Nepal – what’s on during your elective?

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Nepal has a hugely varied landscape considering it’s relatively small size. You have the highest mountains in the world leading down into the best river rapids and finally into the steamy heat of the plains. It is a mecca for adrenaline activities and canyoning, trekking and mountain biking are available all year, but also one for spiritualism; there are amazing temples and world heritage sites with some fantastic architecture and history. Weather often dictates a trip to Nepal, but we don’t think you should restrict yourself…..

DSC03533 150x150 Nepal – what’s on during your elective?

The peaceful lake - good for kayaking / boating

Abby 2011 27 150x150 Nepal – what’s on during your elective?

World peace pagoda - Pokhara's best walk

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The Weekly Question – why did you choose to do your elective placement with Work the World?

Friday, April 6th, 2012

It’s a fact of life; everyone likes to ‘big themselves up’ from time to time! And while we can go on until we’re blue in the face about why you should choose to do your overseas placement with Work the World, the best people to ask are those who did choose us and are on placement right now.

This week we asked students in each of our destinations “why did you choose to do your elective placement with Work the World?” Here are some of the responses…

dental students argentina 150x150 The Weekly Question why did you choose to do your elective placement with Work the World?

Students on placement in Mendoza, Argentina

In Argentina the leading answer was the opportunity for students to brush up on their Spanish with our fantastic week-long Intensive Spanish Course. Amanda Woods, a medical student from Alabama said “interacting with patients in a Spanish speaking company is definitely the best way to improve my Spanish…the programme has everything I was looking for.” Amanda also found us to be one of the only companies she researched offering placements in South America and to include the placement, accommodation, food and in-country support in the total cost.

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The top ten…. diseases in Nepal

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

Top 10 (Inpatients)

  1. COPD  (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  2. CVA  (Cerebral vascular accident)
  3. Birth asphyxia
  4. PLWHA (People Living With HIV/AIDS)
  5. Septicemia
  6. NIDDM  (Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus)
  7. Pneumonia
  8. MI  (Myocardial infarction)
  9. ADS (Acute Death Syndrome)
  10. IHD (Ischaemic heart disease)

Top 10 (outpatients)

  1. Pneumonia
  2. GE
  3. EF
  4. Appendicitis
  5. COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  6. RTI (Respitory tract infections)
  7. Injury / Dislocation
  8. Hepatitis
  9. Pyrexia
  10. Sepsis

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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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What it’s like to work in Nepal…

Friday, October 21st, 2011

I worked in the Emergency Department of a a non profit International Non-Governmental Organisation teaching hospital. It was an imposing building overlooking the city of Pokhara and looks expensive (i.e beyond reach for many of the locals). The reality of the fact is that it isn’t, but not many people know that. As a result between the hours of 08:00 and 15:00 – when the regional ‘cheap’ hospitals are open – the teaching hospital ED is remarkably quiet.

In ED we saw the many similar conditions to those we see in the UK. However there was an awful lot more trauma (resulting from RTCs and falls from trees!) and an alarming number of cases of meningitis.

In Nepal, if you injure someone resulting in a disability that stops them working, you have to support them for the rest of their life. There are horror stories of people reversing to kill people that they have run over. I heard stories that it is cheaper to bribe the police when there is a dead body!

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No more disappearing behind a bush on Everest…. toilets are being installed!

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

For the last few years there has been plenty of chat about Everest base camp and the amount of litter that people leave each year. We’ve heard about highways being built to cope with the number of tourists and we’ve seen lots of footage of overly burdened gurkas carrying sack loads of tin cans back from the well trampled route. The Saving Mount Everest Clean-Up Expedition team bring over 8 tonnes of rubbish from Mount Everest and its trekking trails!

rubbish 150x150 No more disappearing behind a bush on Everest.... toilets are being installed!

Rubbish removed by Saving Mount Everest

People and rubbish = a big problem.

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Sri Lanka vs Nepal – what are the differences?

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

Have you been thinking about doing your elective with Work the World in Asia, but can’t quite decide whether to chose Nepal or Sri Lanka? I completely understand your dilemma – both countries offer so much, but are so different from each other. It’s difficult to imagine what to expect or what to base your decision on.

To help you with your choice, I wanted to give you a little overview of the hospitals, the houses and what makes these destinations particularly special!

Clinical opportunities

Abby2011 7 150x150 Sri Lanka vs Nepal what are the differences?

A ward in Nepal

In Nepal we are based in Pokhara and we’ve partnered with a couple of large hospitals from both public and private sectors. The government hospital generally offers an excellent insight into basic healthcare provision for Nepal’s working class population. It’s a good option for students with an interest in primary healthcare and general fields of medicine and nursing and has proved particularly positive for general surgery, emergency and obstetrics and gynaecology.

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Pointers for nursing students heading out on Work the World projects

Saturday, September 10th, 2011

I served my elective nursing placement through Work the World in Pokhara, Nepal for 6 weeks. Given the fact that Nepal has a GDP of $1,200 per capita in comparison to $35,100 per capita in the UK, the budget for healthcare in the former is significantly smaller than the UK’s, resulting in a considerably different methodology of healthcare delivery. During that period I worked in the Emergency Department and Surgical Department of the Western Regional Hospital and worked in the health post at Nalma Village in Lamjung. While the following advice was developed from my Nepali experiences, they can be adapted towards nursing in the developing world.

Understand the local culture

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The weekly question – Why did you choose to do your placement in the destination you’re in?

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

We think that one of the hardest parts of organising an elective is actually deciding where to go. Whether you’re tempted by the tribes of Africa; the mountains of Asia or the flavour of South America, wherever you decide to go, your elective overseas will no doubt enrich both your professional and personal development in a safe, supported environment.

We currently work in seven locations around the world and like to talk to students in depth about each destination before they make a decision – this way they can work out which placement is most suited to them. So the question we chose to ask the houses this week is “Why did you choose to do your placement in the destination you’re in?”

Abby 2011 2 150x150 The weekly question Why did you choose to do your placement in the destination you’re in?

A Sri Lankan beach

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The Weekly Question – Were you nervous about travelling overseas for your placement? How did you conquer your fears and what advice can you give to future students?

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

Students are often slightly anxious about travelling overseas for their placements, particularly on their own.  So this week we’re asking the students in Africa, Asia and South America, “Were you nervous about travelling overseas for your placement? How did you conquer your fears and what advice can you give to future students?”

drinking blood1 150x150 The Weekly Question Were you nervous about travelling overseas for your placement? How did you conquer your fears and what advice can you give to future students?

Preparing the goat!

Arryl travelled to Arusha all the way from Canada “Before leaving for my elective, my circulating thoughts covered every emotion: excitement, fear, concern, and yearning. I was about to travel eighteen hours to the continent Africa. Needless to say, I settled in so quickly! The only advice I wish to leave you with is to go with an open (and un-judgemental mind) and literally jump, leap, and bound to these amazing opportunities that await you. This is more than a medical placement; this is a life changing opportunity and one that can forever impact your future. Do anything and everything you can, from climbing a mountain, to eating raw goat kidney. Your Tanzanian life awaits you. Have fun, play safe. And remember, this is Africa.”

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