The landscape of Nepal is the most spectacular in the world. The world's highest mountain ranges plunge into lush valleys teeming with exotic wildlife and throughout, remote monasteries and villages adorn the landscape. Here, you'll find over 800 species of birds, bears, monkeys, and even royal Bengal tigers. The human population is no less engaging and comprises a mix of Hindu and Buddhist cultures, where ancient traditions and nomadic lifestyles bring colour to modern life.
Your internship offers a period of apprenticeship where you can work off-campus to gain valuable experience in a specific career field that combines learning with frontline observations in working health clinics. This practical learning experience within the workplace provides an invaluable addition to classroom learning and an ideal opportunity to develop your future career.
What Does the Project Do?
This is an ongoing programme with the guiding principle that health is not just an issue for doctors, social services and hospitals – it is a matter of social justice. The project aims to provide a universally accessible primary healthcare service to all people, regardless of their ability to pay. Its goal is to be an internationally recognised model of self-reliant, comprehensive healthcare and resource centre with the full participation of the community. Your working day may typically be from 8:30am until 3pm, although work programmes are flexible and your detailed project schedule will be agreed with your project coordinator on arrival.
What Will I Be Doing?
Depending on your level of skills and experience, you will either be placed in a local childrens hospital or orphanage. We work with the largest childrens hospital in Kathmandu, that is happy to facilitate placements for medical interns with a range of experience. Whichever health centre you will be based at, you will gain an incredible insight into the medical and healthcare service so your days will be varied and full of interest. The centres that we work with are typically staffed by a team of doctors and nurses working to provide a general healthcare service to local families.
This project is best suited to medical students and medical practitioners. Your internship will give you invaluable preparation for a career in medicine. The placement will allow you to observe medical practices and give you the opportunity to experience the day-to-day running of a hospital or clinic. Those with determination, enthusiasm, aptitude and the right inclination may be able to assist the doctors and nurses in their duties of administering healthcare to the Nepali people. Doctors in Nepal typically visit a number of different health centres each day, spending two hours attending to patients before moving on to the next hospital or clinic. During this time you will be permitted to observe procedures, depending upon what cases have been received.
Your work may consist of basic healthcare activities such as making beds, observing procedures, shadowing medical staff, taking histories, administering prescriptions and diagnosis of ailments and giving assistance to the existing medical staff. However, please note that your level of involvement will depend completely upon your own previous experience, skills and qualifications as well as the needs of the hospital/clinic at the time of your visit. It is therefore important to remain flexible.
Those volunteers with little experience could be given the opportunity to get involved with various community outreach programmes such as medical camps, health education, community visits and other relevant activities, or shadowing the in-house nurse at a local orphanage. The most successful volunteers will be flexible and will approach the placement with an open mind and the commitment to help in any way that they can.
