Education Exchange Programme
Recognising an opportunity to enrich GP training during clinical placements at Mildmay, Chief Executive Geoff Coleman and Medical Director, Dr Simon Rackstraw FRCP, initiated the Education Exchange Programme (Ed Ex), piloted with short-term electives at Kumi Hospital.
The United Kingdom rightly takes pride in the high standards of its health workforce. Yet a vital complement to training is first-hand experience of delivering care in a developing-world setting, where the facilities, resources, networks and safety nets we rely on are limited or absent.
We are now relaunching Ed Ex with Mildmay Uganda Hospital, opening placements not only to trainee doctors but to a wider range of clinicians and therapists - initially from Mildmay, and, subject to feasibility, from across the NHS in due course.
During an Ed Ex placement, participants gain direct experience of care in resource-limited environments, building practical skills and insights that strengthen their UK practice. The programme deepens understanding of the challenges and possibilities of healthcare in low- and middle-income countries, preparing clinicians to serve diverse communities with confidence, empathy and adaptability.