Our Partners
We have contractual, but highly personal relationships with in excess of 50 hospitals and clinics worldwide. We work with a range of institutions like government, private, teaching and specialist hospitals.
Support in the placement hospital
Before the student’s placement starts, they receive a full hospital orientation. Our team takes them to their placement hospital, introducing them to their supervisors and key department staff.
Our in-country teams have strong relationships with senior hospital staff, so students get all the support they need from both our team and hospital staff.
Another benefit of these relationships is high levels of access to departments in our partner hospitals. This means students have incredible flexibility when it comes to customising their placement.
Also, if you need your student to complete a certain number of clinical hours, we can arrange for their supervisors to monitor and sign off any hours they spend in the hospital.
Hospital Supervision
Every student receives in-hospital supervision to help make them aware of global differences in healthcare. For example, they can help align students to local cultural, religious and socioeconomic realities on the ground, and ensure that any hands-on/practical involvement is at a level appropriate for the students’ experience.
Each student is assigned one key supervisor and two secondary supervisors. Their key supervisor will be a senior member of staff such as a head of department. Please note that all supervisors are highly trained clinical professionals. Their qualifications to practice in their respective fields are fully recognised by their local governmental Ministry of Health.
The supervisors agree to not only supervise the students, but also to assist in completing associated assessment requirements. It is worth noting that this is a practical learning opportunity rather than a teaching module, structured to the requirements of a specific syllabus.
- Supervisors details will be assigned and visible to students via our online placement planner
- All supervising staff speak English and are fully qualified to practice
- Supervisors are briefed on (and receive documents about) every student they are going to supervise
- Briefings include information on the student’s areas of interest, their experience to date, their levels of competence
- We will tell students who their supervisors will be, well in advance of their trip
Please note that our in-country management teams closely monitor each student’s supervision experience. This regular in-person monitoring takes place so we can make real-time adjustments to any given placement.
If required, we’re happy to provide you with updates on students’ progress while they’re with us. Of course, you can also contact your students directly while they’re overseas.
How we choose hospitals
We have a rigorous process when it comes to establishing partnerships. We go through this process with multiple potential hospital partners, selecting only those that offer the best experience for your students.
- We look at each hospital’s internal processes and procedures to determine how easily we can align with them
- We speak to every Head of Department in the hospital (and their staff), gauging how their departments would contribute to an enriching clinical experience for your students
- Once we have narrowed our focus, we gather detailed information on the hospitals that best match our standards (per-department bed capacities, typical conditions students will see, the names and job titles of the staff who will interact with students, and typical clinical practices)
- Finally, we agree and document an official partnership with the Hospital Director, which is then vetted and ratified by the local Ministry of Health
How we build and maintain relationships
Our in-country management teams have strong in-person relationships with staff at all levels of seniority in our partner institutions. As such, our staff are universally recognised and respected within all our partner hospitals.
Our staff act as a bridge between hospital staff and students. They step back at the right time, allowing students to foster their own relationships with local staff. We also appoint a Placement Coordinator in every hospital we’re partnered with. The Placement Coordinator — typically a senior member of hospital staff — acts as the direct link between us and the hospital.
Their role includes:
- Confirming all student placements with their respective departments
- Raising awareness among hospital staff regarding the presence of our students in the hospital
- Acting as a point of contact for students while on placement
How we support our partners
We build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with all our overseas hospital partners. We make transparent financial contributions to our partner hospitals for every student they host. This is factored into the cost of every placement.
We also donate essential clinical equipment to our hospital partners. We work closely with hospital staff to understand where the gaps in their inventories lie, ensuring our donations go to the areas of greatest need
"Work the World have donated a lot to our ward because they've seen the situation of our patients. We're so thankful for all the help they've extended to our hospital". Rose Karen Hijosa - Senior Nurse, The Philippines
Contractual & Official Obligations
We have official Hospital Partnership Agreements with all our partner hospitals.
These contracts set out exactly what we expect from our hospital partners when hosting our students, and what they can expect from us in return. Both parties sign the agreement ensuring both parties fulfil their obligations.
We maintain strict capacity limits for the number of students in each hospital department and clinic. This ensures our partner hospitals are not burdened by high student numbers. This is also to ensure students can have the most fulfilling experience possible. It's worth noting here that in well over a decade of operation, we have never lost a hospital partner.
