Dar es Salaam, or Dar, is home to the biggest tertiary referral hospital in the country, offering students interested in Africa some of the best opportunities available in specialist clinical areas. You are also just a short distance away from the paradise shores of Zanzibar, giving you the best of both worlds.

The range of placements available and our strong relationship with the key hospital has allowed our in-country staff to develop some fantastic, varied placements. There is also the chance to work at the other end of the healthcare spectrum, with a Village Healthcare Experience in a rural cottage hospital on nearby Zanzibar island.

Read more about available placements and specialist areas through the “available elective placements” links on the side menu.

The Dar house is one of our most impressive and surprising. As with all the big African centres, the city is busy and sprawling. Travel to the North of the metropolis though and you come across the palm lined shores of the Sea Cliff peninsula. Jutting out into the Indian Ocean, with beautiful white-sand beaches on your doorstep, our base at Oyster Bay offers students something of the island vibe from Zanzibar as well as access to all the city has to offer.

Accommodating up to 30 healthcare elective students, the house has spacious living areas, comfortable shared bedrooms and its piece de resistance – a gorgeous garden with a swimming pool. The perfect place to relax after placements, or brush up on your KiSwahili.

All meals are included during your placement and Rehema and her team will cook up traditional Swahili and Arabic cuisine as well as western favourites with a Tanzanian twist. Each week the team will also host one of their legendary barbecues out in the garden and with so many fishing boats on the peninsula you are guaranteed some amazing fresh seafood.

Oyster Bay has a beautiful beach just moments from the house. Whether you want to enjoy a sun-downer at one of the many great restaurants or bars, spend an afternoon sunbathing or arrange a snorkelling or fishing trip to the islands off of the coast, this is the best place on the peninsula to make the most of your free time. You can also easily get a dala-dala into the city to explore. Dar hosts a mix of African, Arabic and Indian influence and has some beautiful buildings and fascinating bazaars to wander around.

On weekends or after your placement finishes your base in Dar provides endless travel options. Driving north or south you will find stunning coastline and rural villages to explore. There is also the chance to visit Selous Game Reserve or Mikumi National Park, the fourth largest in Tanzania. With most tourists heading to the Northern safari circuits, the Southern parks allow you to escape the crowds and offer some of the best safari as a result. For most students though, it is hard to resist another weekend in paradise... just ninety minutes by boat will see you lazing on Zanzibar’s picture postcard beaches, exploring the maze of Stone Towns craft stores and jumping in for a once in a lifetime chance to swim with dolphins and whale sharks.