“Interns are integrated into an organised, multidisciplinary system under the constant supervision of their intern supervisor and his team.”
Titre
The Institut Jules Bordet, university hospital
The Institut Jules Bordet, university hospital attached to ULB
The Institut Jules Bordet is an university hospital attached to the "Université Libre de Bruxelles" (ULB). As such, many doctors and members of the Institut’s staff teach at the ULB and in establishments that train health professionals. Similarly, every year the Institut Jules Bordet welcomes hundreds of students on internships.
Training future health professionals
Cancer is a very common disease. In Belgium, one in 3 people will be affected by it. Consequently, over the course of their career, all (future) doctors may be called upon to care for patients suffering from cancer, including GPs, who are often in the front line. So completing one or more internships at the Institut Jules Bordet is an invaluable part of medical training, even for those not intending to specialise in cancer care. This is also true of other health professionals such as nurses, psychologists and paramedics.
At present, the Institut Jules Bordet is the only hospital in Belgium devoted entirely to the treatment of all types of adult cancer. This enables students to experience a wide range of clinical cancer situations and offers a professional environment in which they are able to rapidly acquire the experience they need.
Every year, doctors from other countries also come to train and acquire experience at the Institut Jules Bordet as recipients of scholarships specially reserved for this purpose (including FOSFOM).
Our formations
In Belgium, medicine is studied in 3 cycles: the baccalaureate (3 years) and Master’s in Medicine (3 years); Specialist Master’s degree and special qualifications (2 -6 years depending on the specialism); and the doctorate in medical sciences.
As a university hospital attached to the ULB, the Institut Jules Bordet regularly welcomes students from these different cycles. The study of medicine involves not only theoretical study but also a number of mandatory internships in internal medicine and surgery. Students can also complete internships in other specialisms such as haematology, gastroenterology, gynaecology, urology, anatomo-pathology, radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, etc. They are also able to supplement the knowledge acquired in the lecture theatre with practical experience gained with patients and other health professionals.
Whatever the cycle and specialism studied, each intern is supervised by an internship supervisor – an experienced doctor who, with his team, oversees all intern interventions with patients.
The Department of Nursing at the Jules Bordet Institute has long had close links with schools of nursing in Belgium and abroad.
Every year the Department welcomes hundreds of nursing students following courses leading to diplomas in general nursing and specialist subjects (oncology, intensive care, etc.). The quality of the welcome and support given to these students by our Department of Nursing is recognised by their teachers at their home schools of nursing.
The Institut Jules Bordet also welcomes psychologists and paramedics (physiotherapists, speech therapists, dieticians, etc) on internships during the course of their basic training or to acquire specific skills in the different areas of oncology. These students also work under the supervision of an internship officer who oversees their interventions with patients.
Many science graduates and doctors also come to complete their doctorates in the Institut Jules Bordet research laboratories.
A multidisciplinary approach is in the very DNA of the Institut Jules Bordet. It is a key principle in providing the best possible treatment for patients affected by cancer. Even though they do not always meet them, each patient is reviewed by a number of doctors: oncologists, surgeons, radiotherapists, anatomopathologists, radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists, as well as by other healthcare professionals. These specialists meet regularly as part of the Multidisciplinary Oncology Team to discuss each patient’s situation in a collegial fashion. Student doctors and doctors training to specialise attend these meetings. This multidisciplinary approach, combined with outstanding supervision, helps to provide high-quality care along with highly effective training for the health professionals of the future.
Many doctors and health professionals at the Institut Jules Bordet lecture at the ULB, the Haute École de Bruxelles (HELB) and at other health training establishments. They participate in specific training, particularly in the fields of oncology, psycho-oncology, supportive and palliative care and ethics.
To further develop their knowledge and ensure that they are always up to date with the latest discoveries and new practices, Institut Jules Bordet teams hold regular seminars and cycles of conferences, symposiums and congresses. These are attended by staff from the Institut Jules Bordet, but also by doctors and professionals from other Belgian and international institutions.