Visiting Witness’s home – Boma Ngombe

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

I don’t really have a translation for this one. When we asked, they answered…’it means cows, Boma Cows’. So there you are. Anyway, it is the name of the town we spent 1/1/2012 in and it was wonderful – a once in a lifetime experience!

IMG 3594 150x150 Visiting Witness’s home Boma Ngombe

On the bus to Witness' home

First of all, it was the dawn of a new year so, naturally, we were all hungover. The idea of going for a 1.5hr bus journey was not all that appealing but we managed to get to the station with minimal fuss and maximum re-hydration.

We were headed to Witness’ home village, Boma Ngombe. During the week she is chef and mother of the house and each weekend she makes the journey home to her family and 5yr old son. I couldn’t imagine being separated from my child like that but she swears that she loves her job and wouldn’t give it up for the world. Witness is amazing – she is about 5ft nothing, larger than life and a ‘rafiki best’ (best friend) to everybody!

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Christmas in Tanzania

Friday, January 27th, 2012

This must be one of the first Christmases where I haven’t woken up super early to see what was under the tree.

IMG 3534 1 150x150 Christmas in Tanzania

party hats!

What we have had today though is lots of laughs, fun, food and generally a lot of lazing about in the heat with drinks in hand. All in all it’s been a fantastic day. We made a big breakfast spread this morning, moved the Christmas tree out into the yard and basically set up camp in the cabana for the rest of the day. The girls then moved to the kitchen to make a cake for Emmanuel’s birthday which is also today. After ruining the package cake mix with a rotten egg we had to start from scratch with no recipe and only basic ingredients. It wasn’t the worst cake in the world but that’s about all the praise I can give it. It did look good though. Pimms and lemonade and a BBQ finished of the afternoon and now it’s beers and scrabble as the afternoon cools off and the sun starts to set on Xmas 2011.

I asked everyone what was the best Xmas gift they had ever received. Funnily enough no one could really come up with one. I think what really makes a great Xmas is the people you spend it with and the experiences you share. While I am certainly sad that I am not with family today this had certainly been a unique Christmas and one I am not likely to forget in a hurry.

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SCOR winners = two very excited Tasha’s!

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

We’ve been talking to the Society of Radiographers prize winners about how they felt when they found out that they had won the opportunity of a lifetime, and what they hope to achieve during their time away…

“I am so excited about this opportunity.  I never thought I would win with all the other highly talented students out there so I am honoured.  Today I got the call from Simon to start discussing what country I would be interested in going to – very distracting when I am studying for my exams next week!  Work the World offers a variety of countries so I am looking forward to sitting down after my exams and going through each destination in detail to see which one appeals the most.  A reward after the hours of revising and sitting exams.  From first impressions I would like to travel to Peru or Ghana, but I need to do more research before I decide.  I would like to experience a more rural hospital to see how radiography is applied there compared to the UK.  While abroad I hope to spend time in the community and experience local customs and traditional meals.” Tasha Kirby

“On hearing that I was a winner of the competition I was ecstatic! It was the best Christmas present ever and for days it felt like a dream. It was so surreal – to go work in Africa has always been an aspiration and to think I was chosen makes it extremely rewarding.  I have been in touch with Work the World, so it already feels like my journey has begun. Each time I speak with the team I get more excited – if that’s possible! I’m planning my trip for June time, which won’t come soon enough, but will be so satisfying after exams! I cant wait to go and experience the vast differences in culture, religion and ultimately healthcare. Meeting new people is something I love and although their healthcare systems may not be as privileged as ours today, I know there will be so much to learn from them and it will be a life changing experience.’ Tasha Jevdett

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The Weekly Question – How did you raise funds for your overseas placement?”

Monday, December 5th, 2011

We have written quite a few blogs recently about how to raise funds for your placement, and we can see from the number of hits that this is a subject is close to your hearts. To give you fresh perspective, we decided to ask our current students this week about how they managed to save for their placements.

Alex, who has just returned from her placement in Pokhara, Nepal, said: “When applying for some financial support towards my trip I drafted out a letter which I sent to 28 different companies asking for support. I also wrote to my local paper who agreed to cover the story, and that attracted some interest. I applied for different local grants through the council and through my university and also worked at my local supermarket at the weekend, which helped me raise some money. My local amateur dramatic group also took interest in me and hosted two plays over two nights to which both nights sold out. The two nights alone with the help of a lot of people raised me £2000!

pills2 150x150 The Weekly Question How did you raise funds for your overseas placement?”

Clinical trials worked for Matt. Image from freeimages.co.uk

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How to apply for a visa for your healthcare elective

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

Applying for visas can seem like a daunting process.  Different countries have different rules and buried within the embassy websites are procedures that seem to contradict themselves at every turn. There are endless paperwork requests, supporting letters….. it’s a nightmare!

Picture 3 150x150 How to apply for a visa for your healthcare elective

My Trip

We keep up to date on all of our destination visa requirements, and in an ideal world we would include the cost of your visa in our placement fees, arranging the whole thing on your behalf. The problem is that rules and regulations change so quickly that if we included the cost of a visa based on todays prices, by the time it came to apply we would no doubt be out of pocket or would have overcharged. The best, and most cost effective way of you getting the right visa, is to apply directly.

Before you get into a panic about getting the wrong stamp in your passport, rest assured that we are not about to leave you to navigate the process alone. Our “visa gurus”, Nicole and Chris, make sure that you have all the help you need; speaking to the different embassies, monitoring updates and keeping a general check on each country to make sure we have the most up to date information on what is needed. Nic and Chris make sure guidelines for application are provided on your MyTrip page, as well as any supporting material. This could include anything from a hospital confirmation letter, an outline of your trip or an invitation document to the country – everything you need is on MyTrip ready for download. You even get a reminder to get on the case and start applying!

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Split placements – is it worth signing up for one?

Monday, November 21st, 2011

There is no doubting that a placement in a developing country hospital can contribute enormously to both your degree and chosen career. Working with professionals in another country gives you the opportunity to experience how healthcare is delivered in an under-resourced environment, understand more about developing country diseases – some of which you may have only read about in text books –  and use and gain new skills treating advanced pathologies.

As you will know from the rotations you have completed in different departments and hospitals, no two wards or supervisors are the same. This is even more defined in a developing country where resources are dramatically decreased. To give students the opportunity to broaden their experience overseas,  Work the World recommend splitting your placement and working in different wards or hospitals within one or several of our destinations.

We get lots of questions about the benefits, cost and necessity of split placements, so this blog is designed to answer those questions. and help you make a decision as to whether a split placement is an option for you. (more…)

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Money off your placement….. an early Christmas present!!!!

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

*** Reduce the cost of your placement by £100′s!!!***

Lottie Boyer Zanzibar Full moon pyramid 150x150 Money off your placement..... an early Christmas present!!!!

How many friends can you find?

Work the World are offering £50 for every person you refer from now until Christmas – that’s 50% more than our standard referral fee!

The great news is that it is also limitless – find one friend and you get £50, but get 10 to sign up and you could earn a massive £500 off of your placement balance!

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The weekly question – What is the public transport like?

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
028 150x150 The weekly question What is the public transport like?

Safari

The majority of our students use public transport to get into town or to travel to their placement. In fact joining the hoards on a busy bus can sometimes be the best way to integrate yourself into local life. Trips to work can also provide some of the funniest travel experiences of your time away. We asked our students “ what is the public transport like in your area” in the hope we might hear about some of these funny and typical travel experiences. We had some fantastic responses from each of our destinations, with real insight into each country.

Starting in Africa;

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Weekly Question ”Why would you recommend your destination to future students”

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

We get hundreds of students coming to us knowing they want to do a clinical placement overseas, but with no idea exactly where they would like to go. If this sounds familiar then maybe our current students will help you decide…..

Abby 2011 13 150x150 Weekly Question Why would you recommend your destination to future students

Prasanga the caterer and the gardener Uncle

Katie and Clare in Sri Lanka have a list too long to post but here are some of our favourites; (more…)

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Top ten…. tips on taking good photographs

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

With the Big Picture Competition showing us just how great some travel photos can be, we thought our top ten tips this week should be about how you take a great photograph.

  1. PONGALA1 150x150 Top ten.... tips on taking good photographs

    Asia's amazing festivals are worth the trip alone

    Do your research – it’s worth having a think about your destination before you go. Many photos may catch an impromptu moment, but the photographer has given themselves the best chance of getting that shot by placing themselves in the right space at the right time. Have a look to see if there are there any festivals, parades or street markets happening and get yourself into the best vantage point ready to take some shots.

  2. Positioning – Think about the actual photograph. If you place your subject off centre, instead of right in the middle,  the story is far more interesting. The best way to think about it is as a three way grid. Place your subject on any of the intersected points  and check out how much better your picture is. There is a handy breakdown of this on ehow.
  3. Keep notes – Where were you when the picture was taken? So often you get back and look at your 1000′s of photos and have no idea where you were on that day. The camera will keep a record of the date, you just need to know your itinerary.
  4. Inspiration – What photos have you seen that you like? Check out Flickr or scroll through the images on our site. What angles have other photographes used and what subjects? You can also look at postcards when you are away and see what is considered the best shot of your subject.
  5. Jemma Bowker 11 150x150 Top ten.... tips on taking good photographs

    Elephants in the mist.

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