Exchange Conditions of BeMSA

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

French-speaking Local Committees: UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège 

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

UCLouvain: B1 (CEFR) level in French
ULB: B1 (CEFR) level in French
ULiège: B2 (CEFR) level in French 

This certificate is not required by native French-speaking students. In case the student doesn't have a CEFR certificate but his/her French language skills are good enough, a Skype interview with the LEOs of UCLouvain/ULB/ULiege will be arranged and they will test if the student's level of French is enough for the clerkship.

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


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 an excellent level of English from the student!
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 and Evaluation Form 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 dress code. This means it might not be allowed to wear a headscarf, a necklace with a small cross or a kippah inside the hospital grounds. 

Towns
Calendar

Click here to see the calendar

Cities Remarks

Leuven and UCLouvain: observational internship only

Whether your internship is observational or clinical, depends on the LC, the department and the tutor. Please mention your preference in the comment section of the AF. 

Calendar Remarks

Our exchanges (summer 2021) will take place in the following periods:

  • Leuven: 18/07 - 14/08 or 15/08 - 11/09. No other periods are available for Leuven.
  • Antwerp, Ghent, VUB, UCLouvain and ULB: 04/07 - 31/07 or 01/08 - 28/08

No other months are available.
If the period of your internship does not match your LC of preference, your AF will be sent back, unless you specifically mention in the comment section of your AF that you are also available during the other period. 

Disciplines
Disciplines

Click here to see all Disciplines

Disciplines Remarks
ULB: 
  • Surgery: general surgery, paediatric surgery, digestive surgery
  • Internal medicine: general, gastro-enterology, cardiology, oncology, pneumology, infectious diseases
  • Radiology
  • OBGYN (July)
  • Paediatrics (July)
  • Psychiatry (must speak fluent French) 

VUB: 
  • Surgery: General Surgery, Abdominal Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery, Thorax- oncologic and transplantation surgery, vascular surgery, cardiologic surgery
  • Internal Medicine: cardiology, endocrinology, gastro-enterology, geriatrics, infectiology, nephrology, oncology and hematology, pneumology, neurology
  • Otorhinolaryngology
  • Medical genetics
  • Radiology, Radiotherapy
  • Anaesthesia
  • Dermatology
  • Gynaecology
  • Emergency

UGent: 
  • Surgery: plastic surgery, gastro-intestinal surgery, general hepatobiliary surgery, cardiac surgery
  • Anaesthesiology, Emergency, Interventional radiology, Otorhinolaryngology

UAntwerp:
  • Surgery: plastic surgery, abdominal surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, transplant surgery, endocrine surgery
  • Internal Medicine: neurology, nephrology, hematology, oncology
  • Intensive Care, Neonatal Intensive Care
ULiège: Internal medicine (neurology, cardiology) and Emergency

KUL: 
  • Surgery: oral and maxillofacial surgery
  • Intensive Care
  • Orthopaedics
  • Anaesthesia

UCLouvain: 
  • Internal Medicine: gastro-enterology, endocrinology, cardiology
  • Radiology
  • Pathology
  • General medicine
  • Anesthesiology
  • Emergency
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, kayaking ...

National social program in the weekends in July/August: at least 2 activities each month with a guided tour and beer tasting. 
For Example: Brussels, Gent, Brugges, Leuven, Hasselt, Dinant, Beach. 
Depending on 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 might be required (at the most 80€, deducted from the pocket money). It will be returned at the end of your exchange if you left the accommodation undamaged. This information will be provided by the hosting LC before arrival.
If your English is not sufficient 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 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.

The exchange students for UGent are mandatory to fill out an oasis application!!!

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(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Curriculum Vitae(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- HepB Antibodies count(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Language certificate(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Motivation Letter for Department 2(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Motivation Letter for Department 3(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Motivation Letter for Department 4(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Student record (Subjects passed)(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Tuberculosis test(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Vaccination Card(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Passport copy(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- SCOPE Terms and Conditions(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Photo(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Proof of Enrollment(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Other(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
- Recommendation Letter(*) These documents are required to be sent with Application Form
Format
- Card of Document
Special documents
None
Upon Arrival documents
- Health Insurance
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.
*ULiège: In ULiège malpractice insurance is required. It should be arranged in your home country! 

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.

Additional information about the required documents

  • All documents must be in English and in .pdf format
  • Standard documents: 
- TBC screening: You will need to proof a negative Mantoux test (taken < one year ago) OR a normal RX Thorax (taken <1 year ago): mandatory screening for TBC
- Vaccination Card: Proof of all received vaccinations
- BeMSA incoming contract: The contract contains some basic rules specific for Belgium. The student will have to sign this. Please ask your NEO for this document (it can be found in the NEO folder). 



Card of Acceptance
Deadline
8 Weeks
Special remarks
You'll receive your CA at least 8 weeks before the exchange start, if not communicated 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, without any agreement with the NEO, the contract can be cancelled. 

We prefer substitutions. 
Department, city and period need to remain 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 the 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 remain the same.

Additional Information
Update Date
07/15/2020 20:20
Validation Date
07/13/2020 00:00
Special remarks