Medical elective placements in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
As the capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam has the country's leading facilities and most up to date teaching practices. There are areas of expertise that you will not find elsewhere in the country, giving you the best chance of specialising.
Government tertiary referral hospital - Our placements are based in the largest tertiary referral and teaching hospital in the country, offering big, busy wards with excellent supervisors. Patients from all walks of life are referred here for treatment from across the country, so as long as you have some experience in your chosen area, there is opportunity to be quite specific about your interests and get involved in more advanced treatments. There are excellent placement options in the busy Outpatients Department, General Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, Casualty, Infectious Diseases and in the newly opened Emergency Ward. There is also a Psychiatric ward with a secure wing and an Anaesthesiology Department - giving access to placements not offered anywhere else in the country. In addition to this, a separate Orthopaedic building offers fantastic opportunities for students who want to focus on traumatology or neural surgery.
Government regional hospital - The smaller regional hospital offers a more basic version of the care available in the referral hospital. Previously a district level hospital, this hospital now offers a wide range of departments, including a new surgical department, and a fantastic alternative to the larger teaching hospital. Working in a less structured environment can make it easier to develop your relationship with your supervisor and have more patient interaction during treatment and care. Students must have previous experience in their chosen department, but for those that do there are excellent placements available in Paediatrics, Neonatology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Casualty Outpatients and General Medicine. There is also access to x-ray and ultrasound within the small but busy Radiology Department.
Don't forget - if your preferred speciality is not listed, give us a call as we can usually accommodate most requests. You could also think about other opportunities to make more of your elective:
Split placements - If you are in Tanzania for more than four weeks, it's a brilliant place to do a split placement. We can arrange for you to spend part of your time at the tertiary referral hospital as well as well as the regional hospital, or incorporate time at a regional or district hospital based at the Arusha or Lake Victoria programmes. A split placement will give you a much better picture of Tanzanian healthcare and introduce you to people from all walks of life.
Village healthcare experience - To complement your city placement, we offer an amazing opportunity to travel to a rural village close to Mikumi National Park, where you will spend a week working in a primary healthcare clinic that serves a large rural community. Living with a local family in basic accommodation and spending afternoons with a guide learning about rural culture, visiting sacred sites and getting involved in community activities, is a unique cultural experience. Read more on our Dar es Salaam Village Healthcare Experience page.
Take a look at Hannah Townsend's case study all about her medical placement in Dar es Salaam.