University of Auckland 2016
Over the summer, a fellow nursing friend and I decided to undertake a short-term Summer Placement in Asia. After reading through some options on the website, I got in touch with Work the World. Throughout the whole process of organizing my placement, the Work the World team were amazing. They were always available by phone and promptly replied to emails.
Whilst we had initially settled on Nepal for this placement, the events of 2015 meant we ended up travelling to Sri Lanka. The support from Work the World through this process was great and continued when we arrived in country. The entire team was so helpful – from arrival, to planning weekends or wanting to learn more about Sri Lanka.
I spent three weeks within the paediatric surgery department at the government referral hospital. During my time here I had the chance to shadow, observe and assist the staff across theatre, the wards and clinics. In particular, my time within the department provided me with the chance to spend time in the OR, as well as watch some rare surgeries that I would never have seen back home.
The Work the World house in Kandy fits exactly what is needed, with staff getting involved and showing support throughout. I loved the big communal areas where we spent most of our time, and the BBQ nights were relaxing and fun. The food was delicious and the mix of Sri Lankan and western dishes were particularly great as they exposed us to Sri Lankan food as well as being similar to home.
I would recommend my experience with Work the World to others without a doubt. The whole experience went so well. Spending time with likeminded people and having the chance to learn overseas was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
In our final week we took the Ayerverdic MEDICINE Experience - definitely the highlight of my trip! Getting to experience something that we don't have in New Zealand was a real eye opener.
Both the doctor and our guide were open to teaching, even though English is not their first language. The family we stayed with on the Ayerverdic Medicine week was also very welcoming and inclusive - even on New Year's Eve, when we spent our time travelling on a bus with lots of people from the village visiting different temples and the beach. This was not a typical tourist experience and the whole week provided a wonderful insight into Sri Lankan life.
