MEDICAL ELECTIVE PLACEMENTS

As a medical school student abroad, you will gain an insight into global practises in the developing world. Hospital students from around the world will learn first-hand about the roles of health staff in high patient arrivals and under-resourced healthcare systems. You will witness major differences in the fundamentals of medicine. Customise your placement with the help of local staff to get the clinical placement that is right for you. Completing an international elective is sure to be a great boost to your resume and future prospects. Develop a deeper understanding of global health, whilst also enjoying an unforgettable adventure.

PMGY offers medical elective placements in a range of destinations. Students will undertake clinical placements in under-resourced hospitals and community healthcare outreach programs. Your eyes will be opened to the unfamiliar practices and health conditions that healthcare systems in the developing world are accustomed to. Witness different cultural attitudes towards care and how religious beliefs can also influence practise. Choose the departments you wish to rotate through as you shadow doctors and health workers on their day-to-day tasks. These placements are suitable for all students including those in their penultimate or final year.

Experience Building – Expand your clinical knowledge and skill set as you gain unique insight into your professional field.

Soft Skills – Become more confident and resourceful in an environment outside of your comfort zone.

Work Experience – Immerse yourself in a unique and adventurous work experience.

Increase Your Network – Build a global professional network on your overseas elective.

Improve Future Prospects – An overseas placement will provide a great boost to your resume and future job opportunities.

Travel – Structured travel opportunities provided in your free time.

Most Affordable – PMGY ensure that we provide fully structured, tailored, affordable and inclusive medical elective placements.

Gain Perspective – Experiencing a healthcare system in a developing country will give you new perspective and appreciation on healthcare provisions in your home country.

We pride ourselves on providing the most affordable and best value for money elective experiences overseas.

Included in the fees – Airport pickup, 3 meals a day, all accommodation, transport to/from project, in-country orientation, volunteer placements, hospital donations, 24/7 International & Local based support, dedicated PMGY travel mentor, volunteer handbook, live pre-departure webinars, financial protection, regular program inspection, support with university paperwork and an International Certificate of Completion.

The length of your international medical experience is entirely up to you! Our minimum time requirement is 2 weeks but we have options for up to 6 months. Participants typically join us on a elective placement for 4 weeks.

Your workday will usually start around 9am and finish at 2pm, Monday to Friday. There is always the option to extend your afternoons at the hospital. You will have lunch usually at around midday at the placement or on return from the hospital at the Volunteer House. The exact schedule will be discussed during your orientation.

Your daily routine at the hospital begins with you shadowing the supervising doctor as they conduct their rounds. You will learn about each patient’s condition and the course of treatment that is being applied. Use the doctor-patient consultation time to ask lots of questions and make plenty of notes. You will also get experience assisting nurses with patient care and keeping patient files updated on our medical elective placements.

Depending on the department, you may get the chance to practise working with the hospital equipment. This would be under strict doctor supervision and examples include learning how to take X-rays. The mornings are when the hospitals are at their busiest. Consequently, make the most of your time during the morning routines. Afternoons are quieter, but this is a good chance to get to know the staff and patients better. Furthermore, you can be more inquisitive about the procedures you have witnessed. Alternatively, delve deeper into the background of the country’s healthcare system and its medical practices.

From time to time, you will break away from your regular hospital schedule to take part in outreach work. The team will set up a healthcare station led by local doctors at a community centre or local school. Spend the day supporting healthcare professionals with free health checks and consultations in communities that need it most. Expect to see over 100 patients benefiting from much needed free primary health care on each outreach program.

Placements for students come in a range of hospital and departmental settings. General medicine, surgery, maternity, A&E, ICUs, anaesthesiology, OBG, and paediatrics tend to be the most popular departments. However, your elective can include more specialist areas like traditional medicine, cardiology, neurology and oncology. Choose to specialise in certain areas or rotate across the departments. Work in outreach settings alongside specialist doctors providing practical health checks and treatments to vulnerable communities.

Working in under-resourced and over-capacity clinical placements as part of your elective network will be a huge eye-opener. More specifically, you will learn first-hand how healthcare staff come up with creative solutions to health problems in the most challenging of circumstances. This is an exciting opportunity to gain insight into all aspects of medicine.

Your level of involvement on international medical elective placements is dictated by a range of factors. First of all your healthcare experience, but also the duration of your elective and willingness to get involved. The healthcare staff are accountable for you whilst you’re under their supervision. Ultimately, it is completely up to them if you are permitted and want to get involved in hands-on procedures.

Previous participants have been given the chance to undertake some basic hands-on involvement at the project. This includes completing basic consultations and health checks under the supervision of local staff. For example, running free malaria tests, treating wounds and infections and conducting health screening of patients. However, to reiterate we can never guarantee or endorse hands-on experience should you choose to get hands-on. Such a decision ultimately lies with the healthcare professionals.

Once your place has been confirmed on the program, PMGY can complete paperwork when you organise your elective placement. Additionally, project staff in-country can also sign-off any paperwork that is required by your course tutors. However, while our team will do their best to complete any paperwork, we are unable to guarantee that we will be able to comply with every learning objective and requirement of your university/college. PMGY regularly receives healthcare students on our projects globally, with ties to some leading universities and colleges.