Teaching Abroad & Projects Abroad

Medical Electives

Projects Abroad offers a wide variety of tailor-made medical elective placements, which have been designed specifically to meet your needs as a medical student.

We have sixteen years of experience collaborating with medical professionals. We can provide you with a placement that not only meets your medical elective requirements but also gives you a full and rich experience of the countries where they are based.

If you are searching for a placement with:

• specific specialties
• the chance to make a difference in a developing country
• a new and exotic backdrop to your studies

then Projects Abroad offers you the right opportunity.

Our medical elective placements are available in different countries around the world and have been vetted by British orthopaedic and trauma consultant Simon Britten of St. James's University Hospital in Leeds. Visit his homepage at www.simon-britten.info. This is the basic checklist that has to be "ticked" by Simon or anyone planning an elective placement for his approval:

• Good variety of medical specialties
• Clear daily timetables
• Clearly modularised programme
• Good well-qualified supervisor
• Simple contact with Projects Abroad
• Interpreters available if needed
• Links with local primary care
• Opportunity to see traditional medicine (if applicable)

AND

• Great local food and accommodation
• Enjoyable social environment

Working in a Developing Country

We currently offer electives in nine countries on five continents.

In developing countries, students will see diseases and conditions that have long been eradicated from the First World, such as leprosy and polio. Furthermore, due to a lack of both general health education and money to pay for treatment, the cases that you see will tend to be far more advanced than you are used to from your time in western hospitals.

Because of the limited resources available in the countries where we work, our medical colleagues are always glad of extra help - and this is likely to come across in the way you are received by medical and other hospital staff and by patients as well.

What do I get for my money?

A Great Elective Placement
A high-quality, worthwhile and well-planned elective placement.

Accommodation
Local host-families are carefully selected to be friendly, caring and welcoming and also be safe and secure. In some cases it is possible to arrange for you to stay with other volunteers.

Food
Projects Abroad is responsible for providing all your meals.

Insurance
Comprehensive travel, liability and medical insurance is included automatically.

Staff and Support
Full support from our 150 highly trained and experienced overseas staff.

Security
We avoid places where there is likely to be significant political or social unrest. We keep in close touch with the Foreign Office and with embassies.

All of the following countries have medical elective placements: Argentina, Bolivia, China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Peru and Sri Lanka. Here are a few examples from different countries:

Sri Lanka
The Teaching Hospital Karapitiya in Galle is a large public hospital with 1465 beds, 400 doctors and 850 nursing staff. Galle itself is a large town which was once a Dutch colony with its large fort built in 1663. The town has a magnificent beach, now restored to its former glory after the tsunami. The hospital acts as a training school for local medical students in their 3rd year clinical rotations, and the Director of the hospital, Mr. Wijewickrama has overall responsibility for these and Projects Abroad students alike. Mr A.D. Ratnaweera, the Chief Nursing Officer, is the person who would have day-to-day responsibility for you and your elective placement. Specialties are available in these areas: Anaesthesia, Chemical Pathology, Dermatology, E.N.T, Haematology, Microbiology, Neurology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Pathology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Radiology and Surgery.

Mongolia
The State Second General Hospital is the largest in the country, with 70 doctors, 150 nursing staff and 530 beds, and it dominates the Bayanzurkh district, a short walk from the centre of Ulaanbaatar. During the Communist era, it was a hospital for upper-level officials only, and this reputation has carried over to the modern day, so you are likely to see some Mongolian celebrities and government ministers, mixed in with street-children and peasants who may have walked for two days to get there. Your supervisor would be Dr Yumjaagin Byambaa, who gives elective students access to the wide range of departments available: Chemical Pathology, Dermatology, E.N.T, Gynaecology, Neurology, Obstetrics, Orthopaedics, Psychiatrics, Radiology, Surgery and Traditional Medicine.

Mexico
The Hospital General de Zapopan is a public hospital, with over 200 doctors and nursing staff and 420 beds, situated a short bus-ride from the heart of Mexico's second biggest city, Guadalajara. Zapopan is a beautiful small town in its own right with a bustling public plaza and a famous cathedral. Your supervisor here would be Dr Marco Rendón, who arranges work in Anaesthesia, Dermatology, Gynaecology, Haematology, Maternity, Obstetrics, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Pathology, Plastic Surgery and Psychiatrics and Surgery.

India
Projects Abroad has 23 elective placements operating in India. The Annai Velankanni hospital in Tirunelveli is one of the hospitals we work with. Located a couple of hours journey from the famous temple-city of Madurai and our main office in Sivikasi this hospital is an excellent location for medical elective volunteers. The hospital has 12 doctors and 50 full-time nursing staff, all extremely friendly and helpful - and glad of any help elective students can provide. Your supervisor here would be Dr Francis Roy who provides students with a specific timetable for the duration of their elective programme. Students can work in the following areas: Anaesthesia, ENT, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics and Surgery.

Ghana
Projects Abroad has 12 elective placements in Ghana. The Tetteh Quarshie Hospital is located in Mampong, a village in the Akuapem Hills. The region is very poor and, as with much of Africa, HIV and AIDS are a large problem. The Tetteh Quarshie is a state-run hospital with 7 doctors, 80 nursing staff and 223 beds. Your supervisor would be Julius Kuusaalesuo, a physician who likes to give students a great deal of flexibility in their working hours, to enable them to access as many different departments as possible. Specialties are available in the following areas: Dentistry, E.N.T., Family Planning, Gynaecology, Obstetrics, Othopaedics, Paediatrics, Public Health and Surgery.

For the general Medical page please click here

Chris McKenna - elective student

Medical elective in Ghana

Hospital in Mexico

Maternity Unit in Mongolia

Operating theatre in Mongolia

Medical elective in China