As part of the Foundation Year (FY) undergraduate medical curriculum at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland- Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain), students were given the opportunity to take part in the first Outreach elective, as part of an extra circular programme. Under the theme of Community Engagement 30 students gained credits for attending selected community groups on a volunteer basis and completing a report or presentation of their experiences or a related subject. Their six week programme finished with presentations in front of their peers, academics and representatives from the selected community groups, which took place on campus on the 29th of April.
The aim of the programme was to expose the students to different situations they wouldnt normally encounter and help them develop and implement skills such as teamwork and interpersonal communication that future healthcare providers would need to have. This programme was on a purely volunteer basis, and endeavored to highlight the broad spectrum of people within the community that they live, and dispel myths surrounding children with special needs, child care and family support groups.
With a total of 450 hours, the students were divided into three groups and designated volunteer hours at either: Alia: for Early Intervention, Batelco Care Centre for Family Violence cases or Little Starz Preschool.