Preparing for Your Medical Volunteer Adventure

Published on Monday 3 October 2016

You have decided where to go and have booked your place on one of our medical projects, now the nerves really start to kick in! On the one hand you’re excited for the adventure of a lifetime, travelling to a destination you’ve never visited before, and meeting new friends. However, the prospect of visiting a new country, experiencing a different culture and local language will fill most people with understandable trepidation.

If you’re stuck in the midst of a planning nightmare or slightly nervous about the trip ahead, then keep reading for our guide on the things you should be prepping for your volunteer adventure. We’ll take you through the important documents and vaccinations you need, how to keep home sickness at bay and learning about the local area you’re visiting.

Remember Important Documents

As people join us from all over the world, we can’t include flights. Additionally, many volunteers join our placements as part of a wider round the world trip so it’s much easier for you to arrange your travel arrangements around your prior plans.  Don’t worry though, we’ll give you help and advice on all the preparations and what flights to book.  Once you have confirmed your flights, let us know the details and one of our friendly members of staff will come and meet you on arrival at the airport.

You’ll also need to remember to organise your travel insurance for the trip. It can be tempting to book the cheapest insurance available, but make sure you read the policies clearly as you want to ensure that you are fully covered for your whole trip, this includes; baggage, cancellation, medical and transport claims.

Many of the destinations also require you to have a visa which you will need to organise. Without a visa you won’t be able to enter the country you wish to visit, so it’s always advisable to organise this well in advance of your scheduled departure date.

Medical Preparation

The majority of medical volunteer opportunities are based in countries where medical and sanitation conditions are not as good as at home, as such it’s more than likely that you will require vaccinations for your trip. You can find out which vaccinations are free and which are to be paid for on the NHS website. It’s worth remembering that most vaccinations need to be given around 8 weeks before your travel date to ensure you can receive the full course.

As well as your vaccinations, you’ll also need to ensure that you’ve got a first aid kit and any other medical supplies you might need for your trip. Include things such as; plasters, painkillers, sterile dressings, antihistamines, insect repellent, rehydration solutions and bandage tape in your kit.

Packing Your Bags

Packing your bags is the exciting part as it means your trip is just around the corner. You will need to make sure that you have the right clothing and anything else you need for your medical placement with you.  Remember to pack for weekend trips and clothes appropriate to the hospital.  We’ll give you a kit list of the key items to take in your pre-departure information.

Read more about our handy hints to what to pack here>>.

Check the Local Area

As you’ll be travelling to a completely new part of the world, it’s essential you do as much research as possible before you begin your trip. Our team will be able to advise you on what you can expect, but it’s also worth chatting to people who’ve completed volunteering there previously. A previous student will be able to tell you all about how they felt before the placement, what to expect throughout the trip and help advise you on anything you simply must take with you.

The local culture will be extremely different to what you are used to. Embrace local traditions and customs on your trip with an open mind and sense of humour. Try learning the basics of the local language too. Basic phrases such as; ‘hello’, ‘how are you’, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ can go a long way in helping to integrate you into the country.

Overcoming Home Sickness

Being so far away from home and what you are used to can be a shock, so try to beat the homesickness before it arrives at your door. Taking lots of photos with you, whether they are printed or on your phone, can be a great comfort when you’re missing home.

If you’re feeling lonely then the worst thing you can do is yourself isolate further, so talk to those who are also on placement and keep yourself busy. The internet may not always be readily available in poorer countries, but there are often a few internet cafes so you can easily Skype back home.

In some cases the internet can make homesickness worse too, so avoid overdosing on facebook when overseas or you may miss out on exciting trips or meeting new people.

Plan for Downtime

Your days will be full on but there will still be time for lots of fun in between your day to day placement duties. It’s important to make the most of your time wherever you travel, so making a list before you go of the sights you want to see can help you make the most of any down time you have.  A guidebook is essential reading before you go and will help with planning weekend trips.

It can also be a good idea to pack a few items to keep you entertained once your day to day duties have been completed. A couple of books or your iPad with some downloaded apps on can help to kill time when you have a spare few hours.

Organise Finances

How much money you require for your trip will completely depend on the destination you are visiting and the duration of your stay. We’ll give you an idea of how much to take but it’s always a good idea to take a little extra for must have souvenirs or activities.

Many areas now accept card, but it can be advisable to notify your bank before you travel to avoid them blocking your card due to different spending habits.

These are just some of the things you’ll want to prepare before you begin your adventure, so keep these in mind before you embark on your medical placement.   We are on hand both before you travel and while you are overseas so never be afraid to ask, even if you think it’s a stupid question.  The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask!

Guide to Staying Safe Abroad

Published on Sunday 11 September 2016

Guide to Staying Safe Abroad

Whether you’re booking a holiday abroad, the travelling adventure of a lifetime or embarking on a medical volunteer placement in a less developed area, the next thought often isn’t about how to stay safe abroad. You’re more likely thinking of the fun you’ll have and the memories you are set to make.

But safety should be your number one priority no matter where you are travelling or your reasons for going. There’s certainly a lot to consider both before and whilst you’re abroad, so take a look at our guide and make safety the top of your agenda.

Do Your Research

Once you have decided where to go, the next thing to do is to check the safety and security locally. You can find out the essential information on government websites. The UK Foreign Office, US State Department, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and most government foreign services will provide you with travel briefings. They will tell you if you should avoid travelling to a country and about the current political stability and safety issues.

Do be aware that they are obliged to tell the story warts and all. Be reassured by phrases like ‘Most visits are trouble free…” and take heed of some warnings like “We advise against all but essential travel”!

Don’t Show and Tell

When you’re exploring it’s more than likely that you’ll want to use the map app on your smartphone or snapping away on your fancy camera. But try you absolute hardest to keep this to a minimum as you’re effectively making yourself a walking advert for a gadget shop.

Keep valuable items in a secure backpack or bag and where possible try to wear it so that the opening faces inwards to you rather than outwards, thus making it harder for anyone to get into it.

Hide your money

If you’re going to a much less privileged country or neighbourhood then don’t flash the cash. It’s likely you’ll stand out from the crowd as it is, but try to blend in as much as possible to avoid becoming the target.

Don’t change all your money at once and keep cards and excess cash secure. If you do have large amounts of cash on you, divide it up and keep it in various pockets so you are not bringing out a massive wad of cash when paying for a bus ticket or bottle of water!

Money belts are useful but in hot and sweaty countries are uncomfortable to wear everyday.

Scan Important Documents

You’re going to need a fair few important documents whilst you’re abroad – especially if you’re volunteering – and whilst you may try to keep them as safe as possible, sometimes things sadly get misplaced or lost forevermore.

Some countries require you to carry identification documents at all times. Scan copies of important documents such as your passport and visa, and email yourself essential paperwork you need throughout your stay. It’s always a good idea to have a backup, as even the safest of hands can still lose items. And remember to keep your accommodation details on you too if you’re prone to a bout of forgetfulness.

Be Wary of Using Personal Details

You won’t always be able to find wifi so you’ll often need to use internet cafés. You may have made friends with the owner and trust them, but if you don’t have to then avoid typing in your personal or bank details in online. Always look for the ‘Secure Visa’ mark if you do have to. Most browsers have an incognito or private option which prevents passwords typed into banking or facebook apps being stored on the computer.

Be cautious about handing over your passport number or personal details when you’re in a face to face environment too. That’s not to say that everyone is out to get you. Far from it. But you don’t want critical personal information to fall into the wrong hands, especially abroad when you aren’t used to the rules and regulations.

Insurance

Whatever you do, don’t travel without making sure you have a fully compressive insurance package in place for your trip. You can do all the forward planning in the world and things can still go wrong, so make sure you have the right protection in place.

A good insurance policy will protect you when luggage goes missing, cancellations, delays, emergency assistance and medical cover. Plus, it’s so simple to sort out and isn’t a costly expense at all when compared to the costs you could face if you fail to invest.

Find a Trusted Friend

You may be tempted to want to explore on your own and feel the freedom that exploring a new country on your own brings but don’t put your safety at risk. Try to travel with a trusted friend, and always travel in a group or at the very least in pairs.

Always let someone know in the group or back at home where you are going. If you do go out on your own, then try to walk near another group of people to avoid standing out as a single person.

The Roads and Public Transport

Vehicle maintenance, road conditions and the standard of driving overseas are very different to home. Therefore, the biggest risk to your personal safety is travelling on the roads.

When using public transport, choose the safest looking bus or taxi. The vehicle is unlikely to be as well maintained as home but if it looks fundamentally unsafe avoid it – there will be plenty of opportunity to use another vehicle. The same goes for the driver. If he looks drunk, exhausted or just untrustworthy, move on.

Avoid using buses at night. If travelling home after a night out on the town, use a taxi.

Crossing the road can be an adventure in itself. If crossings exist it’s unlikely that drivers will pay any attention to it. Take extra caution when crossing the roads and look both ways. The traffic is probably coming from a different direction to what you’re used to!

Get a Health Check Up

Your health is your wealth so don’t put it at risk by forgoing a health check-up before you depart on your travels. If you’re travelling to far flung destinations then it’s more than likely you’ll need vaccinations for your trip. You should allow around 3 months before your travel date in order to make sure you have enough time to receive the course of injections.

However, you should still keep in mind regular hygiene routines are vaccinations are never 100% effective. Keep a hand sanitiser on you at all times and don’t drink the local water either if you don’t have too.

Get your teeth checked out too. The last thing you need is a dental issue miles away from good dental care!

What to Pack for your Volunteer Adventure

Published on Wednesday 7 September 2016

What to Pack for your Volunteer Adventure

You’ve booked your placement, your travel dates have been set, and you’re all ready to go – apart from packing your case. But what do you take on your volunteering adventure? Volunteering abroad is no holiday – far from it – so you’ll need a whole different set of clothes and equipment compared to what you’d usually pack for a holiday abroad.

You are unlikely to have volunteered abroad before and whilst you can of course find out from others what to pack and get their advice, everyone is different and what you take compared to the next person will vary.

To help you decide what to pack for your travel odyssey we’ve put together a handy guide of all the essentials you don’t want to forget.

The Case

It can be tempting to want to pack everything but the kitchen sink in your biggest suitcase, but volunteering is not a luxury holiday where your bags are ferried around for you and you’ll probably be surprised at how little you can actually get by with.

A travelling rucksack is the most portable option to pack your volunteering wares in. It’s best to invest in one of the big name brands to make sure you’ve got something of a high quality to go away with. Packing squares are also great to separate out your clothing items by type and allow you to quickly find what you’re looking for rather than rummaging through a stuffed backpack.

Surprisingly, we don’t discourage you from taking a case either. If you have a permanent base such as a host family or volunteer accommodation, a lockable hard case can be a good place to store the clothing and work items you don’t need to carry when heading off exploring at weekends.

A day sack is also an essential item to take in combination with a large rucksack or case. You won’t need to take everything you’ve brought with you for weekend trips so a day sack can come in handy for transporting just the clothes you need for the beach or bazaar and all the must have souvenirs!

Clothing

We will give you a comprehensive list of what you’ll need for the placement and much of what you need will both depend on the length of your placement and location. However, some items are common to all placements and these are some of the must-haves.

  • Sturdy and comfortable footwear – something with a good grip and cushioning
  • Rainproof or lightweight jacket – a foldaway mac will work best if you’re short on space
  • Jumper or hoodie
  • Lightweight tops which you can layer up – the weather is often unreliable so pack items which you can add or remove as necessary
  • Shorts, skirts or trousers depending on the weather
  • Underwear and socks
  • Something relatively formal just in case
  • Swimwear

Remember that some clothing that’s acceptable at home may not be in the culture in your host country so make sure you pack items that respect other customs and religions.

Toiletries

Things can get pretty weighty when it comes to all the toiletries you need for your trip, so make sure you keep an eye on your weight allowance before you buy heavy duty bottles of shower gels and shampoos. It’s also worth remembering that you can buy most toiletries in shops locally so bring small travel bottles and stock up on what you need when you arrive.

However, it’s worth noting that the brands and ingredients will be very different to what you’re used to. If you have sensitive skin or hair you might want to bring enough to last the whole trip. Feminine hygiene products in particular are often very different overseas so we’d recommend bringing enough to see you through.

  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Dry shampoo
  • Brush/comb
  • Shower gel/soap
  • Deodorant
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Sun cream
  • Razor
  • Moisturiser
  • Wipes
  • Lip balm with SPF
  • Tweezers
  • Nail Clippers

Medical

Taking a mini first aid kit on any type of holiday is always advisable, and even more so when volunteering abroad. Try to pack this lightly as you’ll usually be able to buy extra medical supplies if you need too. Most first aid packs have slings, bandages and trauma items you are unlikely to ever need. Here are the essentials you’ll definitely need:

  • Plasters
  • Antiseptic wipes and cream
  • Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
  • Eyewash
  • Dressings
  • Diarrhoea tablets
  • Rehydration sachets
  • Any extra medication you regularly take e.g. inhalers
  • Anti-repellent sprays
  • Bite cream

Miscellaneous

There’s always going to be a few random items you’ll need to include in your rucksack that you don’t want to be without. Here’s a few other things you may need to include:

  • Adaptors
  • Phone charger
  • Camera (and plenty of memory)
  • Torch
  • Book / e reader / tablet
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat
  • Travel towel – a microfibre one will dry quickly
  • Plastic bag to keep dirty clothes separate
  • Ear plugs and eye mask – you never know what sleeping conditions will be like
  • Money belt

Documents

There are a few essential documents you need to take with you and keep safe. It’s worth picking up a small plastic envelope wallet to keep these safe in, that way you know exactly where everything is rather than stuffed in random pockets or your rucksack.

  • Passport
  • A photocopy of your passport photo page and visa
  • Emergency contact and accommodation details
  • Health and travel insurance documents
  • Pen (essential for filling in essential arrivals immigration paperwork)
  • Money – remember to check the local currency and take a debit or travel money card as back up
  • Student ID

What NOT to Take

Tempting as it may be to take them, there are a few things you simply don’t need to take with you abroad. Try to keep your rucksack as light as possible and avoid over packing it with these items.

  • Brand new clothing or shoes – you may end up ruining items and you don’t want blisters either
  • Too many toiletries – you don’t need to volunteer in a full face of make-up or over pack on beauty items
  • Valuables – if you don’t want something to get damaged or lost then don’t bring them

Leaving for an adventure is an exciting time, but you don’t want to get too caught up that you end up missing out the essentials. Keep in mind our checklist and make a list before you begin to pack of everything you need.

Emergency Care Practicum Program

Published on Thursday 4 August 2016

Global Medical Projects offers the student on a distance education/blended learning course in pre-hospital emergency care, the opportunity to conduct practical learning in accordance with his/her course requirements.

The aim of this program is to accelerate practical learning. The mentored aspect provides teaching, guidance, support, evaluation and coordination to maximize time-effort and validation of clinical hours completed, allowing the student to complete his/her course in the shortest possible time without compromising standards.

Emergency Care Practicum Program overview:

Location: Guadalajara, Mexico

Course A

12 weeks/750 hours, mentored ambulance and emergency room rotational clinical placements, suitable for students of:

  • Ronin SA (Remote Medical Technician course)
  • Level 5 diploma in FREUC (UK)
  • IHCD Ambulance Technician (UK)

Course B

6 weeks/375 hours, max 8 weeks mentored ambulance and emergency room placements rotational clinical placements, suitable for students of:

  • HLT51015 Diploma of Paramedical Science (Ambulance)(Aus)
  • EMT-Paramedic (International) (+ 1 week)
  • Industry Paramedic (International) (+ 1 week)

Course C

4 weeks/168 hours, max 4 weeks, mentored ambulance and emergency room rotational clinical

placements, suitable for students or holders  of:

  • Level 3 and 4 certificate in FREC (UK)
  • HLT41115 Certificate IV in Health Care (Aus)
  • EMT-Basic (International)
  • Ronin SA (Telemetric Medical Assistant course)
  • MIRA (UK)
  • FPOS-I (UK)
  • Pre university prospective paramedic students (International)
  • University paramedic students (International)

* Extensions to any course are available in weekly increments to the maximum stipulate attendance per course.

Program outcomes:

  • Verifiable mentored clinical placement hours in accordance with the individual student’s pathway of studies or requirements of their specific training organization.
  • logbooks verified by mentor and sanitized patient report forms available to the student to make his/her own copies.

Program pricing:

Course A – £3,495 / US$4,495 / €4,195 / AUS$6,295

Course B – £2,195 / US$2,695 / €2,640 / AUS$3,995

Course C – £1,795 / US$2,195 / €2,195 / AUS$3,295

Extension (per week) – £250 / US$360 / €300 / AUS$450

Pricing is inclusive of:

  • Fully mentored placements
  • Accommodation with local, vetted families
  • Meals – local cuisine (5 days a week)
  • Pre attendance checklist and briefing
  • Meet and greet on arrival
  • Induction and orientation

Pricing exclusive of:

  • Flights
  • Visa (Tourist visas are required and are free for most EU, UK, AUS and US citizens)
  • Insurance
  • Meals at weekends
  • Spending money (allow c£100 / $160 / €120 /AUS$200 per week)  inc. transport from accommodation to workplace
  • Vaccinations – please check with your local travel clinic

Program dates:

Course20232024
A06 Jan - 31 Mar
05 May - 28 Jul
25 Aug - 17 Nov
(or any 12 week period)
05 Jan - 29 Mar
03 May - 26 Jul
23 Aug - 15 Nov
(or any 12 week period)
B
06 Jan - 31 Mar
05 May - 28 Jul
25 Aug - 17 Nov
(Or any 5 week period)
05 Jan - 29 Mar
03 May - 26 Jul
23 Aug - 15 Nov
(or any 5 week period)
C06 Jan - 31 Mar
05 May - 28 Jul
25 Aug - 17 Nov
(Any 3 week period)
05 Jan - 29 Mar
03 May - 26 Jul
23 Aug - 15 Nov
(Any 3 week period)

Please direct your enquiries to the Program Coordinator:

email: info@globalmedicalprojects.co.uk

My Psychology work experience project in India

Published on Friday 17 June 2016

My Psychology work experience project in India

Katie Leithead

The medical placements are quite diverse and can be tailored to your interests. As a third year Psychology student, Katie was primarily interested in psychology work experience.

Katie and PsychologistI travelled to Kerala for 4 weeks with Global Medical Projects during the summer between my 3rd and 4th year of my Psychology with Human Health degree.  I was really eager to obtain psychology related work experience, as it is difficult to do so in the UK.  My sister had previously travelled to Beijing for a medical placement with Global Medical Projects and enjoyed herself so much that she was interested to do another placement with me. After speaking to Kevin, he was very encouraging that even though I was a psychologist there would still be an opportunity for me to gain experience.

Katie's host hospitalBefore I arrived in India, Babu the director who is based in Kerala had already received my CV and a list of departments that I was interested in gaining experience in. He contacted a psychiatrist and psychologist and organised all the initial arrangements for me. Once I started my placement, it was up to me to organise the rest of my placement. For three weeks, I spent my time shadowing in psychiatric wards in three different hospitals. My experience included shadowing psychiatrists during ward rounds for in-patients and consultations with out-patients. Further time was spent with the psychologist during counselling sessions. I also got the opportunity to watch Electro-Convulsive Therapy. For my last week, I organised to spend time shadowing on a Neurology ward during ward rounds and appointments or consultations. During my work experience I was very eager to watch brain surgery; however I was told this would be very difficult to organise. Nevertheless, I was surprised because all it took was for me to ask the surgeons myself and I was lucky enough to observe three operations, one brain and two spinal surgeries. So it is definitely worth asking if you are interested! It is your placement at the end of the day, so make sure you are happy and feel that you are getting the most out of the experience.

katie and friendsI made some great friends in the hospital and at the end of my stay myself and the other volunteers were invited to join the psychiatrist and psychologist and their families for dinner. This was a great experience and I was very grateful for everything they did for me during my stay. I was so happy with my overall work placement. I never expected to see as much as did, most of which I would not have been allowed to see in the UK due to still being a university student. Its great experience to fill out your CV with or talk about in an interview! My only concern when booking was how well English would be spoken in the hospitals, but I found that it was well spoken by the majority of people I shadowed. I felt the doctors took the time to translate and explain everything clearly to me; they made me feel very welcome. However, I would say that some staff were quite shy and lacked confidence when speaking in English in front of me.

During our time in Kerala, we made the most of our evenings and weekends with the other volunteers so I would recommend making the most of time away.

If you’re looking for amazing work experience abroad and want to make new friends and experience living in a completely different culture- then I would definitely recommend Global Medical Projects! I felt everything was very organised and Kevin was always reliable and very helpful when I had any questions.

Well done Katie! Katie’s feedback shows that we can often arrange placements in specific areas of medicine, or the subjects allied to medicine. If there’s an area of medicine you would like to experience, contact us to discuss your objectives further. If you would like to follow in Katie’s footsteps, read more about our our medical placements in India.

How Volunteering Can Boost Your Career

Published on Thursday 9 June 2016

How Volunteering Can Boost Your Career

Mannequin: Nursing work experience in mexicoWith many employers now looking to see what it is that makes you different from the numerous other job applications, volunteering can give your career prospects a boost.

From gaining practical hands-on experience to building professional relationships, volunteering goes beyond the realm of making us feel good inside to proving our worth when it comes to our careers.

To help you decide if a medical placement abroad is for you we’ve put together just how volunteering can help your career.

Career Exploration

Ambulance work experience placements in MexicoHow many of us have started a job before we realised that it’s actually very different from how it looks on paper? Far more people probably come to that realisation than they would care to admit out loud. Volunteering can help to give you chance a to ‘try on’ a particular role, before you take it up full time.

A job role on paper can be vastly different to what you’ll end up doing on a day to day basis, and the reality is often very different to our expectations. A volunteering placement can help to give you chance to see what a role will really be like in reality or whether that particular working environment or organisation is right for you.

New and Improved Skillset

Medical work experience in GhanaEach new job or role develops our skills. Volunteering in a new environment also helps us to apply our current skills in different ways. Whether it’s the new skills you learn, or old skills which are put into practice in different ways, both of these can help to boost job applications.

Working in a different country exposes you to processes that are a lot different to what you’ve previously been used to. A new environment can also help us to adapt our existing skillset or knowledge base and perhaps learn a better or different way of doing something we hadn’t thought of before. Diversity is what makes us unique, and adding volunteering to your CV can help to make your career stand out.

Network Expansion

medical elective placements in ChinaMany jobs these days are often about ‘who you know, not what you know’, and volunteering can help you to expand your network outside of your home country and across Europe, Asia and Africa, not to mention the connections you’ll make with those also on the trip.

You should never underestimate the value a network of likeminded professionals can bring to your career. Not only will you be able to learn vital skills and information from people you otherwise might not have met, you’ll hear about new job openings, and be able use those in charge of your placement as references on your CV.

Dedication to a Cause

Dental electives in CambodiaPotential employers like to see dedication in job applications and there’s no better way to show that than through a volunteer placement. Volunteering can help to show that you’re willing to dedicate yourself and your time to a particular cause, which benefits someone other than yourself.

During your time on a placement you’ll be able to soak up every part of the working environment you’re in and immerse yourself in a culture which is often vastly different to what you’re used to. Volunteering tests what you know and pushes you to think outside the box, something which you often don’t get pushed to do once you’re in full time employment.

Builds your CV

Nursing electives ChinaInterviews are granted on what an A4 sheet of paper says about you, and with the job market as competitive as ever, you need to stand out from the crowd in order to get past the first round. Qualifications are important, not to mention essential, when it comes to gaining a job in the medical profession, but volunteering can also help to show how you’ve put your skills into action in the real world.

Many interviews are based on competency based questions, which means you’ll need to provide examples of when you’ve put a particular skill to use, or succeed at a particular situation. Volunteering can provide real world experience and give you the opportunity to draw on your experiences abroad.

New Cultures and Languages

Meeting new people and learning new languagesWorking in the medical sector you never know what kind of medical emergency or situation you’ll be presented with. Throw into the mix a new culture and language, and you’ll find yourself in a situation where you’ll have to think on your feet, overcome language barriers and be respectful to a new culture.

We live in an increasingly global world, where languages and cultures can blur into one, so learning from those abroad can help to improve your employment prospects greatly. Gaining an understanding outside of your comfort zone, and in a completely different environment can prove you’re willing to do something different in order to better your career.

The first step in your volunteering journey is to decide which project is for you, the next step is career domination.

My medical Placement in India

Published on Thursday 26 May 2016

My pre-university medical placement in India by Tish Jervis

Tish has very kindly sent us some extracts from her blog about her time with us in India.  Tish is applying for graduate entry medicine and used her time with us in India to gain some valuable work experience.

April 25th:  After a small delay at Heathrow Airport, my Jet Airways flight to Delhi took off with no problems. I managed to secure myself one of the emergency exits seats which is always a winner when your a 6ft giant and on an overnight flight. With a small bit of turbulence and 7 hours later we arrived in Delhi Airport where I had a 3 hour wait before my connecting flight to Trivandrum. I was absolutely starving at this point but with the shear fear of Delhi Belly and the only options for food being Yo China (interesting) and McDonalds, I settled for some crisps and India’s version of dairy milk (sadly no comparison to ours.) My next flight was a transit flight so went via Bangalore on its way to Trivandrum, where I finally arrived at 7pm on Thursday 21st April.

I was met by a very sweet young Indian man who drove me from the airport to the volunteer accommodation (45 minutes away.) Stepping out of the air conditioned airport into 38 degree heat and humidity was a bit of a shock, not the mention the exciting chaos, colour and smells that came with it. After nearly being knocked flat by an autorickshaw driver we headed for what would be my home for the next 4 weeks.

Accommodation Global Medical projects IndiaOn arrival I was greeted by Babu (Head of the Global Volunteers Medical Project and Owner of the house) and Sudah (a very friendly lady who is Project Co-ordinator.) The house stood out from the surrounding greenery, due to its bright orange and pink colour. I was given a very warm and friendly welcome and then shown to my room before being cooked an Indian omelette for supper before heading to bed. Trying to sleep in 38 degrees with a fan blowing hot air isn’t easy and involves having at least 3 showers throughout the night.

The next day began with a coconut Idiyappam curry with rice which was delicious and a good way to get straight into the Indian culture. A tailor lady came to the house to take my measurements and we went shopping for fabric from which she kindly made me two typical Indian woman’s outfits  to wear during my placements in the hospital. I spent the rest of the day checking out the local area, finishing with supper in the nearby Indian Coffee House.

On Saturday I drove with Babu to his doctors appointment in a primary care clinic in a hospital 1 hour away from the house (Nirmala Hospital.) I met Dr Sreejith who is a primary care doctor with a specialist interest in Paediatrics and Diabetes. I then spent the afternoon in the local beach resort where you can pay the equivalent of 10 pounds (1,000 rupees) to use the pool and other facilities and have a delicious buffet supper at the end of the day. I watched the sunset from the beach outside the resort and then headed home by autorickshaw after supper.

Sunday began with a trip to church with Sudah followed by a visit to the disabled girls orphanage and convent. This was a rather amazing experience and I felt very honoured to meet all of the girls who all had beautiful smiles. I will come back in the evenings during my placement to help them with physiotherapy, meal times and learning how to read and write in English. In the afternoon Babu, Sudah and I drove to Varkala Beach to watch the sunset and walk along the cliff tops. From here we met another doctor friend of Babu’s who is a Gynaecologist in Kerala and went for some puttu (steamed cylinders of rice, filled with spiced vegetables) for supper before heading home.

After a weekend of getting used to everything I will start my placement tomorrow morning!

May 2nd:  I began my placement with 3 days at a Primary Care Hospital in Trivandrum. Nirmala Hospital is a privately run hospital that is made up of a clinic room, emergency room and a 10 bed admission ward. During my time here I shadowed a General Practitioner with a specialist interest in diabetes (Dr Sreejith.) Morning clinic here runs from 9-1pm with the main cases being seen involving infection, diabetes and allergy and asthma. It was quite notable how many of the population suffer from diabetes due to a diet rich in carbohydrate and sugar. I learnt alot about the healthcare system in India and the coexistence of government run and private/corporate hospitals. A visit to this private GP costs 130 rupees which is the equivalent of just over 1 pound. Patients then have to pay for any further investigations required and any medicines needed. Pharma companies visit daily to delivery physician samples of particular drugs that they are advertising. The clinicians keep these samples and give them to patients free of charge, for those who cannot afford prescription medications.

Tish with fellow doctors on her medical placement in IndiaOn my first day I learnt how to take  blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope. I had practiced this once on a nurse before the doctor sent me into the next room and asked me to measure the blood pressure of every patient before they came to see him (in at the deep end, but I learnt quickly!) Tuesday followed a similar pattern, observing in the primary care clinic. Although very sadly an emergency case came in on Tuesday evening (16 yr old boy, drowning incident) and sadly he was unable to be resuscitated! The rip currents off the coast of India are particularly strong. On Wednesday, as well as attending the morning clinic, I was invited to Dr Sreejith’s house for a delicious chicken biryani before shadowing his specialist paediatric clinic in SK hospital. I met his lovely wife who is a dentist, his parents and his two little boys. They were all very welcoming and happy to see me. At the SK hospital most cases involved allergy, asthma, bronchitis, bacteria enteritis and chickenpox. I also got to briefly visit the labour ward and neonatal unit where I met a very tiny baby who had been born prematurely at 25 + 2 weeks. I then attended the evening clinic back at Nirmala Hospital (5-8pm.) I learnt a huge amount whilst shadowing Dr Sreejith and it was very clear that the health system out here is much more doctor led with less patient involvement in the plan of care as opposed to the system we have at home. It was also interesting to see how much of the consultation time was  spent educating patients in regards to diet or inhaler therapy (most patients have a fear of inhalers for various reasons.)

I spent Thursday and Friday at St. John’s Medical College, Community Hospital. On Thursday I shadowed in the paediatric clinic from 9-1pm. Dr Preethi Menon (Consultant Paediatrician) taught me a large amount about observation in young children, respiratory distress and the main illnesses that she sees: allergy, abuse, croop, epilglottitis, fungal rash, asthma and infection. I observed a young boy with dysentry on the observation ward and visited an older boy who was suffering from a high grade fever amongst other things associated with dengue fever. On Friday I observed the haemodialysis unit, where patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) receive dialysis 2 times a week, with each session lasting 4 hours. The staff nurse on this unit were very friendly and explained to me exactly how the dialysis machines work and the causes of CKD and any complications of dialysis. Each dialysis session costs the patient 700 rupees which is the equivalent to 7 pounds. Many of the patients on this unit suffered from oedema and breathing difficulties due to fluid accumulation as a result of their disease. One of the gentlemen having his dialysis at the time was particularly friendly and kept calling me ‘giant princess.’ I decided to take that one as a compliment as he had managed to rectify his use of the masculine word giant, with a more feminine princess.

During the afternoons Babu, Sudah and I visited the Lake Palace Hotel for tea, cooked delicious curries at home, played cards with the little boy who lives next door and went shopping at the markets. I now know how to make a delicious vegetable and coconut curry so I will try my best to recreate this when I get home.

Sunset at the beachOn Friday evening I went to Waters Edge Beach Resort of Samudra Beach, Kovalam. Here I spent the weekend in the sun, enjoying some fishing and swimming. I returned back home to the volunteer house on Sunday evening after a 2 hour rickshaw ride. I think it is fair to say that the 4 car wide overtake that they seem to have adopted quite readily out here on the roads is LETHAL. All I know is if I had taken my driving test in India I certainly would have passed first time, instead of fifth!

St John's Community HospitalMay 8th: Another week has flown by out here where I spent my time in St. John’s Community Hospital shadowing various specialties. On Monday I split my time between shadowing a GP and an ENT consultant. Cases seen in general practice included throat and chest infections, lower leg oedema and diabetic complications. Time in ENT was really interesting and I certainly learnt that small toddlers will find anything to put up their nose. In one morning the consultant removed 2 pearls, one ball of paper and a pea from various toddler’s noses. Aside from foreign objects stuck in orifices, other cases included otomycosis (fungal infection of the outer ear), thyroglossal cysts, surgery to repair the ripped earring hole of an elderly woman, tonsilitis, acute superior otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear) and rhinitis (inflammation of the membrane inside the nose.) The ENT consultant spoke very good English and was able to explain a great deal to me, for which I was very grateful.

On Tuesday I visited the Leprosy Centre that is attached to St. Johns, where treated leprosy patients are offered physiotherapy and reconstructive surgery to help correct for hand and feet complications as a result of the nervous system involvement in leprosy. Here I spent time with the physiotherapist, meeting the patients staying in the centre and observing their physio sessions. When I arrived the physio had very kindly put together a powerpoint presentation in English for me that taught me about leprosy, its causes, its complications and its treatment. This was really interesting as it is not a disease regularly seen in the UK. The majority of the patients staying in the centre are there for care of their ulcers that usually develop due to loss of sensation in various parts of the body, leading to the inability to feel heat or pain. This can often result in ulcers, that if left untreated can reach as deep as the bone, causing further complications. Here in India they treat ulcers using SSOD: soaking, scrubbing, oiling and dressing. This reduces infection and leads to ulcer healing. Other common complications seen were foot drops and claw hands which are caused by the leprosy bacteria damaging the nervous system. It was very exciting watching a leprosy patient learn to weight bear and eventually take a few steps after foot surgery. Due to the stigma that exists in the community in regards to leprosy, the opportunity for reconstructive surgery (paid for by the government) is rather wonderful for these patients who face a lot of exclusion in their daily lives. I saw some amazing videos of some patients before and after surgery, and the real difference that it makes. The prevalence of leprosy in India used to be 60 per 10,000 but since the introduction of the Leprosy Elimination Action Programme this has dropped to <1 care per 10,000.

On Wednesday we drove to collect a dialysis patient from their home and took them to hospital for their treatment. I then spent the rest of the day helping on the dialysis unit. The patient that we collected suffers a lot financially and as a result, after his next 10 sessions of dialysis (currently covered by a government scheme) he will be able to pay for 2 sessions out of his own money before he and his family will not be able to afford his treatment anymore. Through a very kind donation from a colleague at Great Ormond Street we hope to try and help him and his family pay for his treatment for a little longer. We had visited him and his family at their home on Tuesday afternoon to talk to them about their situation and his illnesses.  It is very sad quite how many people in India either don’t seek medical assistance in the first place or can’t complete their treatment due to financial problems. In the afternoon I visited the Cancer and Palliative Care Centre which was very moving. The most common type of cancer in Kerala seems to be leukaemia which they find very difficult to treat. I met 3 cancer patients and their families, one patient who had fallen from a tree and suffered lower body paralysis due to spinal cord damage and one patient suffering from whole body stiffness due to late stage Parkinson’s. This centre is very impressive and professionally run to ensure that all patients have a painless and peaceful end of life. The nuns regularly visit the patients and their families on this ward and there is a very beautiful chapel in the centre. On Friday I split my time between a GP with a specialist interest in palliative care and ENT.

In the evenings we visited Attingal market, tried many Indian baked treats, played cards with Kannan (who lives next door), visited patients in their homes and went to Saigramam. Saigramam is a non profit organisation that is rather beautiful and includes an orphanage, an old people’s home, some amazing temples, an art village and a cow farm. We walked around the grounds and visited the children in the orphanage and the old people’s home. I met a little boy called Sadheesh who is 5 years old and who’s parents had both sadly died in an accident. He was definitely King of the Orphanage and had the worlds biggest smile. A lot of the children here do still have parents but they can’t afford to look after them. This means that every once in a while they do go home for a visit which is nice.

Babu (Project Co-ordinator) left for the UK on Monday to see his family so I am now being very well looked after by Sudha (Project Mediator) and Deepak a nursing student who is currently sitting his entrance exams for medical school which seem to be very tough out here. I have also spent a lot of time with some of Deepak and Sudha’s friends, mainly Dipin and his wife Rumie who are both very lovely. I am very excited to meet their 2 year old daughter this week.

After a relaxing weekend on the beach, it is back to work again tomorrow. The focus for this week is gynaecology, obstetrics and paediatrics. My dream!

Commuting to her medical placement by elephantMay 15: This was my favourite week so far. I think this was mainly because I was placed in Anchal Hospital for Mother and Child which is heaven when you are as obsessed with small babies as I am. On this route from home to work I saw a fair few elephant commutes, which definitely beats the London tube anyday of the week!

On Monday morning I was placed in the outpatient department with a female Gynaecologist. In India the majority of gynaecologists are in fact female, whilst in the UK the majority are male. I began the morning in theatre watching Postpartum Sterilisation of a women who had given birth to her second child 3 days before and did not want anymore children. This was a very interesting operation to watch and it was rather insightful being exposed to surgery and the workings of the theatres in a country so different to our own. Once the operation was over and the patient had come round her 3 day old baby came for a feed and I got to hold him afterwards which made my day! In the afternoon I shadowed a consultant paediatrician who spoke brilliant English and explained each case to me in great detail. The main illnesses seen here were fever, abdominal pain, constipation, loose bowels, allergy and asthma, skin rashes, dengue, mumps, abscesses and the added extra of ear piercing. I helped hold down a little 4 year old boy on the emergency ward whilst they cut open and drained an abscess that he had on his hair line (poor little thing!) Following this I did the ward round with the paediatrician where I met a newborn baby with jaundice who was receiving phototherapy and a number of children with high grade fevers. I stayed with the gynaecologist and paediatrician for the rest of the week and also spent some time with the nurses on the wards.

Tuesday’s gynaecology experience brought a lot of ultrasound scans, cases of gestational diabetes, down syndrome tests using ultrasound (by measuring the nuchal translucency and development of the nasal bridge), UTIs, gestational nausea and the removal of fibroids. In India they usually do a pregnancy scan at 6-7 weeks (to see intrauterine growth), 11-12 weeks (to check development of the nasal bridge), 20 weeks (to check foetal growth), 36 weeks (to monitor placenta function.) In India foetal sex determination is illegal so every baby is a surprise sex wise which is quite exciting. In the afternoon the paediatric outpatients was very quiet so I spent my time on the wards with the nurses. One particular nurse called Sumi was lovely and asked me to teach her some English words as we went around. On the ward I saw abdominal burns, jaundice babies, IV cannulation, upper respiratory infections and a lot of children with fevers. At about 3 pm one of the water pipes in one of the patient’s bedrooms burst and water was quite literally pouring everywhere with the whole first floor flooded within minutes. Patients were being treated in the corridors and the lift as the water could not be stopped!!

Wednesday involved hypertensive patients, menorrhagia and ultrasounds in the gynaecology department. We discussed the risks of overweight and underweight mothers to both the mother and child during pregnancy. It was concluded that underweight mothers have a better prognosis due to the complications such as hypertension, thrombosis risk and gestational diabetes associated with overweight mothers. I then spent a bit of time in the casualty department with nurses Bincy and Sumi. It was very quiet and involved a few patients coming for injections for gastritis and insulin injections for diabetes. I then went up to the second floor to meet a baby who had been born the previous day. He was so tiny and the family asked me to hold him as they believe that a westerner holding their baby is a blessing (I certainly wasn’t complaining.) The paediatric department was very busy with a lot of children with fevers (common at this time of year), vaccinations, URTIs, nebulisation, mumps, dengue fever and very sadly the diagnosis of quite late stage meningitis in a very young little girl. I learnt a few Malayalam words (the language spoken in this state of Kerala): vedana (pain), dhala (head), mookk (nose), pani (fever) and chood (hot)-the spellings may not be quite right! At the end of the day I watched my first ever circumcision of an 8 year old boy under local anaesthetic (ouch!) In India boys usually have this done from birth to 4 years old.

Thursday was a very exciting day as I got to see my first delivery out here. I had spent the morning with the gynaecologist seeing patients for scans, incontinence, dysuria, infertility and polycystic ovaries. I had just begun with the paediatrician when I was called to the labour room. The patient had been in labour since 6 am and she was 2 hours away from having to have an emergency caesarean but luckily the baby decided it was time. Here they give prostaglandins to make the cervix soft and oxytocin to stimulate contractions. Two nurses were pushing on her tummy whilst the gynaecologist was helping the baby at the other end. I was far too close to all the action when the waters broke and was covered from head to toe but it was an amazing thing to see. It was very professional having the gynaecologist for the delivery and the paediatrician to examine the baby the second it arrives! Husbands and family are not allowed in the delivery room during the births.

Tish's disabled patients on her medical placementOn Friday we visited the Bethania Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled in Kumarapuram. This centre is run by Bethany Convent Sisters of Immaculate Christ. It is home to 70 girls from the age of 12-50 years old. The centre provides living and rehabilitation facilities with different sessions run daily for the girls. I was lucky enough to see an english lesson, a type writing class, paper card making, tailoring and sewing, computer writing, handwriting and to visit the book printing and binding press attached to the centre. The girls were lovely and introduced themselves and the town in which they lived. One girl did the most beautiful dance whilst another sang a song for me. During the typewriting, computer writing and handwriting lessons they were copying from english text about pollution which was very impressive. This centre is free of charge and is a rather amazing facility for these girls to learn different skills and rehabilitate. We then went into Trivandrum to purchase a wheelchair that we are donating to a dialysis patient who struggles financially and who can very sadly no longer walk very far. After this we visited Pallium India which is a hospital for pain management and palliative care where I will be placed for a few days next week. It focuses on ‘care beyond cure’ and has a lot of patients suffering from spinal cord injury. Next week I will visit the clinical hospital and go on home visits with the community palliative care team.

In the evenings I planned for the rest of my time out here with Emily and Lottie, was thrashed again and again by Kannan at chess and got to meet Dipin and Rumie’s beautiful little daughter Anna!

Beach for the weekend which was very stormy with some seriously impressive lightning. Tomorrow is election day in Kerala which they have been counting down to and campaigning for for a while now. It is the election for the fourteenth legislative assembly to elect representatives of the 140 constituencies in Kerala.

May 20: My final week began with election day in Kerala which was extremely full on but very cool to experience. All the campaigning before and the celebrations afterwards were a lot of fun! As a result of such celebrations all roads are a nightmare so we spent the day watching it all from the balcony and eating delicious pancakes with maple syrup. In the evening we got a rickshaw to see a dialysis patient Sudhkaran and deliver him his wheelchair. He was so happy to receive this as this means that his wife can now take him to hospital for his treatment by wheelchair and bus instead of on the back of a motorway (which is risky business in Kerala.) Unfortunately he lost the use of his face muscles after his first stroke so in the photos below he may not look very smiley but he loved it and wanted to get in it straight away!

Pallium India, a palliative care centreTuesday and Wednesday I spent at Pallium India Hospital for palliative care (care beyond cure.) This hospital deals with lifelong illnesses, pain management and palliative care. I spent Tuesday at the hospital shadowing doctors and nurses and on Wednesday I went with the team on the home care visits. Whilst on the in patient ward I saw a patient with a giant cell tumour in her left ileum, a women with a neck ulcer that had become infected with maggots (that morning the nurse had removed 100 maggots from her neck!) and an elderly man with cancer of the oropharynx. This inpatient ward can accommodate up to 15 patients but on this day it was relatively quiet. I learnt a lot on the ward rounds with the doctors, especially about the different types of pain management used and the side effects that different patients experience. The most common being delirium following the administration of morphine. Most patients are discharged back home once their pain is under control unless they have chosen to stay until their last few days, in which case these days are made as peaceful as possible. The hospital also runs a rehabilitation program for people with paralysis. This is a collaborative project of Pallium India with the Department of Social Justice, Government of Kerala. The centre can accommodate up to 4 patients at once and each patient usually comes for 45-50 days of rehabilitation. Whilst I was visiting there was a young boy with hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body), a lady with a demyelinating disease and as a result had paraplegia and 2 young men also with paraplegia. The young boy spoke very good English and was an extremely talented little artist. He showed me all of his watercolour paintings with his masterpiece being an A3 Ferrari which was very cool.  I spent a lot of time speaking to the social workers during lunch. One spoke very good English and is off to New Zealand next month which is very exciting for him as it will be the first time that he has left India. I met the chairman of the hospital who was a very lovely man and who spoke to me about medicine for a while. Wednesday’s home care visits begun at 8.30 am and included 7 different patients, finishing at 4 pm. The home care team involved 1 doctor, 1 nurse, 3 volunteers, me and a driver. All patients visited were either bed ridden or couldn’t access a hospital due to the remoteness of their house. The cases seen included oral cancer, lung cancer, hemiplegia, obstructive hydrocephalus, uncontrolled diabetes and geriatric patients. The doctor and nurse checked the patient’s vitals (pulse, blood pressure and chest) and replenished any regular medicines that the patients required. I got to perform my first chest auscultation on a patient and his wife gave me one of her jungle pineapples to say thank you which was very sweet. A lot of the patients lived up in Kerala’s jungle meaning that to get to them we had to park the mini bus and walk through the jungle, dodging falling coconuts from the trees above and crossing a few rivers. At one point a fast moving snake came straight across the path in front of me (you can see from the photo below that I wasn’t best pleased!) The patients seen all lived in stone huts with tarpaulin or tin roofs with minimal electricity supplies. On the trees surrounding their houses they engraved water run-off paths ending in coconuts to collect the rain water which is very clever! It was rather amazing being able to see these home visits and make comparisons to the ones that I have experienced in the UK in general practice (they certainly didn’t involve any jungle hikes or snakes!)

Thursday and Friday were spent saying goodbye to all the patients and doctors and nurses that had so kindly looked after me for the last 4 weeks. I delivered the donations that I have kindly received from a number of you which allowed us to sponsor the two dialysis patients who are struggling financially for 30 more sessions of dialysis, buy Sudhkaran his wheelchair, help Babu (who makes the delicious food at home) afford an operation he needs on his leg and supply the Beth Sadia Disabled Orphanage with some support for food, medicines and rehabilitation aids. On Friday I visited Beth Sadia Disabled Orphanage for the last time. I was welcomed by the two sisters with a delicious lunch that allowed me to try some new Keralan dishes. I then spent the next few hours with the girls in the orphanage practicing their handwriting, singing and playing musical statues. They were a big fan of ‘Barbie Girl’ and one girl knew all of the words and told me to perform it with her. Of course she was designated the role of Barbie and I was Ken!! Some of the girls then did individual performances which were all amazing and they gave me some of their flowers that they had been making that morning when I left. I’ve never seen a bunch of girls with such big smiles! They asked me to come back when I was a real doctor and live with them. In a few years time that is where you may find me.

Thank you to Babu I, Sudha, Deepak, Babu II and everyone else out here who has made my last month such an amazing experience. Tomorrow I meet up with the girls to see the rest of India. Wifi may be minimal so for now this may be it on the blog front. Until next time Kerala!

Well done Tish!  To follow in Tish’s footsteps, find out more about our pre-university medical placement in India

My medical work experience project in Mexico

Published on Monday 16 May 2016

My medical work experience in an accident and emergency clinic in Mexico

Emily Johnson

Mannequin: Nursing work experience in mexicoMy name is Emily and I spent 5 weeks volunteering on a medical project in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. I was working in the Green Cross, an emergency trauma clinic that provides urgent medical care ranging from cuts and scrapes to life threatening illnesses or injuries. The Green Cross clinic was located in a poorer area of the city and was accessible to those without health insurance which meant I got to meet all sorts of different people. I can honestly say my time spent there was probably one of the best experiences of my life.

Whilst working on this project I had the opportunity to learn from and experience so many different situations. I was treated very much like a medical student, the nurses and doctors were so welcoming and so eager for me to learn and practice new skills. On a regular basis I would take blood pressures, insert cannulas to start IV’s, cast broken limbs, inject painkillers and clean, bandage and suture wounds. During my time there I literally saw everything including broken and dislocated bones, open wounds, heart attacks, burns, gunshot wounds, stabbings, epileptic seizures and drug overdoses’. I was amazed at how much I could get involved and how much trust and responsibility was often bestowed upon me. It was definitely a case of learn fast, be confident and embrace any challenges that came your way.

Suturing: Nursing work experience in mexicoA typical day for me working in Mexico started with the always adventurous bus ride to the Green Cross clinic, definitely the cheapest roller coaster I have ever been on! I would work Monday to Friday starting in the afternoons and leaving in the evening before it got dark. I would spend the day assisting the doctors and nurses treating any patients that came in. Sometimes I asked to stay and do the night shift which was always exciting – lots of alcohol, drugs, assaults and stabbings. I was never short of an opportunity to practice my stitching on a night shift! Some days it would be really quiet and then suddenly get very busy. The great thing is that I would turn up to the start of my shift and have no idea what was going to come through the doors. There was a large team of doctors and nurses in the clinic, another volunteer also joined me half way into my project which was nice. I made so many great friends and although there was a significant language barrier between me and some of the Mexican staff we were still able to enjoy a joke and get on really well. I even managed to befriend some of the paramedics and sweet talk my way onto an ambulance ride along; what an exhilarating experience that was.

Easily the best thing about working at the Green Cross clinic was the opportunity of being able to do and achieve things that I would not be able to do in the UK. There are some moments that I will remember for a long time including a couple of occasions when we had patients that were so ill or injured that they required resuscitating. I did have to perform CPR on two people, unfortunately both attempts failed but I felt honoured to have been able to try and help these people when they needed it the most. These kinds of situations are challenging but they do make you realise how stronger person you can be. It was also amazing to work within a different culture and see how unspoilt and unassuming the people of Mexico are. I will now never take the health care system I have at home for granted.

Nursing work experience in mexico, emily and one of the nursesIf anyone is considering doing a medical project in Mexico, I cannot recommend it enough. You will gain invaluable experience, especially if you are considering a career in the medical world. I would suggest you take plenty of scrubs to wear and some good stain remover, mine started off white but got messy very quickly! I would also recommend that you go with some basic Spanish skills, I managed to get by but I do wish I could have communicated better with the staff and especially the patients. Overall this project was exciting, interesting and challenging and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

To follow in Emily’s footsteps find out more about our nursing project in Mexico or our pre-university work experience in Mexico.

Make the Most of Your Volunteer Healthcare Placement Abroad

Published on Wednesday 11 May 2016

Getting the Most from Your Medical Work Experience

Medical volunteer projects are a great way of gaining important healthcare work experience in a hospital setting, and often this is experience that you can’t get at home – but taking part in these placements overseas will help you take away more than just clinical experience.

Taking part on a volunteer placement abroad allows you to not only broaden your mind but also to develop other transferable skills that will be useful in your future career.

Improved Employment and Interview Prospects

pre-medical-indiaWhether you’re studying or taking a gap from employment, volunteering is a great way to fill up your annual leave, summer holiday or gap year. Alongside the new knowledge, skills and cultures you gain, your employment prospects are also greatly improved too.

Spending time on a healthcare project overseas is interesting to the medical school interviewer or future employer. It shows them that you are someone who has taken part in a healthcare volunteer placement in a completely unique setting and that will make you stand out in their minds when reviewing candidates.

Volunteering can also help you to increase your network of contacts, expose you to different working practices and embrace a whole host of other skills, which will all look great on your CV when you apply for your next role. You will have the chance to develop skills, assist in areas that you haven’t previous been involved with and learn more about the treatment of illnesses rarely seen at home – all of which can be of value to your (future) employer and help boost your career progression.

Cultural Experiences

FullSizeRender[16]One of the best things about travel is meeting new people from a background and culture very different to our own. As soon as we step foot off the plane we are fully immersed into another way of life which is completely different to what we know. Volunteering abroad allows you to not only meet new people and learn more about their culture, but to live their customs and way of life too.

Living in another country, even if it’s for a short period of time, can provide you with experiences that are truly once in a lifetime and that will stick with you forever.

Communication Skills

nursing-mexicoJoining a medical volunteer project overseas will expose you to different languages and dialects. Even in countries where English is widely spoken, strong accents can make communicating more difficult.

For some, volunteering in a hospital abroad can be an opportunity to learn a new and interesting language. There is no better way to learn a new language than to be completely immersed into a community where this language is spoken.

For others, working in a healthcare setting where English is not the spoken language is a great opportunity to develop non-verbal communication skills. Non-verbal skills may come in handy when meeting a patient on a ward at home that doesn’t or can’t speak English.

Adaptability

Working in the medical sector you never know what challenges you’ll face, and adapting to different situations at a moment’s notice is a valuable skill.

Volunteering in a healthcare setting overseas is the ultimate expression of adaptability, as it shows that you can work in a hospital very different to home and with colleagues who have had training very different to your own.

Handling Conflicting Opinions

Medical Electives Ghana
We are constantly faced with differing opinions and views, but knowing how to handle these in a professional manner is a skill that is not taught in the classroom but learnt over time.

Understanding how to overcome these challenges and voice opinions in a considered manner is something you’ll get used to on a placement abroad as in overseas hospitals, with different working practices and spoken languages, opinions are often very different.

Teamwork

Dental electives in CambodiaA healthcare professional is always part of a team, and volunteering abroad will be a great way to demonstrate and develop these skills.

Volunteering a great way to show willingness to be a team player and develop those crucial teamwork skills that so many employers look for. In another country with different languages, rules, and cultures to abide by, you’re thrown into a situation where teamwork is essential especially where a patient’s health is at risk.

Volunteering abroad is one of the most generous things you can do, but in addition to the clinical experience, there are other lessons and skills to be learnt which carry their own rewards too.

My Paramedic Project in Puerto Vallarta

Published on Friday 29 April 2016

My Paramedic Work Experience Placement in Puerto Vallarta – Tony

Paramedic work experience in Mexico

Tony and the paramedic crew

I have recently returned from a 5 week paramedic work experience placement with the Red Cross in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I am applying to train to be a paramedic in the UK so I was looking to increase my general medical knowledge and learn more about the skills required to be a paramedic. Puerto Vallarta is a coastal town popular with tourists, it is the second largest city in the state of Jalisco. The Red Cross are the primary ambulance service in the city which means the variety and scope of experience I gained here was excellent.

On arrival into Puerto Vallarta, Jorge, my host, picked me up from the airport and took me to his house where I would be living for the next 5 weeks. He also gave me a tour of the local area and showed me the Red Cross clinic, only a short walk from his house.

Emergency clinic work experience

Tony in the emergency clinic

I was primarily working alongside the paramedics in the ambulances however I did spend substantial time in the clinic assisting the doctors and nurses. They were very flexible in terms of the hours and days that you decide to work. In order to gain the most out of the experience I worked 6 days per week and shifts ranged from 10-24 hours including days and nights. The staff were extremely welcoming and friendly. Despite not having any previous medical qualifications and only basic Spanish I was astonished by the level of responsibility and involvement I was given from day one. Every emergency call-out I had a very hands-on role assisting the paramedics. This included escorting the patients, measuring heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, administering oxygen and providing reassurance. I also received training on how to insert cannulas.

paediatric patient met work experience mexico

Transferring the paediatric patient

Many of the more minor emergency call outs/ duties included slips and trips, patients with low blood sugar levels, minor cuts, patient transfer duties and a very fun night providing onsite medical cover at a music festival. One of the most interesting was the transfer of a prematurely born baby which was a very delicate and intricate operation. More major incidents included car/ motorcycle accidents, trauma, shootings, seizures, heart attacks and drug overdoses. Due to the variety of both patients and incidences there were many different places patients had to be taken for treatment. Those with more minor injuries or without medical insurance were treated at the Red Cross clinic. Others were taken to the public or private hospitals across the city. This provided an excellent opportunity for me to observe the working relationships between paramedics, patients and other healthcare professionals.

Paramedic work experience Mexico

Tony attending a traffic collision

It was fascinating to see first-hand the scope and processes involved in the role of a paramedic in addition to simply providing medical care. Whether it was communication skills with the patients, accurate recording of details and events, maintaining patient confidentiality and dignity, providing reassurance to family members or liaising with other emergency services. On occasions where the patients were American or English tourists who could not speak Spanish, I helped provide instruction and support which was excellent experience in preparation for my future career as a paramedic. The placement also provided a good insight into the reality of the role. Most notably the largest number of incidents were relatively minor with communication and support being the most vital skill. The fact that one day can be completely different to the next with some days or certain times of the week being very busy and others quieter. It can also expose you to critical situations where you need to act quickly and calmly, which can be mentally challenging but an essential element of emergency medical care. I found this an extremely rewarding part of the experience.

I would highly recommend a paramedic placement in Mexico! It certainly provides an opportunity to gain experience and responsibility much more quickly with little previous training than is possible in the UK. In terms of advice I would give would be that you only get out what you put it. Much of the training I received was through asking to be shown how to perform certain processes. Simply try to get involved and help out in any way you can. This will very much be welcomed and will hugely increase the amount you gain from the experience. If you can’t speak Spanish this is not an issue but the more you know the better. Try to learn as much as possible before you go.

Paramedic work experience Mexico

Christmas at the emergency clinic

The Mexican people are extremely friendly and welcoming, I made many good friends and had great fun working with the paramedics despite my very basic level of Spanish. As I was there over the whole Christmas period I worked the night shift on Christmas Eve which involved a surprise visit to one of the paramedic’s family homes at midnight where I was welcomed in and treated to a full meal with the family! On one of my days off they invited me to a BBQ and a few drinks on the beach which was a very enjoyable day.

This experience was a great way to learn about all the different elements of the role and has only increased my enthusiasm for a career as a Paramedic. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is considering or currently undertaking a career in emergency medical care.

To follow in Tony’s footsteps and join the paramedic / emergency medicine project in Mexico Click here>>