by Joe Jamieson

Funding your trip

"My trip to Tanzania was exceptional value for money. Work the World gave me the right balance of structure and independence, allowing me to explore the country and experience my placement in a way that suited me.” - Richard Healey on his elective in Tanzania.

We hear stories like this all the time. But what exactly do you get as part of your overseas placement with Work the World?

Get Thorough Planning and preparation

If you travel with Work the World, you'll go through our comprehensive pre-departure preparation process. Some placement providers are happy to take your money and let you figure out the rest for yourself.

But not Work the World. You get an end-to-end service with us - we’ll fully support you from the moment you get in touch right up until the end of your placement.

What you get before you go 

MYTRIP PAGE

Detailed placement planning: You get a member of our team assigned to you, personally. They know everything there is to know about the destinations they oversee and will help plan and tailor every aspect of your placement.

  • Flexibility to choose what you want: You can choose which country you want to go to when you want to travel, which hospitals you want to spend time in, which departments you want to get experience in, and more. We will confirm and guarantee your choices long before you arrive in the country.
     
  • Total support throughout The pre-departure process is about planning, but it’s also about preparation. Our team will take you through our trip preparation, making sure you are ready for the experience. They are only a phone call or email away if you have questions.
     
  • University documentation: If your university needs information from us before you travel, we will provide it. Placement confirmation letters, health and safety audits, risk assessments, you name it.
     
  • Comprehensive trip building: After planning your trip, we build it in-country. We liaise with our overseas teams and long-standing partner hospitals to make sure everything is in place and local staff are briefed and ready for when you arrive.
     
  • Online placement planner: MyTrip is your interactive online placement planner and timeline that contains personalised information about every aspect of your trip, including which hospital you will be in and who your housemates will be.
     
  • And you can feel completely confident knowing that you now get even more flexibility when booking your Work the World placement. We've also introduced additional procedures in our accommodation to give you total peace of mind while you're overseas.

At the end of this first part of the process, you’ll feel excited, confident and ready, knowing that every detail has been taken care of.

Learn more about how we plan your trip.

Then, as soon as you land in your country of choice, our service changes from planning and preparation to logistics and support.

what you get when you arrive 

ORIENTATION

  • You get 24/7 support from our overseas team from the second you land
     
  • A member of our team will meet you at the airport and take you back to the Work the World house
     
  • You get a welcome briefing, then will meet the rest of the Work the World team and your new housemates
     
  • Before your placement starts, we will take you on a city tour to help you get your bearings
     
  • We will also take you on a hospital orientation before you start your placement, introducing you to the department staff and supervisors you’ll be spending time with
     
  • You get as much or as little support as you feel you need for the duration of your stay

Learn more about what you can expect from our overseas teams.

Live in exclusive, Private, catered accommodation

  • Live in a spacious private house with healthcare students and professionals from around the world
     
  • All our houses are in safe suburban neighbourhoods and are managed by our in-country teams
     
  • Accommodation is fully catered. Our in-house catering team prepares meals each day. If you have any food allergies - our team can accommodate all dietary requirements
     
  • Well-stocked cupboards and fridges for when you want to rustle up a snack
     
  • BBQ night with cultural entertainment once a week
     
  • A housekeeper keeps your living space fresh and clean
     
  • Weekly language lessons in the house help you get the most from your hospital placement and travel experiences

Learn more about your accommodation.

Get incredible value from Your Placement

Your clinical placement is the main reason for your trip. And it’s important to us that you get what you want from your experience in the hospital.

The long-standing partnerships we have with all hospitals and clinics all over the world help make this possible.

These close partnerships mean you get clinical opportunities that you just can’t get anywhere else or with any other provider.

Get Eye-opening clinical experience

Observing an amputation in the surgical department in the Regional Hospital in Tanzania

  • Get access to gain experience in a healthcare system different from your own; some with incredibly low resources, others surprisingly high
     
  • Spend time in departments of your choosing, learning about conditions you may have never encountered before
     
  • See how socioeconomic, cultural and religious factors affect practices and treatments
     
  • See what role traditional medicines play alongside more modern healthcare standards
     
  • Feel welcomed into local department teams and learn from local specialists
     
  • Feel secure knowing that you will have an assigned team of in-hospital English-speaking supervisors for the duration of your placement
     
  • Off placement, we hold several informal feedback sessions to make sure you’re getting everything you want from the placement
     
  • Enjoy flexibility - the relationships we have with our hospitals allow us to make changes (within reason) to your placement on the fly
     
  • Support from Work the World staff continues while you are on placement - our overseas teams are a regular presence in the hospitals we operate in

But the best part is that you'll get peace of mind knowing that we’ve created thousands of placements since 2005. And that's priceless.

So How much does it cost?

Prices vary depending on duration and destination. Your registration fee secures your place and lets us start work on getting things in place for your once-in-a-lifetime trip. You can pay the rest of the balance in instalments whenever and however you like, as long as it's clear 90 days before you depart.

Read more about our elective placements abroad.

Choose your destination

Start planning your placement today by browsing the destinations you can travel to across Africa and Asia.

How long is a typical Work the World elective placement?

A overseas elective is as long as you want it to be. Our minimum placement duration is one week, but students typically travel on their elective for 4-6 weeks. There is no upper limit to how long you can travel for.

What is the typical cost of a Work the World elective placement?

Registration for all destinations is £300. Prices then vary depending on how long you want to go for and where you want to travel to. Our minimum placement duration is one week with no upper limit. On average electives are normally between 4 - 6 weeks. 

What are the benefits of elective placements from Work the World?

The benefits of our electives include:

  • Expanding your clinical knowledge and skill set
  • Becoming more confident, independent and resourceful
  • Making yourself more attractive to employers
  • Doing some proper travelling
  • Building your personal and professional network
  • Sharpening your language and communication skills
  • Renewing your perspective on the NHS

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