Medical Electives

Our medical student elective placements meet the requirements of all major British medical schools, and offer you:

A guaranteed clinical placement, organised by our professional staff in your chosen country
The security, freedom and social atmosphere of living in a Work the World house
All your food and other living costs overseas
Expert advice and support from our experienced UK team before you go
Support from our well-trained overseas staff throughout your placement

Every year we organise medical electives for several hundred students. Our staff in the UK and in our placement destinations have a real understanding of what makes a great elective, and a detailed knowledge of which hospitals offer the best student experience in particular fields. Through agreements with hospitals and health authorities overseas we are able to guarantee placements, giving you the peace of mind that your elective is confirmed from the time of booking.

Choose your Clinical Specialities

Our partner hospitals and clinics in each destination are carefully chosen to offer as wide a range of clinical opportunities as possible. Our most popular placements are in paediatrics, obstetrics / gynaecology, A&E and general medicine, but we can also arrange more for specialist fields on request. Recent examples of very successful new placements include plastic surgery, psychiatry, oncology and neurology.

As well as the core clinical placements, we offer a range of optional programmes giving a broader insight into the realities of healthcare and everyday life in the developing world. We have one-week village and traditional medicine programmes in Africa and a course in the ancient medical science of Ayurveda in India. Please see the ‘clinical settings’ links below for details of each country.

Accommodation & Food

Whichever destination you choose, you’ll have the benefit of being able to live in one of our Work the World houses. As well as offering secure, comfortable accommodation, living with other undergraduate healthcare students gives you the chance to make new friends and an important escape at the end of a tough day in the hospital. It also means there are people to travel with at weekends and after your placement. We employ a full-time cook for every house, and all your food is included in our package.

Total Flexibility

Because every medical student wants something slightly different from their elective, we think it’s important to organise the placement around you, not try to fit you into a standard package. Tell us when you want to start, finish and what you want out of the experience and we’ll do the rest. Our knowledgeable UK staff are happy to speak to you any time on the phone or via email, so please get in touch if you have any questions.

verandah of the Ghana house
Relaxing on the verandah of the Work the World house

Available destinations (Medical Electives)

Ghana	» clinical settings	» more about Ghana
India	» clinical settings	» more about India
Tanzania	» clinical settings	» more about Tanzania
Zanzibar	» clinical settings	» more about Zanzibar