Non-Elective Placements

Our placements are not only for elective students – if you’re an undergraduate medic, nurse, physio or dentist at any stage of your course we have fantastic opportunities for you to gain really valuable work experience in any of our destinations. Our package gives 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

Unlike the big gap year companies, we are a specialist organisation catering exclusively for healthcare undergraduates and professionals. Even as a first or second year, what you get is essentially an elective experience adapted for students at an earlier stage of training. We also guarantee all our placements, so you know that everything is confirmed however far ahead you want to plan your summer.

Choose your Clinical Specialities

We generally use the same partner hospitals as we do for electives in order 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.

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 ‘Add-ons’ links for details.

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 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.

Relaxing on the verandah of the Work the World house

Total Flexibility

Because every student wants something slightly different from their placement, we think it’s important to organise the experience around you, not try to fit you into a standard package. Tell us when you want to start, finish and any particular things you want to focus on 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.

Available destinations (Non-Elective Work Experience)

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