Because hospitals in countries such as Ghana are often understaffed and under-funded with high patient loads, pharmacy internship students quickly become involved in treatment and patient care. Drugs are scarce and expensive and you’ll find that modern labs and equipment taken for granted in North America are often absent.
Impeded by distance and the associated travel costs, you will find that patients regularly present with critically advanced pathologies. You’ll witness these conditions firsthand, study drug distribution in the hospital dispensary, and accompany pharmacists on rounds. This is a unique opportunity to learn how a resident pharmacist uses their resourcefulness to treat a wide range of pathologies.
Please check our individual destination pages on the right side of this page to learn more about available areas of specialty within each country.
Your placement
Our Operations Managers in the Head Office, who have detailed knowledge of all aspects of our destinations and the hospitals with which we work, will liaise with you to ensure your requests and expectations are inline with the realities of the provision of care overseas.
The large number of contacts we have, the personal relationships with hospitals, the partnership agreements in place and the "know how" of each destination, means we can investigate your request and give you an informed choice of what is available in your chosen destination. Whether you join us for an official internship, or a volunteer abroad experience, we have the skills and know-how to ensure you maximise this opportunity.
Requirements to join usPharmacy student discusses his internship in Nepal
Benefits of the program
A Work the World placement expands a pharmacy student’s training while offering firsthand exposure to global health issues. As you work alongside local pharmacists, you’ll be strengthening both your personal and professional development.
Though the cost of a Work the World pharmacy internship may be similar to the cost of an independently organized placement, our program minimizes or removes nearly all the risks involved. First, we provide accommodation, meals and purified drinking water in a safe, secure and hygienic setting at our local Work the World house. You’ll also receive the support there of our full-time staff, who are practiced at assisting international students.
We also guarantee a high-caliber clinical experience. Due to our solid relationships with our partner hospitals, the local pharmacists are open to your presence and involvement, and willingly supervise students. Additionally, many of the linguistic and cultural barriers that can hamper a pharmacist volunteer are diminished by our staff’s experience in working with international students, and our free language classes.
Frequently asked questionsBroaden your Experience
Our supplemental bolt on programs will complement and greatly enrich your placement experiences. Many former students have found them to be the highlight of their placement time.
The Village Healthcare Experience offers the rare chance to live in a remote village, working in a local clinic. You’ll assist in the diagnosis and treatment of patients living in very basic environments with little or no access to western medicine. You’ll live with a local family, take part in village activities and learn how local healers administer traditional healing methods.
The Ayurvedic Medicine Experience provides the exceptional opportunity to intern with a much-respected Ayurvedic doctor. Students live in an lodge and work at an Ayurveda hospital, based in a traditional rural Sri Lankan village.
Read more about these optional extras-
I will always cherish my experiences in Ghana, and remember that at some point in my life, I was able to call Ghana my home away from home.
Lucy-Rose Vuong, University of Manitoba 2013
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I just knew that a placement in Ghana would allow me to experience pharmacy practice in a whole new way and give me a better understanding and appreciation of the profession throughout the world.
Ryan Fung, University of Saskatchewan 2012
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