Who Are the People Behind Your In-Country Experience?

by Joe Jamieson

As you explore this site, you’ll get to know how the different elements of your overseas placement fit together — what happens when you first arrive, the kinds of orientation you’ll get, how your placement hospital is structured… You’ll find everything there is to know about how a trip is coordinated.

But look behind the logistics and you’ll find that it’s people who actually make the magic happen.

"To this day (multiple years after my placement) I have the fondest memories of these people. Each one made me feel like family while I lived in the house. I’m sure they don’t remember me but they will never be forgotten" - Thomas Ayre, Ghana

Get a structured trip with a personal touch

Whichever destination you choose to travel to, you’ll get all the advantages that are packed into the Work the World healthcare elective placement blueprint.

That includes the support you get from the Work the World team in your destination of choice. And all of our teams are passionate about turning your trip to their home country into a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Your in-country team will oversee everything — from making sure you’re comfortable in our private catered accommodation, to helping you get the most from your clinical placement.

But our years of focus on healthcare have shown that working with local people is fairer, more sustainable, and offers you a more fruitful clinical experience. Firstly, it opens up opportunities for local people and puts resources directly back into the surrounding communities. This is also a principle we build our hospital partnerships around.

Secondly, having a team made up of people from the local area will result in you having a much more immersive and insightful trip. Because who better to help you get the most from your overseas experience than someone from the country you’re travelling to?

Teams packed with personalities

Your overseas team members play a huge role in making your trip memorable. You won’t know what that truly means until you meet them in person. But to give you some idea, we reached out to some of them to get their take.

Joseph Anane - Program Director - Takoradi, Ghana

People behind your overseas experience Joseph joined our team in Takoradi, Ghana back in 2010. He now runs the program over there and has built and overseen placements for thousands of students and graduates like you.

Having lived in Ghana all his life, and after running the program for such a long time, he’s a treasure trove of travel knowledge. Joseph is the man to see if you need tips on what to do after placement and at weekends.

Over to Joseph —

“Students always say that living in our Work the World house feels like being part of a big family. You hear people say this kind of thing a lot but that is the best way to put it.

My team and I don’t live in the house, but our office is there and we are definitely a big part of your experience. We are in and out all the time during the day, and that gives the place the lively atmosphere that people love.

We like to get involved in the fun as well. Our chefs do a BBQ night each week outside the house, and we get all the housemates together and all the staff. We get to know each other, and so many students stay in touch with me and the team after they have left Ghana.

“The house team were all so kind and personable, they were genuinely interested in your day and always went the extra mile to make your stay more comfortable.” - Ben Ward, Vietnam

If I’m not in the house, I am probably visiting you and the other students on placement. It’s important to me to know how your clinical experience is going. I’ll come and speak with you and your supervisors to make sure everything is going well.

You will see me around the hospital talking to other staff too. I spend a lot of my time with people around the hospital, right up to the hospital director. I like to be able to make changes and address any problems quickly, and having good relationships with people all over the hospital helps me to do that.

On the clinical side of things, me and my assistant are in contact with our partner hospitals and will organise your placement. This is all based on conversations you will have with our Head Office team in the UK before you leave.

It works well for you because our team here in Takoradi set it up, and this is the same team who will oversee your placement in the hospital while you are here.

The hospital system and culture in Ghana is probably different to what you are used to. It can be a big step for people even if they are familiar with being in hospitals. So many students say that having us there to walk them through the experience helps them feel more confident when they start their first shift.

“I could not recommend the Work the World house team more. They were there if you needed anything, nothing was too much trouble for them. If you needed more support on placement they were happy to assist.” - Chloe Pendlebury, The Philippines

I said before that our team will feel more like family over time, but we are still professionals and we are there to support you in the hospital and in the house. So if you ever need to talk about something or have an issue, we will always be there to listen and help no matter what it is.

We look forward to seeing you in Ghana!”

Nalina Attanayake - Program Manager - Kandy, Sri Lanka

Nalina heads up our team in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He has been with us since 2018, and every day he looks for new ways to improve your overseas expereince. He loves travelling and is a big basketball and cricket fan. And he’s a true foodie, so if you want to know where to eat while you’re in Kandy, Nalina is your guy.

“Running the Kandy program is a big job and there is a lot going on behind the scenes. But my favourite part is helping students get the most from their time here. Sri Lanka is our home and we want everyone to take positive stories back with them.

First impressions are a big deal, so when you arrive my team will take you on your city orientation. It’s a great introduction for you because you will get a feel for Kandy from a local’s perspective. It’s a totally different experience if you compare it to following a guide book.

We do city orientations every week, but seeing Kandy leave such a positive impression on students always makes us feel proud of our city.

ORIENTATION It’s simple things like showing people where to eat (and where not to!) and how to ask for a ticket on local public transport that will give you the confidence to get out there and make the most of the trip.

"The team offered their advice and local-expertise on wherever I wanted to go and showed me a really helpful book filled with tips and experiences from previous students.” - Jonathan Small, Nepal

We are there to support you the whole time you are with us, but we understand that some of you prefer to be more independent. We talk a lot about being involved in your experience day to day, but we will always base that on how much support you feel like you need from us.

The atmosphere in the Kandy house is great and there is always lots of positivity. I think this is because the team is like a big family. We see each other every day and have a lot of fun. That is a big part of why students enjoy staying with us so much, because we welcome everyone into the family, even if it is just for a few weeks.

The whole team gets involved in your experience. We have chefs at the house and it’s not the case that they stay hidden in the kitchen. I love food, and one of my favourite things to see is students taking cooking lessons with our chefs. I like the idea of people being able to take home a small piece of Sri Lankan food culture back home with them.

"We had a full-time chef churning out the most amazing Sri Lankan curries, roti, street food and barbecues!" - Edward Spraggon, Sri Lanka

Having everyone involved like this is great because it means we can learn more about you and find the best ways to support you and cater to you while you are here with us.

For example, if you like a certain dish we can make more of that for you, or if you have dietary requirements the chefs can make versions of dishes that suit your needs. Of course it’s not only with food, this is how we do things across your whole experience.

Really, our job here in Kandy is supporting you by making your experience personal. Having a friendly staff team there in the house and in the hospital is how we do that.

We want to show you Sri Lanka through the eyes of local people, so we welcome your visit.”

Get the same personal experience in whichever destination you choose

Joseph and Nalia are unique personalities and they add to the individual charm of the programs they run. But it’s also the case that regardless of the destination you choose to travel to, you’ll get the same high-quality service from your in-country team.

The core structure of each of our programes is set up based on the tried-and-tested Work the World blueprint, including the staff team. Your in-country team will have a Program Manager and their assistant, in-house chefs, housekeepers, and a 24/7 security team to give you peace of mind. Again, this is the same across all our destinations.

When we set up new programes, in-country staff, like Joe and Nalina, who have been with us for years pass on their wisdom to new staff, showing them what it means to be a part of the Work the World family.