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.
I 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.
Before 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.
I 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.
With 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
How 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
Each 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
Many 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
Potential 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
Interviews 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
Working 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.
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
Whether 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
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
Joining 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
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
A 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.
Whether you’re a pre-university student looking for work experience, a medical student looking for a worthwhile elective, a medical professional taking a career break or simply just want to volunteer your time and skills, a medical project overseas can be a daunting prospect. When leaving the comforts of home behind to embark on a new adventure, you’ll want to be sure that you know what to expect when taking on a medical volunteering project.
We’ve put together a brief introduction to medical volunteering, from the personal and career benefits to daily life and the working conditions you’ll experience.
Personal Benefits
They say that travel broadens the mind, and by volunteering with us on a medical project overseas you will be able to travel to an amazing country you probably wouldn’t have considered journeying to before.
Volunteering is an extremely rewarding thing to do and you’ll have the opportunity to create some amazing memories and make new friends in an entirely different environment.
It’s important to remember, that whilst rewarding, it will be a demanding experience and one that you should prepare yourself for. Working away from home, surrounded by people you don’t know and in an environment which may be emotionally draining can be challenging, but you’ll be supported by our friendly overseas staff and the comradeship of your fellow volunteers who will all be based in the same area.
Career Benefits
Everyone has different motivations for joining our medical volunteering placement. Whether you’re a pre-university student looking to boost their application to medical school, an elective student or qualified professional, volunteering will look great on your CV / Resume.
Aside from what you learn about medicine overseas on the placement, volunteering abroad will allow you to learn a new language and experience a new culture, both of which are great qualities that universities and employers will be keen to make use of. Helping a local community will show your charitable spirit and can also help to aid your career choice or your next step in life.
Daily Life
At Global Medical Projects we have a variety of volunteering options available for those interested in medical, nursing, physiotherapy, dentistry, paramedic or radiography projects. You could be assisting on maternity wards, providing dental care or shadowing doctors and nurses. No two days are the same and you will have the opportunity to experience a variety of hospital departments and clinics but rest assured that you will be fully integrated into the team.
Typically you will work office hours, Monday to Friday, leaving weekends free to travel with the other volunteers but be prepared to work occasional evenings and weekends too.
Working Conditions
Volunteering certainly isn’t a luxury holiday and working conditions during your hospital experience will be vastly different to home. You’ll be working in a variety of communities, most of which are under privileged, and see the challenges these communities face on a daily basis.
Volunteering abroad will give you real hands on experience and you’re likely to see different tropical infections and diseases that you may not have encountered previously. You may see a lack of funding during your placement and experience times when patients can’t afford to pay for treatments.
What’s included on a Trip?
Your trip with Global Medical Projects will include;
Accommodation
UK support
Airport pick-up
Local induction and orientation
Medical placement and donation
Local overseas support
Food provided by your host family or organisation
You’ll need to take care of the following;
Flights
Insurance
Spending money
Visas
Inoculations
Food at weekends
Volunteering is a life changing experience and one that we hope will stay with you for a long time. We look forward to welcoming you on one of our placements soon!
I 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.
Before 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.
I 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.
With 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.
How 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.
Each 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.
Many 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.
Potential 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.
Interviews 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.
Working 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.
Whether 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.![FullSizeRender[16]](http://www.globalmedicalprojects.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/FullSizeRender16-400x300.jpg)
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.
Joining 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.