Your overseas placement is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Capturing your time on placement through content is a great way to reflect and inspire others. But with that comes a responsibility - to tell your story ethically and respectfully, celebrating the people and places featured.
In this guide, we’ll explore what ethical content creation looks like and what to consider when creating content during your clinical placement.
Respecting patient privacy and the clinical environment
The focus of your content should be your experience - what you learned, how you felt, and what inspired you - not someone else’s story or medical condition. Never film patients in the hospital; it's not appropriate to share images or footage of individuals receiving medical care.
Your placement takes place in a working hospital, and you should treat it as such when creating content. Avoid filming during ward rounds, procedures, or while observing care. Instead, focus on your reflections, journey, and growth, not clinical settings or patient experiences.
Consent is non-negotiable
Anyone featured in your content must give consent. Just because someone is present, smiling, or speaking with you doesn’t mean they’re comfortable being recorded or having their image shared online. If you’re unsure whether someone has consented to be included, you should not use the content.
Be respectful
Our overseas partner hospitals may have fewer resources than those in your home country, but they are also staffed with skilled, resourceful healthcare professionals. You should avoid reinforcing negative stereotypes or depicting another culture as “strange” or “shocking.” Aim to capture the whole story, not just your perspective.
What may feel normal to share at home could be inappropriate, or misunderstood, in another cultural context. While some aspects of your placement may be eye-opening, it’s important to be respectful in how you share those experiences.
Tips for creating ethical content
- Create your content away from clinical areas - for example, on your commute to placement, after a shift, or at the Work the World house.
- Reflect on your journey - share how you’re feeling, what you’ve learned, and how the experience is shaping your future and your development as a healthcare professional.
- Highlight the support - talk about how our in-country team is supporting you, guiding your learning and experience.
- Engage with the culture - capture moments where you are learning the local language, trying new food, or exploring around the country during the weekend.
In summary
Creating content to share on social media during your placement is a great way to reflect on your experience and inspire others, but it comes with a responsibility to do so ethically.
If you’re ever in doubt, put people’s privacy and safety first. Ethical content creation means telling your story in a way that uplifts and respects everyone involved, not just showcasing yourself in a positive light.
Always ask yourself: “Am I proud of how I’ve represented this experience and everybody featured in it?”
