OUr story
Our story began in 2005. We spoke to healthcare students from around the world, and it became clear that there were serious complications and pitfalls when it came to independently organising international internships. We wanted to redefine the standards of overseas internship experiences, so that’s exactly what we did.
Creating a one-size-fits-all solution wasn’t going to work. Too many people had unique priorities and areas of interest. So we developed a way of working that allows us to deliver exceptional clinical experiences customized to each individual’s goals and interests.
We also resolved to develop and sustain fair, ethical partnerships with overseas hospitals, clinics and surrounding communities as a basis for delivering the best healthcare placements in the world.
WHat We Do
We are a British-based organization with our head office based in Brighton in the United Kingdom and an American team in Boston, Massachusetts. We plan and customize overseas hospital internships for healthcare students at a professional degree level.
Students who use our service benefit from:
- Comprehensive pre-trip support and preparation
- 24/7 support from an in-country team
- In-hospital supervision by qualified staff members
- Safe, private and catered accommodation
Our formalized hospital partnerships allow us to take into account each student’s ambitions, skills and university requirements.
We’ve created more than 17,000 internships for students from over 450 universities worldwide. The majority of these clinical internships are for university credit.
Your students are eligible if they're studying a professional degree in:
When and where can students travel?
We operate all year round. Arrivals are every Sunday, 52 weeks a year, so students can travel whenever suits them. Internship durations are typically between 2 and 8 weeks.
Students can travel to programs in destinations across Africa and Asia:
- Ghana — Takoradi
- Tanzania — Dar es Salaam
- The Philippines — Iloilo
- Vietnam — Hue
- Nepal — Kathmandu
- Sri Lanka — Kandy
Cultural Immersion
Travelling to a new country presents your students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in rich local cultures. Our placements run Monday to Friday, leaving your students will have plenty of time in the evenings and at weekends to explore and experience the culture of whichever country they choose to visit. They will encounter fascinating customs, languages, philosophies and ways of life throughout the experience.
All our destinations make a great jumping-off point for broader travel. Some students use the opportunity to travel around their country of choice in the weeks before or after their internship.
How do we choose our destinations?
When we vet a destination, we focus on the safety of that destination, the quality of potential clinical placements, and the travel opportunities the destination presents.
To determine the safety, we first assess local government crime statistics, and take advice from global government travel advisory agencies, such as the U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs. These flag up any major current and historical in-country issues that might impact students. We will rule out destinations based on these alone.
We then send our Operations Team to carry out a deeper investigation. This helps us gain on-the-ground insights that technical government reports do not offer.
The Operations Team explores the country, establishing which city would be best suited to hosting a Work the World program. The team also establishes contacts on the ground — people who are local to the area — to gain deeper qualitative insights.
The team explores the city, day and night. They do everything your students might do — visiting tourist hotspots, taking public transport, even getting a feel for local bars and restaurants.
Once we are totally satisfied that the country meets our high safety standards, we begin investigating potential partner hospitals. Read more about how we choose partner hospitals in the Hospital Partnerships section.
Benefits to your students when traveling overseas with us
On an overseas internship with us your students will:
- Expand their clinical knowledge and skill set
- Develop their confidence and resourcefulness
- Build their personal and professional networks
- Sharpen their verbal and non-verbal communication
- Become more attractive to future employers
Your students will gain firsthand insight into global health inequities at the institutional level. This comes about through extensive interaction with both staff and patients from a range of departments.
Students have total flexibility in choosing the departments they want to gain experience in. However, you, as a member of university staff, can dictate which countries and departments you feel are most appropriate for your students’ development.
Your students will also get experience through encounters with unfamiliar conditions and practices, building upon their existing clinical repertoire.
"The hospital where I was based had an overwhelmingly vibrant and friendly pharmacy team. On the first day, I met the pharmacy director and could not believe how much time he spent making me feel welcome. Even though he was clearly extremely busy, he made it crystal clear that he intended for me to have a pleasant, educational time while I made my way through his network of pharmacies." Anne Mischke, University of Tennessee
