"My trip to Tanzania with Work the World was great value for money.
The placement gave me the right balance of structure and independence, allowing me to explore in a way that suited me.
It might not be right for you, but for me, having just finished finals, it was stress-free perfection.”
— Richard Healey, medical elective placement in Tanzania (Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry)
As Richard points out, our medical electives are affordable, but there are no compromises when getting your money’s worth.
Travel with us, and you’ll get:
- A medical elective tailored to your clinical interests
- Comprehensive pre-trip preparation
- Dedicated (24/7) in-country support team
- Private, catered accommodation
You can choose the departments where you want to gain experience. These include surgery, A&E, paediatrics, oncology, internal medicine, and a broad selection of other departments and specialities not listed here.
You'll benefit from the strong relationships we have with our partner hospitals. These relationships allow us to offer quality and flexibility of choice in a way no one else can.
You'll see unfamiliar conditions like tropical diseases and snake bites and learn how a lack of resources and sociocultural issues affect care delivery. The chance to get an experience like this doesn't come around often, so seize it while the opportunity presents itself.
Of course, there’s much more detail than that, so you can click here to read why our placements offer exceptional value for money.
What do we mean by affordable?
Our overseas medical electives start at £1440.
If you secure your spot 12 months before you want to travel, you could pay the balance in instalments of about £30 a week.
Sacrifice a few luxuries here and there, and you’ll hit your target without thinking about it.
But if you're already living on a tight budget, there are plenty of other ways to raise funds.
You get exceptional value for money on a Work the World placement - here's how.
Fundraise your way to a placement
— Lisa fundraised £2350 towards her placement —
We set up a fundraising hub a while back, and it has launched more fundraising campaigns than we can keep track of.
The hub has loads of great tips and ideas to help you plan.
You’ll find guides on:
- Fundraising events
- Finding a sponsor
- Writing an effective online fundraising profile
- How to (successfully) apply for bursaries and grants
- How to get your message out
- How we can support your effort
Raising your funds is manageable, making our placements even more affordable in the most practical way possible.
“I started raising funds in November, around Bonfire Night. I wasn’t due to travel until about July, so it took me about nine months to get all the money together.
Just keep plugging away, and make sure you enjoy it while you’re doing it — I ended up raising £2350!” — Lisa Clark, placement in Tanzania
All this talk about affordability, but we haven’t said anything about the experience.
Discover more insider info on medical elective funding
Eye-opening medical experience
— You'll get to know the lives of local patients through meaningful interaction —
Our overseas medical electives aim to get experience in a fast-paced, low-resource hospital in the developing world.
You’ll spend time in the departments you choose and put your clinical knowledge to the test with unfamiliar cases, from tropical diseases to snake bites.
In our partner hospitals, you’ll see how cultural factors affect practices and treatments for the most economically disadvantaged patients.
In some of our destinations, you can see traditional medicine's role in a developing healthcare system.
Below, you’ll find first-hand accounts from people who have already travelled with us.
Student Stories:
“Paediatric ward rounds were fascinating. I saw conditions I hadn’t really encountered before like malaria and severe malnutrition.” — Sarah Imbush, medical placement in Ghana
“Resources are limited here, which is a massive problem. Gloves are not readily available, and it’s difficult to sterilise instruments. Pregnant mothers take turns to have foetal monitoring, and pain medication is rarely used.” — Emma Stanhope, medical placement in the Philippines
So why Work the World?
With us, you’ll get personal, end-to-end service. We offer support throughout your experience, from the moment you contact us to when you return home from your trip.
We strongly recommend you visit this page to see exactly what you get with our service.
And beyond that, we're regarded as the experts in planning, customising, and building medical electives abroad.
We’ve been doing what we do for over 15 years and have built placements for around +17,000 students from 400+ universities worldwide.
How do I get started?
Speak with one of our Elective Consultants. They’re all-knowing and well-prepared to talk you through how we’ll tailor a placement with your name on it.
DESTINATIONS
AFRICA & ASIA
From relaxing on paradise beaches to trekking through the Himalayan Mountains, find your dreamdestination here.
From relaxing on paradise beaches to trekking through the Himalayan Mountains, find your dreamdestination here.
