Willow Wood Medical Students

The Hospice is now welcoming medical students with an interest in Palliative Care on Student Selected Component (SSC) placements.

Commenting on this initiative, Hospice Medical Officer Dr. Michael Tapley said: "Willow Wood Hospice welcomes medical students on placements to join our team, and share in the care of patients and their families living with life-limiting illnesses. A typical visit might include observation on the In-Patient Unit, meeting Day Hospice patients, or taking part in an Out-Patient consultation. An SSC enables students to develop their own learning around Palliative Care issues in greater depth, and the Hospice team can help structure directed learning towards an Audit project as well as the SSC report. We feel it is a privilege to learn together with the support of patients and their families."

Liz Rusby, one of our recent placement students commented: I really enjoyed my time at Willow Wood and felt welcomed and included as a member of the care team from the start. I found it a hugely rewarding experience as I was able to interact with a number of patients, develop an understanding of Palliative Care and improve my communication skills. I would recommend doing a placement at Willow Wood to any medical student!

Fellow placement student Tom Leach commented: "Willow Wood is a great place to get hands-on experience with patients, and to learn more about Palliative Care. The doctors and other staff are very welcoming, and are willing to devote a lot of their time to teaching, and there is a supportive and friendly atmosphere for both patients and staff. My day at Willow Wood completely blew away my preconceptions about hospice medicine, so much so, I came back for a month long placement!"