Chlöe Irvine

I was about to head into my second year and wanted to do extra placement hours during my summer break, before my elective next year. I had previously volunteered in Sri Lanka and wanted to explore a new country and gain a greater understanding of medicine overseas. 

The hospital was totally different to what I had experienced before. 

From waiting rooms outside to no air conditioning, it was a real eye-opener before I got onto the wards.

I had a lot of empathy for those patients who were uninsured, and who were travelling huge distances often by foot to reach the hospital. It reminded me how much we take the NHS for granted back home. 

The placement was excellent for practising basic observations such as blood pressure tests, blood glucose, and ECGs. 

It was excellent in terms of revising protocols, particularly in A&E while also keeping in mind that the medications prescribed were often very different to that in the UK. 

I had a really memorable ward round with the consultant in PICU who was a key driver in developing the ward. 

In Tanzania there was no PICU in the country until 2019, so children were having to attend adult ICU. Now, thanks to the doctor’s charitable work, the country has a 9-bed PICU at the national hospital where I undertook my placement. 

Money (or lack of it) causes a significant strain on healthcare practices. Clinicians had to determine what investigations would be most beneficial to determine the differential diagnosis. Given staff were constantly having to do a cost-benefit analysis, there was less stress on immediate action and more time on the planning and logistics of treatment. 

Fundamental differences were evident in terms of how healthcare was provided by clinicians. In the UK we have a very patient-centred approach whereas in Tanzania it was very paternalistic. This took some getting used to, but it was good to reflect as to why they take this approach.

My housemates in the Work the World house were brilliant and they will be friends I will keep in contact with for life. 

Each weekend we would travel in small groups and go on some amazing excursions such as swimming with wild dolphins and relaxing on white sand beaches. 

My advice to anyone thinking of undertaking an overseas placement would be to have confidence in yourself, embrace the “hakuna matata” lifestyle and keep your eyes wide open. 

We take for granted how lucky we really are in the UK, so step out of your bubble and have the best few weeks of your life!

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