Exchange Conditions of BeMSA

Working Conditions
Languages
English
(Excellent)
Required
French
(Good)
Not Required
Dutch
(Good)
Not Required
Languages Remarks

French speaking Local Committees: UCLouvain, ULB (and VUB)

Dutch speaking Local Committees: VUB, Leuven, Ghent, Antwerp

UCLouvain and ULB are French speaking universities in Brussels and require French knowledge for all departments.

VUB is a Dutch speaking university in Brussels (with lots of French speaking patients) and requires French only in “internal medicine” departments. English is spoken in all other departments.

In other universities (Leuven, Ghent and Antwerp), patients speak mostly Dutch, but younger patients can often speak English. However, they are not obligated to do so.

You must be able to communicate fluently in English (or French for UCLouvain, ULB and VUB), otherwise the internship can be cancelled.

Clerkship Type
- Clinical Clerkship
A clinical clerkship is defined as the rotation of a student in a clinical department of a hospital or clinic, such as Dermatology and Pediatrics.
Required level of studies
We ask the incoming student al least to be in his or her 3th year of medicine. This is required to learn something from your internship in our hospitals. Tutors require a basic level of knowledge next to a decent level of English!
Graduated students allowed
No

Even if accepted by the hosting country, students must be still enrolled in university by the time the Application Form is sent.
Clerkship Duration
4 weeks, 8 hours a day, 5 days per week
Dress code
Casual
What to Bring
- White coat
- Stethoscope
Academic Quality
SCOPE Student's Handbook required.
80% attendance required. 
[The days not attended need to be discussed with the tutor BEFORE being absent!]
Nightshifts
No
Special Remarks

*Please be on time every day. Respect the work hours and your tutor. If you are not going to the hospital, you need to warn the tutor in advance and ask for permission. If you do not respect these rules, your internship can be cancelled as this will greatly affect our relationship with the departments.

*Because Belgium is a secular country, some hospitals enforce a very strict neutral dresscode. This means it might not be allowed to wear a head scarf, a necklace with a small cross or a kippah inside the hopital grounds.

Towns
Calendar

Click here to see the calendar

Cities Remarks

Leuven and UCLouvain: observational internship only

UCLouvain and ULB: French is required for all departments (French speaking doctors and patients)

VUB: French is required only for “internal medicine” departments

Calendar Remarks

Our exchanges (summer 2019) will take place in the following periods:

  • Leuven: 15/07 - 09/08 or 12/08 - 06/09. No other periods are available for Leuven.
  • Antwerp, Ghent, VUB, UCLouvain and ULB: 01/07 - 26/07 or 29/07 - 23/08

No other months are available.

Disciplines
Disciplines

Click here to see all Disciplines

Disciplines Remarks
Not all departments are available in all cities (see Explore pages) and limited spots are available per department, so you might not be placed in your first choice department (and city)!
However we try to offer everyone a department as high up in their list as possible.

For Pediatrics: Knowledge of French is recommended
General
Pocket money
80 EUR
Boarding
- Hospital
- Pocket Money
Lodging
- Student flat
- Dormitory
Social Program

Cost is not included in the exchange program. If you sign up for an activity and you do not attend we cannot refund you.

Depending on the LC and CP:
Pub crawl, festival, BBQ, French fries, NFDP, party, beer bowling ...

National social program in the weekends in July/August: at least 2 activities each month eg trip to Brussels with guided tour and beer tasting, trip to the sea/beach
depending of interests of the students and the number of students on exchange.

Student with disabilities
No
Couples
No
Link to ExPlore Page
Belgium (BeMSA)
Special Remarks
A security deposit (usually €80) might be required. This information will be provided by the hosting LC before arrival.
If your English is not sufficent to communicate with the doctors, your internship might be cancelled as this will greatly impact the quality of the exchange! [Level B2 of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages] We will accept NEO certificates of language ability, however if the student can't communicate with the tutors, we have still have the right to end the internship.
Application Form
Deadline
4Months
Unilateral fee
500 EUR
Payment details for unilateral fee
We prefer to sign bilateral contracts. Unilateral contracts are rare in Belgium.
Visa requirements
Please apply for a tourist visa (Short stay for tourism purposes).
If you need specific ILs, paper versions, other documents, ... ASK IN TIME!
You can find more information and a list of the documents you need on the website of the Belgian authorities: https://dofi.ibz.be/sites/dvzoe/EN/Application-guides/Pages/Short_stay_for_tourism_purposes.aspx#the_supporting_documents_to_submit_when_applying_for_a_visa
Link to Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website (or any other website that provides official information on visa)
Click here
Special Remarks
AFs for July and August: deadline MM!

First come first serve! We accept AFs without complete CoD, as long as all the documents are uploaded before the MM or AF deadline.
Card Of Documents
Standard documents
- Health Insurance(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Motivation Letter for Department 1
Format
- Card of Document
- Curriculum Vitae
Format
- Card of Document
- Proof of Enrollment
Format
- Card of Document
- Language certificate
Format
- Card of Document
- Tuberculosis test
Format
- Card of Document
- Vaccination Card
Format
- Card of Document
- SCOPE Terms and Conditions
Format
- Card of Document
Special documents
- Passport copy
Format
- Card of Document
Upon Arrival documents
- HepB Antibodies count
Format
- Paper
The standard documents are the basic documents that the students are asking for and the special documents are less important, as only some Local Committees ask for them. So it's mandatory to upload the standard documents, but not the special ones. (Students do it when asked for by the LEO/NEO.)
The upon arrival documents are hard copies documents that the students are requested to take with them in the host country.”
Immunization requirements
Students have to be vaccinated for HepB and do a tuberculosis test to be accepted for the exchange.

Insurance
As NMO we require Health insurance and travel insurance and this should be arranged by the student in the home country.
For the malpractice insurance:
*Ghent: In Ghent University hospital malpractice insurance is obligatory but we can arrange it through the hospital via this link https://oasis.ugent.be/prospect-web/login?0&origin=https://oasis.ugent.be/prospect-web/interface/uitwisseling
*Leuven: In Leuven we do not ask for malpractice insurance but the exchange student is nevertheless insured through the hospital for malpractice.
*Antwerp: In Antwerp we do not ask for malpractice insurance thus the exchange student is not required to be insured for malpractice, the malpractice insurance should be arranged in your home country if wanted, we do not have this type of insurance in our country. However, we recommend you to have a malpractice insurance.
*Brussels-VUB: In Brussels-VUB we do not ask for malpractice insurance thus the exchange student is not required to be insured for malpractice, the malpractice insurance should be arranged in your home country if wanted, we do not have this type of insurance in our country. However, we recommend you to have a malpractice insurance.
*Université Catholique de Louvain: In UCL we do not ask for malpractice insurance thus the exchange student is not required to be insured for malpractice, the malpractice insurance should be arranged in your home country if wanted, we do not have this type of insurance in our country. However, we recommend you to have a malpractice insurance.

Deadline
8 Weeks

Special remarks
We do NOT accept graduated students.
If you need more time for some of the documents, warn the NEO in advance and if approved, your AF will still be valid, even without a complete CoD.

Card of Acceptance
Deadline
8 Weeks
Special remarks
You'll receive your CA at least 8 weeks before the exchange start, if not comunicated otherwise.
Card of Confirmation
Deadline
4 Weeks
Special remarks
Exchange might be cancelled if CC is not sent in time!
Cancellations
Deadline
8 Weeks
Special remarks
Cancellation after the CA is sent, will be considered as a used contract, unless otherwise agreed by the NEO. Mostly depending on already made costs and arrangements.
Cancellation due to refused visa will NOT be automatically postponed as we do not have this capacity. Check visa requirements in advance and start in time! The embassy is not fast!
When the deadline for the AF is passed, withouth any agreement with the NEO, the contract can be cancelled. 

We prefer substitutions. 
Department, city and period needs to stay the same.

Substitutions
Deadline
4 Weeks
Special remarks
Substitution deadline depends on the LC. 
We prefer substitutions to cancellations, so always contact the NEO, even if substitution deadline has passed. However, if the deadline has passed and the is not enough time to arrange for a substitution - at sending or hosting NMO - the contract will be considered used.
 
Department, city and period needs to stay the same.

Additional Information
Update Date
12/12/2018 21:17
Validation Date
08/01/2016 00:00
Special remarks
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