THAILAND • MEDICAL

MEDICAL FACILITY RELATIONSHIPS PROJECT

The goal of our medical program is to compile contact information of local hospitals and clinics in different regions, with the objective of establishing working relationships between willing medical facilities. We hope that once a platform is established both short and long-term, cooperative relationships will begin to develop.

Medical Facilities

Name: Siriraj Hospital

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Operating Hours: Emergency Room is open 7 days a week/24 hours a day, Orthopedic Department is open 7 days a week from 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Medications: There is a large, well stocked pharmacy on the grounds of the hospital.

Number of Patients: The hospital has many departments, including emergency room, pediatrics, a cardiac center, rehabilitation centers, OB-GYN, oncology, orthopedics, etc. The entire hospital has 2000 beds. The orthopedic department alone serves approximately 200 patients daily.

Staff: The orthopedic department employs approximately 20 doctors and 10 nurses.

Medical School/Study Information: The hospital also operates a large medical school and nursing school on its grounds. We had the opportunity to interview/speak with two 6th year students, Yun and Note, about their medical study here in Thailand, as well as two professors in the pediatric nursing department.

Medical School

Age of entrance: Medical school format is similar to some European countries in that students begin medical school right after completing high school at about age 19 years old.

Entrance requirements: All incoming students must take a general test for admission consideration. The test covers such areas as chemistry, physics and biology. The highest scores are admitted. This university does have some international students.

Length of Study: 3 years classroom study, 3 years practical study, 3 years specialization working in rural community. Students have a 3 month summer vacation their first year, 1-2 months in their second year and no lengthy vacation from their 3rd to 6th years of study. Sixth year students work everyday.

Cost of Study:10,000 Baht/year (about US$285). After studying in Bangkok for 6 years, students work/study for three years in a rural area to help pay back their tuition. After they complete their three years in a rural community, they may work wherever they choose in Thailand. Placement in rural communities is random. If students do not want to work in a rural community, they must pay their tuition outright.

School Hours: Classes/practical work usually lasts from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with students studying/reading in the evenings.

Exam process: There is an official three step exam process in Thailand. All medical students take an official exam at the conclusion of their 3rd, 5th, and 6th years.

Nursing School

Name: Yun

Department: Pediatric Nursing Department

Years Teaching: 30 years

Education: All instructors must have a Master's Degree (2 years)

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm (although when we visited the school on Sunday afternoon, both teachers were still there working)

School year: 2 semesters: June through October and November through March. Students study for four years and live in dorms 2-3 kilometers away from the hospital.