Your brain is an expert procrastinator. It says, “Relax. Just do it tomorrow.” But tomorrow turns into next week. Next week turns into next month. Next month turns into you panicking the night before the deadline.
You really don't want to drop the ball like this, especially when planning an overseas placement. Here, the ‘earlier the better’ rule applies.
Sort your placement early and you’ll get two massive benefits others won’t — choice and time.
CHOICE
Our houses have a limited number of spaces which is especially important if you’re travelling as a group. The more of you there are (and the later you leave it), the less chance there is of getting your first choice destination.
There are also a limited number of available spaces in each hospital department. Some niche areas can only take two students at a time, so once the places are gone, they're gone.
To avoid burdening our hospital partners, we will never overfill our programs. Get in early and you will have complete freedom of choice over both the destination you travel to and your clinical experience.
— A student in Nepal —
TIME
Time is the other huge benefit of registering early.
But why?
1. It makes SAVING easier
$500 - that’s all we need to secure your placement, and we don’t ask for the full balance until 90 days before your departure date.
So if you book well in advance, that leaves you plenty of time to save. We’ve even introduced flexible payments to help, meaning you can pay in as many instalments as you wish - as much or as little as you want, whenever you want.
Speaking of saving money, flight timetables are released by airlines many months in advance. If you’re ahead of the game you can expect cheaper seats.
2. It takes the pressure off fundraising
More time also gives you a better chance of raising more money. Raising $100 in one month is realistic for many, whereas raising $1000 in a month is not.
Having more time takes the pressure off and means you’ll have the opportunity to make more creative decisions and potentially raise more money.
Thinking of applying for a grant or a bursary? Many funding bodies ask you provide a detailed breakdown of your plans, some even ask for an essay.
If you registered early, you just gave yourself months of extra time to get your application ready.
If you’re doing it the old-fashioned way and saving up, having more time will allow you to save more. You’ll agree there’s not much to elaborate on here.
— A student sharing culture with the Maasai tribe in Tanzania —
3. it takes the pressure off doing the admin
What’s less fun than doing paperwork? Doing paperwork with only a month in which to do it.
We’ll support you and assist with all admin that needs to be completed such as visas, insurance, vaccinations, and university documentation. But the reality is that some of these will take time to complete, so leaving yourself as much time as possible ensures a stress free process.
4. it frees you up to start preparing
You've got a lot to prepare. Familiarising yourself with the country you’ve chosen, learning the basics of the language, and exploring the culture. Figuring out the ‘must-see’s and the ‘must-do’s.
Of course, our in-country staff teams will give you amazing local travel tips once you arrive in your chosen destination. Each house also has a Work the World ‘top tips book’, which is constantly updated by previous travellers, and we also have a travel notice board which contains all the information you could possibly look for! But you’ll probably want to do your own research too.
An overseas clinical placement is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most, so giving yourself time to research after-placement and weekend trips is essential.
— Local language lessons in afternoon sun in Tanzania —
NEXT STEPS
Get in touch.
It starts with a quick call or an email to figure out what you want to do and where you want to do it. We’ll check availability, and before you know it you’re registered.
After that we get to work building you a unique placement based on your interests.
Get the ball rolling by filling out the short enquiry form at the bottom of this page.
TAKE
ACTION
Make sure you secure your spot before the dates you want fill up. Start by clicking the button below to choose your discipline.
Make sure you secure your spot before the dates you want fill up. Start by clicking the button below to choose your discipline.
