Why you might want to go abroad
There are a number of different reasons you might wish to work in the developing world whether you are a trainee or established consultant in the UK.
Overseas visits offer opportunities of dealing with urology in a number of different environments to those that exists in the NHS. These include:
• accelerating experience of pathologies and surgical techniques that would be encountered in the UK.
• gaining novel experience of conditions and management options not available in the UK.
• concentrating experience in specific areas of sub-specialist interest that are not readily available in the UK.
Working in the developing world, in particular, will help give you insight into practicing medicine where limited diagnostic support is available.
The benefits of working abroad are much more than simply professional. Experiences outside the UK help to foster durable relationships with the centres visited which may last the rest of your professional career. Working abroad has the potential to renew your enthusiasm for medicine and may be an experience that is not a module in any part of your UK-based training. It goes without saying that a period abroad enables you to travel and maximise opportunities, offered in the locality, in your leisure time.
Finally, those of you considering working in the developing world may wish to do so for more altruistic reasons. You may wish to contribute to the provision of urological services in the centre, or the country, that they visit. You need to be sure that you are contributing and not going to decrease the opportunities for urologists in the centre you are attached to. For these reasons it is advisable that trainees wishing to work in the developing world are going somewhere that has already been visited by a UK-based consultant which is appropriately staffed and equipped to realistically provide the experience the visitor wants. Any trainee contemplating such an experience would be best advised to contact the UROLINK office at BAUS.
Giving equipment and disposible items
You may wish to contribute practical help in the form of equipment, be that endoscopic equipment, light sourses, lithotripters, diathermy machines or even X-Ray equipment. UROLINK has contacts that can facilitate the shipping of equipment out of the UK. Teams travelling abroad are always glad to hear from you if you have out-of-date but unused items such as catheters, gloves, sutures, guidewires and the like. If you wish to donate equipment then please contact Nick Watkin.
Giving Books and Educational material
UROLINK is very happy to receive any educational materials that can be easily carried or couriered to sites abroad, so magazines, small volumes of textbooks and, in particular, CD ROMs and DVDs would be welcome. They can be vectored into the UROLINK office by any one of the committee or can be sent directly to Trish Hagan. Large collections of books are difficult for UROLINK to handle, and expensive to ship, and may be better disseminated by specialised organisations such as Book Aid International.
Sponsoring or donating to UROLINK
Sponsoring specific functions within UROLINK is something that many organisations have already done. Yamanouchi have provided UROLINK with monies on a recurrent basis to help cement twinning links. AstraZeneca have provided funds to help establish this website and help has been forthcoming from SURG, Karl Storz and the BJUI for specific travel prizes. Donations from individuals are always gratefully received as are any legacies or bequests to help UROLINK in its work. UROLINK's funds are held within the charitable status of the British Association of Urological Surgeons and are distributed by the agreement of the committee at its biannual meetings. If you wish to become a sponsor or donate to UROLINK then please contact Trish Hagan.
