Biomedical Science in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

Key Information

Information

Application Deadline: 13/06/23 at 9:00 am

Opportunity type: Academic-led trips

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

Ref: 10007688

Dates

Departure Date: 03/11/23

Return Date: 11/11/23

Costs

£1100-1200: the estimated cost for travel and accommodation (excluding DMU Global funding). Students will also be required to pay for: UK and in-country transfers, visits, food and drink, visa (if applicable)

Funding

DMU Global Bursary: £400

Booking

Accommodation: Shared rooms will be provided at Chinhoyi University of Technology

Travel: Booked by DMU (students travel as a group)

Contact

General Enquiries: Global Mobility Office - dmuglobal@dmu.ac.uk

Trip Lead: Peter Chimkupete - pchimkupete@dmu.ac.uk

How to pay

Payment details: Students will be required to pay £700-800 as a contribution towards the cost of travel and accommodation after being offered a place on the trip. The DMU Global bursary will be deducted directly from the overall cost of the booking.

Eligibility

Biomedical Science and Medical Science students that will be in their second or third year of undergraduate study in the 2023-24 academic year are eligible to participate on this opportunity. There is a maximum of 20 places available, with a minimum of 15 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.

About

Trip description

During the overseas opportunity, DMU students will collaborate with Students from the Biology faculty of the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT). Working together with students from CUT, DMU students will conduct science workshops for local Zimbabwean students of age range 14 – 17 years. In these workshops they will coach and mentor middle and high school students in the principles and applications of: Malaria Microscopy; Sickle Cell Disease Microscopy; Dipstick Urinalysis; Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR) and Blood grouping. There will be an interschool science quiz at the end of each workshop with the winning school getting a prize.

DMU students will also attend a meeting with members of the professional body the Zimbabwe Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (ZAMLS) and the regulatory body, the Medical Laboratory and Clinical Scientist Council of Zimbabwe(MLCSCZ), where they will learn about the education, training and regulation of Biomedical Scientists in Zimbabwe. Besides broadening their minds this will be especially useful for the global biomedical science assignment in BIOM2060. Participants will also visit the local hospital laboratory where they will interact with Biomedical Scientists and learn about medical laboratory practice.


Learning objectives

Participating in a DMU Global opportunity can help you develop a range of skills and knowledge that enhance your studies. Through participation in this trip to Zimbabwe we expect that students will:

  • Develop and enhance presentation skills by preparing and presenting to school students.
  • Gain mentoring and coaching experience through working with school students in practical sessions
  • Develop intercultural communication through collaborating with CUT students
  • Promote Biomedical Sciences and inspire school students to consider pursuing a career in this field

Several pre-visit sessions will be held to prepare students using material from previous the visit. DMU students will be paired with CUT students before the visit and a preliminary virtual meeting will be followed by communication between students on a monitored WhatsApp group.

After the trip a de-brief session will be held to assess the trip against the objectives. The students will prepare a presentation to be delivered to other students who will not have participated in the opportunity.


Cultural activities

Students will have the opportunity to visit a range of local tourist sites including the magnificent Chinhoyi limestone and dolomite Caves; a village of the Kore kore people to get a glimpse of a traditional rural Zimbabwe homestead; the lion and cheetah park which also has a variety of wildlife such as zebra, elephants, hyenas and crocodile; and finally an arts and crafts market. These visits will be conducted together with CUT counterparts and using university transportation.

Visa Information

Due to various external factors and an unprecedented demand for international travel, there are significant delays in visa processing, as well as very limited availability of application appointment slots for some countries and embassies.

We recommend that you take all appropriate steps to secure a visa as soon as practically possible, and to notify DMU Global if you face any issues. It is your responsibility to meet the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to. Failing to do so may mean that you’re liable for the costs incurred to the university (including repayment of the DMU Global bursary).