Physiotherapy Electives

Our physiotherapy elective placements offer undergraduate students and qualified physios valuable practical experience in the developing world, giving 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

Our partner hospitals are carefully selected to offer opportunities to gain practical, hands-on experience of physiotherapy. We also have agreements with local health authorities overseas that allow us to guarantee placements, giving you the peace of mind that your elective is confirmed from the time of booking.

Physiotherapy in the Developing World

In most of our destinations, only the major hospitals have physio departments, so each one serves a large catchment area and receives a wide range of patients. Common cases include stroke patients, children with cerebral palsy, post-polio sufferers, arthritis and paralysis of various kinds.

Most of the physio departments in which we work are relatively well-equipped. There is usually a gymnasium area with exercise bikes, parallel bars, physio exercise balls, shoulder exercise wheels etc as well as separate rooms with specialist equipment. Hydrotherapy is sometimes used, with many departments having at least one full bath as well as hand and wrist basins. Multifunctional electronic systems used for muscle stimulation and pain relief, such as the Endomed 582, are also sometimes available.

Supervision & Practical Experience

Part of the preparation we do for your placement is to ensure that there is a suitably qualified physiotherapist to serve as your Supervisor. In most cases, this will be the Head of Department.

Limited resources and staffing mean that physio assistants and/or nurses tend to play a much bigger role in the practical work than in the UK. Having an enthusiastic final year student or qualified physiotherapist can therefore be very helpful, and depending on your skill level you are likely to find good opportunities for really hands-on experience. The key thing to remember, as with any placement, is that the more you can earn the respect and trust of the local staff, the more opportunities you are likely to get.

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 physio 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.

Relaxing on the verandah of the Work the World house

Available destinations (Physio 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

apply online now » contact us »