Undertaking a medical elective in 2024 will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Travelling overseas lets you get clinical experience that you could never get on a placement at home.
You'll get the chance to explore an exotic destination and immerse yourself in local culture. You’ll massively boost your CV too. And who doesn’t want to stand out to potential employers?
Places for medical electives in 2024 are filling up fast. It’s critical you save your space as early as you can with that in mind.
Here’s why:
Peace of mind
Book ahead of the rush, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing you’ve secured your space in our exclusive, fully catered accommodation.
The Work the World house will be your home away from home and a social hub while you’re overseas with us.
After placement, you can have a few drinks with your housemates, enjoy a home-cooked meal prepared by our professional chefs, or kick back by the pool with a book if you need a bit of me time.
And don’t forget about our famous weekly BBQ nights. They're the perfect opportunity to let off some steam and socialise with a few beers and some amazing local food.
“A healthcare placement will be whatever you make it, but I think there is something to be said for the accommodation and living arrangements in between shifts… The house team were all so kind and personable. They were genuinely interested in your day and always went the extra mile to make your stay more comfortable. I felt clean, safe and well-fed.” – Ben Ward, medical student
You’ll meet like-minded people and build personal and professional relationships that will last a lifetime.
Find out more about Work the World accommodation
guaranteed department choices
Your 2024 medical elective overseas will be completely tailored to you. You choose the type of hospital you want to experience, the departments you want to spend time in, and the shift patterns you want to do.
You also get our guarantee that the hospitals and departments you choose before you travel will be the ones you spend time in when you're overseas.
You get these assurances and this flexibility thanks to the official partnerships we have with local hospitals and clinics. Please be aware that there are a limited number of spaces in each hospital department. Some niche areas can only take two students at a time, so once the places are gone, they're gone.
Give yourself plenty of time to decide where and how you want to spend your time.
Find out more about medical electives in 2024
“After booking my placement, the Work the World team were extremely helpful in designing a placement suited to my needs, that would also enable me to make the most of my time overseas.” – Sophie Hodson, medical student
Get your first choice of travel dates
Get in touch with us ahead of time, and you’ll have first pick when it comes to choosing your 2024 travel dates.
Our placements run all year round. Secure your space early, and you’ll have no problem finding dates that fit around your study or work commitments.
Plenty of time to save
Getting ahead of the game will give you more time to save. And with our flexible payment option, you can spread the cost of your placement by paying in instalments.
You don’t have to clear your final balance until 90 days before you travel, but the sooner you secure your place, the longer you have to save.
If you’re planning on fundraising for your trip, booking early will take the pressure off. It will give you plenty of time to think up some great ideas and enough time to pull them off.
“If you’re thinking about fundraising, start as early as you can and keep going. Just keep plugging away, and make sure you enjoy it while you’re doing it – I ended up raising £2,350!” Lisa Clarke, placement in Tanzania
More time means less stress
Booking in advance means you’ll be less stressed when it comes to completing your admin for the trip in time.
When you get to this stage, the trip starts to feel more real. But leaving it too late will add stress you don’t need, especially as you start focusing on looking forward to what’s to come.
“My fourth year of medicine was a busy and difficult year of the course, so I chose to go with Work the World to take a lot of the planning for my elective off of my hands. This meant I could focus on studying throughout the year and just look forward to my big six-week trip in the summer!”
– Alice Hanton, Medical Student
Instead of rushing around trying to complete visa applications and university forms in the final hours before your trip, you could be spending your time getting excited and researching things to see and do while you’re away.
Prepare for the trip of a lifetime
Once you’ve got your admin out of the way, it’s time to start familiarising yourself with the destination you’ll be travelling to.
And let’s be honest, this is the fun part. So you want to make sure you have plenty of time to get stuck into the details.
Spend time learning some of the local language (you get a comprehensive language guide once you’ve secured your space), research the must-see places, and learn a bit about local culture.
Our in-country teams will give you the best tips and local travel advice, but doing your own research before you leave won’t hurt.
You can spend your weekend on a jungle trek, relaxing on a paradise beach, hiking up to a mountain-top Buddhist temple — whatever you fancy.
Whatever your travel style, booking ahead will give you the time you need to start visualising your experience and getting excited about the trip of your life.
Get started now
Quickly get the ball rolling on your overseas placement by choosing your destination below:
Quickly get the ball rolling on your overseas placement by choosing your destination below:
