Program Reviews

As a high school student in the US who is interested in medicine, it was a rare and amazing opportunity to shadow doctors in the Children's Heart Center and Obstetric and Gynecology departments with the CHP program. While I was nervous at first, Barbora the program manager was so kind and helped me feel comfortable and prepared for the program. During the 2 weeks I was mentored by amazing doctors and got to be in OR almost every day. In the Children's Heart Center I worked in the catheterization lab where I saw heart biopsies, the insertion of ports for oncology patients, and an ablation. Andrea my mentor was so kind to me, and in between surgeries we would sit in the break room, drink tea, and talk. As only a high school student, my medical knowledge is limited, but Andrea always took the time to explain everything that was happening so that I understood. When she was conducting an ablation, she allowed me to place the electrodes on the patient! In Obstetrics and Gynecology, I got to see one vaginal birth and many c-sections. I even got to see a hysterectomy and laparoscopic surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy. The accommodation was wonderful and in a super convenient part of Prague so it was super easy to explore the city after my shift! We made our own breakfast in the morning and ate lunch at the hospital, but every night we got to eat dinner at a really nice restaurant so we were fed well! I went to the program with a friend from school but while I was there I made many new friends and we explored Prague together. Overall CHP was a wonderful program where I learned so much and had so much fun.

Placement in the Children's Heart Center was amazing because I got to see so much during the course of a week, and working with children is always very fun! It was great because my mentors were really excited to teach me about their work, trying to keep me engaged by describing in detail their work. Additionally, their coworkers (other surgeons, doctors, nurses, and bio-engineers) also welcomed me and tried to explain everything they were seeing. You can really tell the department is close and excited to help children. There was a breadth to what I saw, including seeing characterizations, surgeries, and the ICU. I really enjoyed being able to see the entire process a patient goes through, from the surgery all the way to being discharged and healthy!

Amazing and mind blowing experience that I would recommend to anyone who wish to see the reality of cardiovascular surgery for himself. The second week I was shadowing the team in Cath lab, the mentoring team is really fabulous! Everyone was so welcoming, especially Barbora, the program manager. She was still on the phone in case something goes wrong. Czech Republic is a nice place, definitely worth visit!

I did a 2 week program with CHP in July 2016 for a supplementary experience for my medical school application in UK. I compared a few different programs, but CHP really gives me a feeling of professionalism. The program takes place in a large, modern hospital in the centre of Prague, doctors are very friendly and I was treated like a medical student in specialty training. Accomodation is very nice and quiet, easy to travel around the city and to the hospital. There is really nothing to blame and i had a delightful and inspiring two weeks!

I helped with the launch of the Czech Hospital Placements Program, and I will do my best to ensure that the entire process of student placement in our teaching hospital goes as smoothly as possible. I believe that the CHP Program is a great opportunity for both students and mentors. Students who want to get familiar with their future profession will see real professionals in action as well as the everyday realities of having a job in a hospital environment. This experience will surely help them in choosing the right field or specialty. Mentors, who once were students themselves, can share the details of their everyday work in a prestigious hospital. They can explain to students the personal fulfillment they feel as healthcare professionals and show them how important the decision between the various specialties is. This sharing of experiences and personal bonds among experienced professionals and promising young students will consequently bring benefits to our patients in the form of improved treatment and quality of care.
- MUDr. Otakar Buda, Head of the Quality Control Department at University Hospital in Motol, Doctor in the ER for Adults

Amazing and mind blowing experience that I would recommend to anyone who wish to see the reality of cardiovascular surgery for himself. The second week I was shadowing the team in Cath lab, the mentoring team is really fabulous! Everyone was so welcoming and nice, especially Barbora, the program manager, always on her phone ready to help :) Czech Republic is definitely worth visit place! Vienna is great, too!

I had a great time with the Czech Hospital Placements Program, the nurse Lenka was very welcoming since the first moment, she explained me everything in the detail. And the accommodation was lovely - 10 minutes from Prague castle. Charles Bridge is a MUST SEE! What a stunning place! I recommend you to take the tour around the city, as this incredible Czech Capital is something you will remember forever. Must go there again with my friends in summer 2017.

I will never forget the first time when I saw the brain tumor removal. It was a life changing experience that provided me with excitement for pursuing the career in neurosurgery. I chose the neurosurgery placement with Czech Hospital Placements Program to discover if this path is the right choice for me. I felt so nervous on my first day in the departments when doctor Blaha picked me up. I read about him that he was working in the US and Australia so we had something to chat about from the first moment on. I wish I would spent there another week and see the Cardiovacular surgery placement as other students were really excited about it as well. Overall the experience is very well planned. The staff, the accommodation and leisure time activities were perfect. All of the people I met in the hospital were friendly and helpful. Prague and the little cafés all around the city were a perfect place to have a rest. I enjoyed my week so much I only wish I could have stayed longer. But I decided to come back and stay in touch with my mentors and new friends I´ve met.

I was nervous booking the trip with Czech Hospital Placements Program because there were only a few reviews and researched other options. But I spoke to former students of the CHP Program and decided to take part after reading the details on their site. Genuinely the best two weeks of my life. From the first moment I met Barbora and the rest of the staff, they made me feel like at home. I would love to return. I chose the placement in ER as I wanted to see the most of urgent medicine and acute care. It was truly an eye opening expereience. I was really surprised by their ER Department. It is all brand new and huge as they take care of so many patients arriving from the capital. There were so many similarities with the UK. My mentors Tereza and Jiri were incredibly nice and made the effort to explain me all. We were in a group of two in the ER which was great as we could see all the procedures and discuss it together. The emergency department was so intense. It helped me to improve my understanding and gain tips for being a future doctor. I only wish we could see the ER for children to gain another perspective as oru mentors told me about different approach to patients and parents. One of the best parts was the clinical lectures the staff and mentors organized for us. We get together with all the students in the program to visit the Cardio centre for children. That was brilliant. The other time we discussed patient cases and medical ethics. In the evenings we had time to explore Prague. The house was few minutes far from the Prague Castle and the view was breathtaking. All was professionaly organize and I would highly recommend students interested in medicine or paramedicine to consider studying with the CHP Program. I have met so many new friends, my mentors were professional and friendly at the same time. I really enjoyed my time spent in Prague.

To be honest, I didn´t have much medical experience before my trip with the CHP Program. But medicine was something I always dreamed of so I encouraged myself to gain practical insight into the profession of a Cardio surgeon. I fell in love with it from the first moment, seeing various surgeries and diagnostic procedures have made me sure that I am going to become a Cardio surgeon myself. Every member of my mentoring team was so nice to me, these people are so willing to tell you everything about the case you observe and you might ask them also personal questions such as why they had become doctors., they share with you lot about their professional insight. If you are not sure whether you should go to med school, it is great to try it first by shadowing others as I did. From learning point of view this is really tangible experience, make sure you have good breakfast in the morning, as in the OR you might start to feel sick when hungry. I would never guess how tiring it is to be standing for long time during surgeries. Everyone from the CHP “back office” team is welcoming and friendly, feel free to talk to them about alll you need, they are happy to help:) Thank you CHP!