Eleni Christofi and Leontia Iona, both 5th year medical students at the University of Cyprus, wrote on their experience completing a one-week internship in interventional radiology at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Student internships: Eleni Christofi and Leontia Iona
Eleni Christofi
Leontia Iona
Our experience during our IR internship at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Bratislava, Slovakia, was incredible and we are eager to share our experiences. We were both already interested in the broad spectrum of interventional radiology, so when we were introduced to CIRSE student programme by our university professor in our 4th year of medical school, our enthusiasm about taking part in an internship was immediate. Thanks to this amazing, opportunity we were able to observe and participate in engaging and extraordinary interventions in the catheterization lab of the IR department.
The department specializes in lower limb vascular procedures, and this was one of the things that sparked our curiosity and excitement. Most of the procedures we observed were peripheral angioplasty of lower limb arteries, most frequently the common iliac artery, common femoral artery, superficial femoral artery, and popliteal artery, as a form of treatment for peripheral angiopathy. We were especially impressed by the usage of different types of balloons and stents, such as drug-eluting balloons, cutting balloons, and even shockwave balloons. Furthermore, we were lucky to experience both retrograde and antegrade angioplasty of the superficial femoral artery preventing limb ischaemia.
In addition to the specialised procedures, during our one-week internship we were able to attend other types of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. For example, standard procedures were regularly scheduled such as diagnostic pulmonary angiographies. Apart from that, we were impressed by getting to watch an angioplasty for an arteriovenous fistula stenosis and common carotid artery stenting
Our internship could not have happened without the valuable help and mentoring of Dr. Lukáš Vincze, who was always willing to help us, explaining every single detail of each procedure and providing us with the essential bibliography beforehand. Moreover, Dr. Vincze encouraged us to actively be a part of the team and participate in operations, giving us hands-on experience and new knowledge of the materials and tools used. It was quite motivating to see how committed he was to sharing his knowledge and providing excellent patient care.
Dr. Vincze and entire IR team, including the other doctors, nurses, and technicians, were more than friendly, generous and supportive. We were warmly welcomed by the hospital personnel when we arrived, which created an atmosphere of hospitality.
We are thankful for the opportunity to witness unique and innovative interventions, and for the trust that was put in us by giving us the chance to participate in a catheterization lab for the first time. This would not have been possible without the CIRSE student programme.
We highly recommend and encourage any medical student who is thrilled by interventional radiology and is interested in an outstanding experience to enrich their knowledge by participating in a CIRSE student internship. Given this chance, students can have an extensive understanding of this subject and insightful information about healthcare systems throughout the world.
