Medical elective placements in Nepal, South Asia

Doctors are highly respected in Nepal as they tend to originate from the highest caste. Even so, you will need to be proactive to overcome the language barrier as many patients do not speak English. Nepali lessons are provided at the Work the World house, and a little bit of effort goes a long way with supervisors.

Government hospital - Our placements are based in the largest Government subsidised institution in the area, offering busy wards and an outpatients clinic that sees up to 700 people a day. There is excellent scope for work in General Medical, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Emergency, Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Maternity departments. Proactive and competent students can get involved in daily clinics or ward rounds as well as scrub-in for theatre.

Private hospitals - We work with a number of medium to large private hospitals that offer increased patient care and treatment for those Nepalese that can afford to pay the sometimes minimal costs involved. The hospitals still suffer from a lack of equipment, but the level of English is generally better than in the Government hospital and you can focus on specialities that are not readily available in the public sector. Many private hospitals also function as teaching centres, and there are some excellent learning opportunities for students in General Medicine, minor and major surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cardiology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology and Emergency.  There is also the chance to work in the only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the area.

Church funded hospitals - We have a good relationship with a church funded project that provides care for leprosy patients and neurorehabilitation treatments. This offers students the chance to work with diseases and injuries that are not prevalent in western hospitals. It is incredibly popular and can only take one or two students.

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 have four weeks or more it is definitely worthwhile thinking about splitting an elective in Nepal. The social system really does affect the level of care patients can receive and spending time in both Government and private hospitals will give you a better understanding of Nepalese healthcare as a whole.

Village healthcare experience - To complement your city placement, we offer a fantastic opportunity to travel to a rural village in the mountains where you will spend a week working at a local health post helping to deliver primary healthcare to the community. You will learn about village life, living with a family and spending afternoons with your guide getting involved in traditional ways of life. Read more on our Nepal Village Healthcare Experience page.