Virtual Medical Centre Lund University Scholarship

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Background of the Virtual Medical Centre Lund University Scholarship
What is the Virtual Medical Centre Lund University Scholarship?
What is the purpose of the scholarship?
What does the scholarship provide?
Who can apply and how?
2011 applications
Past winners
Letters of appreciation
Related news articles

Downloadable forms


Flyer		Application form

Background of the Virtual Medical Centre Lund University Scholarship

VMC Lund University Scholarship In 2003, Virtual Cancer Centre established a scholarship to support the Lund Cancer Exchange, offered by the University of Western Australia (UWA).

The exchange program was founded in 2002 by Professor Håken Olsson (Oncology department - Lund University) and Virtual Cancer Centre.

The first exchange took place in 2003 and was an overwhelming success, with the only negative being the financial burden to the students, who had to pay for their airfares. It was decided that for the program to continue and be accessible to all eligible students, financial support needed to be found. The Directors of Virtual Cancer Centre proposed a five year deal, which was approved by UWA. The scholarship was first offered to students in 2004. In 2009 Virtual Medical Centre (VMC), which evolved from Virtual Cancer Centre, and UWA approved the deal for another five years.

The Lund facility research spans a broad area, from basic experimental research to applied research, in order to answer questions related to clinical practice, the health sciences and society.

Increasingly, Lund University's Faculty of Medicine is contributing to developments in healthcare by interacting with society and facilitating industrial application of the latest in research findings.

The Faculty collaborates with the University Hospitals in Lund and Malmö to create an environment with productive communication between basic research and the healthcare system. One of the products of this collaboration is the Biomedical Centre (BMC), a research and education centre in Lund, as well as the newly established Clinical Research Centre (CRC) in Malmö, which are affiliated with the University Hospitals.

What is the Virtual Medical Centre Lund University Scholarship?

The VMC Scholarship enables two fifth year medical students to attend Lund University in Sweden to undertake a four-week attachment in cancer medicine. Not only will they be exposed to a different learning and teaching environment, they will also experience a different healthcare system and partake in the industrial application of research.

What is the purpose of the scholarship?

The aim of this attachment is to foster clinical and cultural exchanges and to help develop Australia's future doctors. The establishment of the exchange program and the support provided by the scholarship further enhances the commitment to cancer education for Western Australian medical students by the Virtual Medical Centre and UWA.

The scholarship helps to ease the financial burden of medical students so they are able to take advantage of such study opportunities as those offered at Lund University.

What does the scholarship provide?

Image by Anton Holmquist

There are two scholarships available. Successful applicants will have their airfare and accommodation funded by VMC (up to a maximum of $3,000 per student).

The scholarship is available to UWA medical students entering Level 5 in 2011 who wish to undertake a four-week cancer clinical attachment during their enrolment.

This attachment would benefit students that have an interest in cancer and would combine their Level 5 two-week cancer clinical attachment with a two-week option in cancer to be undertaken at Lund University in Sweden.

The attachment can occur sometime in the six-week period from 9 May – 17 June 2011 and would include the two week mid-semester vacation. Scholarship recipients must write a report and provide a photo of themselves for VMC on their return to Perth.

Who can apply and how?

Each year applicants are asked to write an essay on a chosen oncology topic. Applicants are judged by academic achievement, shortlisted and interviewed by the Selection Committee. The scholarships will not be awarded if there are no candidates of sufficient merit.

Applicants for the scholarship must be:

A permanent resident or citizen of Australia; and
A UWA MBBS student entering Level 5 in 2011.

Written applications must be made and be accompanied by:

A brief essay on the topic listed in the scholarship advertisement (max of 2 A4 pages):
"Discuss the evidence and mechanism for the role of inflammation in cancer."
No more than 100 words outlining the reasons why you would be a good ambassador for UWA and VMC;
A curriculum vitae; and
A reference supporting (2).

2011 applications

An application form and advertising flyer are attached at the top of this page for your use, and this information will also be made available on the WebCT Level 4 Notice Board.

Submissions

Applications should be submitted to:

Neil Bryan, Administrative Officer (Student Affairs)
Faculty Office
Claremont General Practice
328 Stirling Highway
Claremont WA 6010

Closing date

Applications close on Monday 20 September 2010.

Past winners

Awardees in 2010


Kelly Valentin		Charlotte Connor

Awardees in 2009


Brittany Knezevic		Alison Carter

Awardees in 2008


Peta Varvell		Aleisha Anderson

Awardees in 2007

Joshua Vogel
Genevieve Gibbons

Awardees in 2006

Kelvin Balakrishnan
Anna West

Awardees in 2005


Hari Ramakonnar		Carlo Bellini

Awardees in 2004

Naomi Fudge
Hayden Wilson

Awardees in 2003

Ruth Blackham
Shih-Ern Yeo

Letters of appreciation

2010 winner Kelly Valentin wrote to VMC upon her return from Lund:

The 2010 Virtual Medical Centre Lund University Scholarship provided me with an invaluable and privileged opportunity to expand my knowledge of medical practice, as well as an amazing chance to live in and learn about Swedish culture. It gave me and fellow recipient Charlotte an opportunity to meet new people, learn about oncology in a different health system, and travel around Sweden and other European countries. The scholarship exposed us to a variety of health professionals and students from Sweden and other European countries who were so willing to teach and make our time in Lund as valuable and enjoyable as possible. The study of medicine and travelling to different countries and cultures are my two greatest passions in life, and this scholarship provided me with the chance to combine them into one incredible experience.

Our time at the Oncology Clinic in Lund provided us with a well rounded view of the study of, research into, and clinical aspects of cancer care. Attending clinics and ward rounds allowed us to see doctors interacting with patients, many of whom were in hospital for palliation or difficult to cure. This gave me the opportunity to be around different cancer wards, and see how the doctors were committed to giving patients the best care possible, whether they were there to be treated, cured or to be made more comfortable when no cure was possible. Other learning opportunities we were exposed to were based on observing how the staff worked together as a team to treat patients, and lectures and presentations with other students and staff which gave us a great opportunity to meet new people.

During our time in Lund, we came in to contact with a variety of medical professionals who demonstrated their clinical expertise and experience with enthusiasm and a sincere willingness to teach us about oncology and Swedish culture. Our supervisor, Professor Håkan Olsson, was a particularly memorable, thoughtful man who was very enthusiastic about giving us a broad view of both the clinical aspects and extensive research conducted into oncology within the Swedish medical system. He organised for us to attend team meetings, ward rounds, lectures, clinics, theatre, and even a symposium doctorate presentation. Professor Olsson was very generous with his time and always made sure that we were settling in to Swedish life as much as we were to its hospital system. All of the staff at the Oncology Clinic in Lund made us feel welcome and were very helpful and interested in teaching us. We were particularly grateful that they all tried to speak in English every time we were present at meetings or ward rounds, which for some was particularly difficult as it was their second, third or even fourth language!

Sweden itself is an amazing country; full of wonderful people and beautiful surroundings. During our stay in Lund we were lucky enough to be there for the 'Karnivale' which is only held once every four years. It is organised by all of the students in the University and was fun and interesting but also a little confusing as everything was in Swedish! We were also able to take short weekend trips to Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo during our stay in Sweden, which gave us a chance to explore and experience three amazing countries in Scandinavia.

The financial nature of the scholarship was also very important to me, as it was one of the main reasons I was able to undertake the four week placement in Lund. The VMC Lund scholarship provided us with $3,000 to put towards flights and accommodation expenses, without which I personally would not have been able to afford to have undertaken such an amazing placement in Sweden. This money covered all of the cost of our flights as well as our university accommodation in Lund. As a medical student who had recently moved out of my family home, I would have struggled to afford to travel to and stay in Sweden if VMC did not provide financial support as a part of the scholarship. I would like to give my sincere thanks to Virtual Medical Centre for providing such financial support to scholarship recipients, as I know that myself and many other past and future recipients of the scholarship would or will not be able to afford to accept the offer to undertake the VMC Lund scholarship.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to Virtual Medical Centre, the staff at Lund University and Hospital, and the University of Western Australia, who provided me with the opportunity to live and learn in Sweden. Lund University and Hospital, and in particular the staff at the Oncology Clinic, made me feel more than welcome and I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who was involved in teaching us and making our experience more enjoyable. I would strongly encourage anyone who is thinking of applying for this scholarship to do so, as it is one of the most amazing and rewarding life and learning experiences a person could have, and definitely my most memorable so far.

2008 winner Aleisha Anderson wrote to VMC upon her return from Lund:

Our Oncology exchange was a wonderful opportunity to witness Medical practice in a country with a similar level of health care and medical technology to our own. Like Australia, Sweden has a fantastic health care system and it was interesting to compare the similarities and differences between the two. Oncology patients at Lund hospital appear to benefit greatly from the integrated approach the Medical team undertake. We had the chance to be involved in the delivery of numerous treatment modalities, some which are in common use in Perth, others that were less familiar to us.

Furthermore, it was a wonderful way to learn about the Swedish culture, and visit an incredibly beautiful part of the world.

2005 winner Carlo Bellini wrote to VMC upon his return from Lund:

I write to formally thank you and the Virtual Medical Centre for my scholarship to Sweden to participate in the Lund Cancer Exchange.

The experience was truly incredible. I met so many wonderful people – both professionally and personally including medical colleagues, patients, and day to day Swedes who made the exchange so memorable. The benefit in studying in another health care system quite different to Australia's, and being able to work with some leading cancer researchers was an experience second to none.

I cannot recommend the scholarship strongly enough to any student considering applying. I am more than happy to promote the exchange on the Virtual Cancer Centre's behalf for future years at your request.

Again, thank you for providing an experience which shall stand out as a true highlight of my medical education.