The Falkland Islands is a British Overseas Territory, population of approximately 3000, and while it is an autonomous entity, they are dependent on Britain for most services, including health care. The setting, while in the South Atlantic Ocean, is quite familiar to any Canadian from a small town or northern or coastal environment. The 28-bed King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in the capital town of Stanley provides opportunities for emergency work, including trauma coming from the fishing fleets; OB; newborn care; hospitalist and some OR assisting. They are very lucky to have a full-time general surgeon and anesthetist on site as well as a good laboratory and X-Ray/Ultrasound facility.
Because of the large military base on the southern part of the east island with 2200 personnel and family members, there is a close working relationship between the medical officers providing primary care and the hospital which provides secondary care when needed.
The following opportunities are available:
For PGY3s
The Falkland Islands Scholarship: a fully-funded PGY3 full year designed to provide enhanced skills training (identical to our rural skills year) to one of our residents in return for a one-year return of service, paid at 150,000 Pounds (about CDN$ 300,000 at today's rate). Training would be done mainly in Ontario with opportunity to also spend time in Falklands. The year would include enhanced training in Obstetrics, neonatal care, trauma, hospitalist medicine, plastic surgery and procedures, emergency medicine as well as other relevant electives.
For PGY2s
A 2-month core Rural FM experience, which would be centered in the main town of Stanley at the hospital under the supervision of Dr. Rebecca Edwards, the Chief Medical Officer and other staff GPs as appropriate. This would include clinic work, hospitalist, emergency experience and periodic flying visit "house calls" to other islands in the archipelago. One of the main purposes for a resident to take up this experience would be to assess their interest in applying for the PGY3 scholarship year with return of service.