Awardee: Raffaele Ornello, University of L’Aquila, Italy
Host Institution: Department of Neurology at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman
Twitter: @RaffaeleOrnello
My Department-to-Department visit has a long history. After getting the award in 2021, my visit was postponed until 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At last, I was able to visit the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Scotland, in June 2023.
During my stay, I had the opportunity to visit a centre of excellence for the care of stroke and particularly intracerebral haemorrhage. I was able to participate in all the activities of this centre and see its integration across clinics, the ward, and the University.
The centre opened me its doors and I could participate in the clinical case discussions, see the management of routine and urgencies during the stroke outreach run in the morning. During the afternoon, I had the opportunity to take part in the TIA clinics and interdisciplinary meetings with all the professional profiles involved in stroke care, as well as in the research meetings and one of the M&M meetings. I got very useful experiences for my professional growth, especially in team building, planning research, and running clinics. I knew all the great healthcare workers of the Unit with their diverse roles and styles.
I had the opportunity to see a really different way of taking care of stroke, very focused on clinics and outpatient research and less hospital-centred than the system in which I usually work.
The city welcomed me with lovely sunny days which I would not have expected from Scotland. I took my time to get around and admire the beautiful landscapes of Edinburgh and its surroundings.
I would like to thank Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman and all his clinical, administrative, and research team for their warm welcome. I really felt at home.
I am grateful for the support given by ESO within the Department-to-Department Visit Programme. I took back at home a refreshing experience, an opportunity for networking, and a load of suggestions to bring back home. I warmly recommend participating in such an activity to every young physician interested in stroke.
About the ESO Department to Department Visit Programme
The Department to Department Visit Programme aims to provide insight into stroke departments outside the applicant`s home country through a grant of EUR 1,500 offered to up to 10 young physicians and researchers to support a short visit of a week or as a contribution to a longer visit to an European department or laboratory.
