OUr story
Our story began in 2005. We spoke to healthcare students from around the world, and it became clear that there were serious complications and pitfalls when it came to independently organising international electives and placements. We wanted to redefine the standards of overseas placement experiences, so that’s exactly what we did.
Creating a one-size-fits-all solution wasn’t going to work. Too many people had unique priorities and areas of interest. So we developed a way of working that allows us to deliver exceptional clinical experiences customised to each individual’s goals and interests.
We also resolved to develop and sustain fair, ethical partnerships with overseas hospitals, clinics and surrounding communities as a basis for delivering the best healthcare placements in the world.
WHat We Do
We are a British-based organisation with our head office based in Brighton in the United Kingdom. We plan and customise overseas hospital placements and electives for healthcare students at a professional degree level.
STUDENTS WHO USE OUR SERVICE BENEFIT FROM:
- Comprehensive pre-trip support and preparation
- 24/7 support from an in-country team
- In-hospital supervision by qualified staff members
- Safe, private and catered accommodation
Our formalised hospital partnerships allow us to take into account each student’s ambitions, skills and university requirements, then create a unique placement for their individual circumstances.
We’ve created more than 18,000 overseas placements and electives for students from over 450 universities worldwide. The majority of these clinical placements are for university credit.
Your students are eligible if they're studying:
When and where can students travel?
We operate all year round. Arrivals are every Sunday, 52 weeks a year, so students can travel whenever suits them. Placement durations are typically between 1 and 8 weeks.
Students can travel to programs in destinations across Africa and Asia:
- Ghana - Takoradi
- Tanzania - Dar es Salaam
- The Philippines - Iloilo
- Vietnam - Hue
- Nepal - Kathmandu
- Sri Lanka - Kandy
Cultural Immersion
Travelling to a new country allows your students to immerse themselves in rich local cultures. Our placements run Monday to Friday, leaving your students plenty of time in the evenings and at weekends to explore and experience the culture of whichever country they choose to visit. They will encounter fascinating customs, languages, philosophies and ways of life throughout the experience.
All our destinations make great jumping-off points for broader travel. Some students use the opportunity to travel around their country of choice in the weeks before or after their placement.
How do we choose our destinations?
When we vet a destination, we focus on the safety of that destination, the quality of potential clinical placements, and the travel opportunities the destination presents.
To determine safety, we first assess local government crime statistics, and take advice from global government travel advisory agencies, such as the Department of Foreign Affairs. These flag up any major current and historical in-country issues that might impact students. We will rule out destinations based on these alone.
We then send our Operations Team to carry out a deeper investigation. This helps us gain on-the-ground insights that technical government reports do not offer.
The Operations Team explores the country, establishing which city would be best suited to hosting a Work the World program. The team also establishes contacts on the ground — people who are local to the area — to gain deeper qualitative insights.
The team explores the city, day and night. They do everything your students might do — visiting tourist hotspots, taking public transport, even getting a feel for local bars and restaurants.
Once we are totally satisfied that the country meets our high safety standards, we begin investigating potential partner hospitals. Read more about how we choose partner hospitals in the Hospital Partnerships section.
Benefits to your students when traveling overseas with us
On an overseas placement with us your students will:
- Expand their clinical knowledge and skill set
- Develop their confidence and resourcefulness
- Build their personal and professional networks
- Sharpen their verbal and non-verbal communication
- Become more attractive to employers
Your students will gain firsthand insight into global health inequities at the institutional level. This comes about through extensive interaction with both staff and patients from a range of departments.
Students have total flexibility in choosing the departments they want to gain experience in. However, you, as a member of university staff, can dictate which countries and departments you feel are most appropriate for your students’ development.
Your students will also get experience through encounters with unfamiliar conditions and practices, building upon their existing clinical repertoire.
What students say
"During my time in hospital, I was able to spend 2 weeks as part of the neurosurgical team. They were fantastic in allowing me opportunities to see surgical cases, and involving me in clinic consults and team meetings.
This was a good place to see some of the more severe neurosurgical presentations and also late stage disease. I learned lots." Nicholas Eikelboom, University of Western Australia
