMC hosted training day focused on working as a doctor in the UK held at the GMC Offices. We have also arranged over 60 clinical placements for medics displaced to the UK.
The Royal College of General Practitioners has highlighted the excellent work of Dr Sharon Raymond's medical elective programme for trainee doctors. The CRF Medical School U.K. Elective Programme has been supported by the U.K. Medical Schools Council (the representative body of UK medical schools); the British Medical Association; the General Medical Council; the Ukrainian Medical Association of the United Kingdom; the Ukrainian Medical Students’ Association; Bogomolets National Medical University (Kyiv, Ukraine); the National Brain Appeal Small Acorns Fund; the British Orthopaedic Association; the Royal College of General Practitioners; the Sudan U.K. doctors’ group and the Alzaiera Alazhari Faculty of Medicine (AAU F of M) of Sudan; and from Term 4 the Crisis Rescue Foundation Medical School U.K Elective Programme has been supported by the Medical Defence Union (MDU).
Over 2000 trainee and qualified doctors located globally have registered for the CRF Medical School UK Elective Programme. This number is growing daily. In Summer 2024 we completed our sixth term of studies. Term 7 of lectures will begin in March 2025.
We have over 250 experienced medical lecturers located globally who have signed up to help, most of whom are leading medical educators in U.K. teaching hospitals and primary care.
Over 2000 students located globally have joined the Programme and we have so far seen daily student attendance at lectures of up to several hundreds, with in excess of 22,000 overwhelmingly positive student feedback forms received to date.
The feedback has been incredibly positive and both students and medical schools have expressed their gratitude for the Programme, with 100 percent of students feeding back that lectures have improved their knowledge of the topics covered.
We want to continue to build the Programme and welcome lecturers in all fields of medical school studies to achieve this.
Please also let us know if you can assist with clinical placements.
Please contact CRF if you can help
Dr Sharon Raymond,
Founder and Director of Crisis Rescue Foundation and Director of the CRF Medical School UK Elective Programme
CRISIS RESCUE FOUNDATION MEDICAL SCHOOL UK ELECTIVE PROGRAMME
Highlighting the innovative CRF Medical School U.K. Elective Programme which has seen the Foundation receive over 22,000 student feedback forms from lectures attended since the programme began at the start of April 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F8dhFGFu8s
Message from The President of the Ukrainian Medical Students Association, Natalie Pidmurniak
May 2023
Crisis Rescue Foundation Medical School U.K. Elective Programme offers ‘Courses…from the best British doctors and teachers from the best British universities on various medical topics’.
Lectures
Term 6 of the Crisis Rescue Foundation Medical School U.K. Elective Programme ran from 6 pm to 9 pm U.K. time every Wednesday evening, from the 8th of May 2024 - to the 26th of June 2024.
Term 7 is currently being planned and we will keep you updated once dates are confirmed - watch this space!
Student Feedback
‘It is really great to finally get some lectures after this long war break and the feeling of losing our confidence to become a doctor. Though due to time differences and other schedules, we miss one or two lectures, but you also created a platform to watch the missed ones which is even more great. Really thank you all so much…’
‘The majority of students do not want to return to the Ukraine given the war situation. Yet other countries/institutions are not accepting us into their universities, hence leaving us displaced. We are immensely grateful for all of Dr Sharon Raymond’s work and her team, it boosts our morale and the learning materials help us to stay focused so thank you.’
‘Lectures are brilliant’
‘It is a great help in our ongoing struggle’
‘The lectures are very useful for us students by complementing our studies and rotations abroad from Ukraine in these trying times.’
‘Thank you CRF and team for the compassion you’ve shown us. These lectures help us to keep on track with our daily dose of studying’
‘Thank you to Dr Sharon (Raymond) and all the Lecturers who have made this a very important purpose to pursue. Spending all their free time for us to organise teaching and make us doctors.’
According to a Crisis Rescue Foundation survey, nearly 90% of medical students would return to Ukraine to study after the war thanks to the Crisis Rescue Foundation Medical School U.K. Elective Programme
All lectures are available ON-DEMAND once delivered live
4th April 2024
Crisis Rescue Foundation
PLAB 2/UKMLA OSCE TRAINING DAY IN LONDON
Celebrating 2 YEARS of medical lectures delivered by the Crisis Rescue Foundation Medical School U.K. Elective Programme for displaced and refugee medical students and recently qualified doctors.
We are proud to share that we ran our second face to face training day on the 4th of April 2024. The training, which was for refugee doctors sitting their PLAB 2 /UKMLA OSCE, was held at BMA House once again. The event was supported by the BMA, MDU, General Medical Council and expert medical educators. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to our next training day with the support of the General Medical Council on the 18th of November 2024!
PLAB 2 TRAINING DAY FEEDBACK
‘It was an absolutely amazing opportunity to get first hand training that completely simulates the real PLAB scenario . A must recommend for everyone.’
‘I was a good experience to be here today and I appreciate that you are organising this training day in order for future candidates to have a better idea what to expect in the exam day.’
‘Fabulous experience. Good organisation. Need more such events.’
‘Colleagues keen to help each other, good rapport amongst colleagues.’
‘It was very good. Should do it more frequently! Really helpful.’
‘Very well organised should have more often.’
‘Very good session providing excellent experience and support for applicants.’
‘Thank you for this opportunity to share the knowledge and learn more. Also lots of amazing people here, it’s always amazing to meet people that can help and support!’
‘Do it more often!’
‘Very useful! Well structured and plenty of resources. Thank you!’
10th of December 2023
The Crisis Rescue Foundation Medical School U.K. Elective Programme
SYMPOSIUM at BMA House in London
We are proud to announce that the first Crisis Rescue Foundation (CRF) Medical School U.K. Elective Programme SYMPOSIUM took place on 10/12/23 at BMA House, London with the keynote address delivered by BMA Representative body Chair and Equality Chair Dr.Latifa Patel.
CRF Symposium participants travelled from across the U.K. and from the Ukraine, and graduates from various medical schools around the world joined, including Ukraine, Sudan, India, Belarus and Iraq.
CRF lecturers and international medical students and doctors impacted by war and local crises reflected on the challenges, opportunities, available support and CRF actions to best support international medics and refugee doctors were highlighted.
Huge thanks to The MDU, General Medical Council, British Medical Association, all the CRF student participants and the whole CRF Team for all your crucial contributions and support. The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive.
The feedback comments included the following:
"Thank you for the great organising, wonderful speakers and interesting topics."
"Thank you sooo much for this symposium. It was amazing"
"It covered all questions I had about medical school and working as a doctor in UK"
"The best ever I have participated as it is interactive"
"It was a true motivation and inspiration to me and I have received all the information I need to help me for the future"
"It was informative and positive"
"lots of useful guidance on challenges of accessing medical education and approaches to addressing this"
"It was perfect I consider myself very lucky"
We look forward to continue supporting international medical students and doctors affected by war and hope you can help us achieve this goal by contributing to our gofundme campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-crisis-rescue-foundation-medical-school
28th March 2023
Crisis Rescue Foundation
PLAB TRAINING DAY IN LONDON
Celebrating a year of medical lectures delivered by the Crisis Rescue Foundation Medical School U.K. Elective Programme for displaced and refugee medical students and recently qualified doctors.
We are also proud to share that our first face to face training day on the 28th of March 2023 which was for refugee doctors sitting their PLAB 2 and held at BMA House with the support of the BMA, MDU, General Medical Council and expert medical educators was very well received. All attendees rated the training day good and excellent. We hope to run another face to face training event soon!
PLAB TRAINING DAY FACILITATOR FEEDBACK
...brilliant brilliant day. Amazing organisation and it was a privilege to meet the candidates and to meet my co examiner..So impressed by everyone's knowledge and approach. Congrats on stupendous organisation!’
‘Excellent day, well organised and what an inspiration Dr Sharon Raymond is!’
‘You are the one who had the foresight and energy to organise us all! You should be so proud Sharon!’
‘I feel honoured to be a small part of this, Sharon. Thank you for inspiring us all!’
‘Really good day and worthwhile judging by feedback from participants.’
PLAB TRAINING DAY TRAINEE DOCTORS' FEEDBACK
‘Thank you very much for today training. It is very useful and I have learned a lot from all of the osce stations. It’s not only just for practice but also giving feedback to me is really helpful. All of the people in the stations are very supportive and professional. I’m really glad I have joined today’s training.’
‘Thank you so much for this wonderful training day. It was really helpful.’
‘Thank you very much for the much-needed support. Today's training was excellent. The facilitators were amazing, and there were many things to learn from their feedback. I hope we will have further such opportunities.’
‘... this event was extremely helpful, educative , the doctor are knowledgeable and and highly skilled. My confidence to sitting plab is definitely boosted.’
‘You have done a great job. Everything was just perfect, your effort and assistance to this event is sincerely appreciated. This could not have happened without you. You just AMAZING.’
‘It was an amazing experience. I truly feel blessed to be part of this foundation. Two thumbs up for the work you do! And Thank you!’
Disclaimer:
All the resources on this website and lectures are offered to medical students training at medical schools outside of the U.K. and/or graduates from medical schools outside the UK, with the aim of supporting studies disrupted, including by conflict and/or poverty. We are not an accredited degree-awarding body. We hope the learning and support CRF delivers will complement your studies with the goal of achieving your medical degree.