All the countries we work in have been selected primarily because they are considered stable, secure and safe for international healthcare students. We pay close attention to the advice to Government travel advice, not only the destinations we work in, but their neighbours too. For more information, visit our safety and security page.
In each of our destinations we have spacious and secure private accommodation, which will be your base for the duration of your placement.
The Work the World houses provide a welcoming, comfortable and private space where you can relax or socialise with other international students and graduates across all disciplines. The houses are great social hubs where the legendary Work the World weekly barbecues are but one of the many highlights.
Bedrooms are split into male and female, with 4-6 beds in each. It is not possible to arrange private rooms as that would mean turning other students away.
Our locally hired staff team are on-site, and include a Destination Manager, Assistant Manager, Housekeeper, Caterer, and Security Guard who all work together to keep everything clean, tidy and efficient.
Read more about our accommodation.
We tailor healthcare placements for students and professionals, whether you’re undertaking your placement as part of your degree, or just want a new challenge to boost your career prospects.
Yes. Each of our Work the World houses has the best Wi-Fi we can get within the local area. Given we work in developing countries, it can be intermittent at times but generally it works well as long as no one is streaming/downloading movies.
Yes you can! As long as you are enrolled in a relevant healthcare degree you are eligible to travel.
Our caterers are experienced in cooking both local cuisine and dishes from home that you're more familiar with. So, while you're abroad, you can try both local delicacies and traditional meals as well as home favourites
When we say your placement is tailor-made, we mean every aspect including the food. Whatever your dietary requirement - vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy free, vegan to name but a few - our chefs will whip up a dish you can enjoy after a day on the wards.
We can create tailored placements and electives abroad suitable for those studying (or qualified in) the vast majority of healthcare degrees. If you're looking for a placement that isn’t listed on our website, please get in touch using the enquiry form.
This is a really popular choice and each year a considerable number of students and graduates travel out to one of our destinations on their own. A massive benefit of travelling with Work the World is that you’ll be sharing your accommodation with other healthcare students and graduates, so you’ll never be on your own and you’ll make friends quickly.
Our houses, depending on destination, accommodate between 20 and 40 people. This means there’s a maximum number of places available in each house, so booking as early as possible is always advised.
Unfortunately not - Work the World houses are for students and professionals on paid placements only. However, we will always try and recommend somewhere close for friends or family to stay if they are visiting.
Thousands of students and professionals travel with us each year, some on their own and some in groups, meaning we can cater for everyone. However, there are a maximum number of placements available in each of our destinations, so it is advised to book as early as possible to secure your space — especially if you are travelling as a group. We will also make (where possible) that we place your group together in the same bedrooms.
Our placements run throughout the year and are tailored to your interests, experience and abilities, as well as any course requirements you may be expected to meet. As such, they can be done at any stage of your training, including during your elective period, as a summer placement, or even after you’ve become a qualified professional.
We have a minimum stay of one week, but the longer you stay the more you will gain from your experience. You may also be able to split your placement between two hospitals, or undertake a Village Healthcare Week, which will broaden your understanding of healthcare overseas.
Shortly before your placement begins, your MyTrip portal will be updated to show everyone that will be living in the house at the same time as you. Their placements may not be starting on the exact same date, however you will be living in the house together for at least some, if not all of your time overseas.
The placements we create are inclusive of accommodation and in order to get the full experience of being overseas we strongly recommend you stay in the Work the World house.
As long as you are either studying or have recently completed a healthcare degree you will automatically qualify for a placement.
If you’ve not already been in touch with a Work the World placement consultant, then we recommend you submit an enquiry.
If you have already spoken to one of the team and you’re ready to book, click ‘Book Now’. To start your application we ask for a registration fee in order to secure your place. You’ll receive confirmation of your placement within 24 hours.
Your registration fee secures your placement immediately and allows us to start tailor-making your placement. You’ll receive confirmation of your placement within 24 hours and have instant access to MyTrip, your online placement planner.
The planner has everything you could possibly need such as a step-by-step timeline, full details of your itinerary, access to our Information Pack which contains everything you’ll need to know before your trip; packing lists, language guides, visa requirements and so much more!
We’ve been operating since 2005 and our in-country operation is what makes our service unparalleled. A huge part of the service we offer is the on-the-ground support from our in-country teams and they are there to provide as little or as much support as you require.
Each destination has the same team structure. That includes the management team, caterers, cleaners, security teams and even gardeners. Your team will offer as much or little support as you need, as and when you need it. And they're available 24/7. You’ll get support from the moment you land to the moment you depart.
You should not book your flights until your placement has been confirmed – you may not be able to reschedule the flights if your placement dates are unavailable. When your placement has been confirmed we suggest that you book your flights no later than 3 months before your trip begins to avoid any panic or inflated prices.
All of our elective placements abroad are located in incredible, fascinating countries where you will find plenty to see and do. We suggest that you wait until you arrive before booking any trips - you may decide to travel with other students or graduates, or take the advice of the very knowledgeable staff on site. You will find lots of advice from previous students or graduates on where to go from the comments book at the house.
Our placement consultants have extensive knowledge of all our destinations - both inside the hospital and out, and can help you discover which of our destinations suit your speciality best, and create the most opportunities for you.
Prior to your departure, we'll be in touch to discuss and help you decide where to specialise, whether to split your placement between two hospitals and which healthcare setting best suits your needs.
MyTrip is an online placement planner - its own personal account where all of the information relating to your specific placement is stored. You can access this at any time and we update it as and when the various aspects of your placement are confirmed. On MyTrip you will find all the information you need regarding your placement, including details about your hospital or clinic, your supervisor and your location. You can follow your own progress via a timeline and receive reminders about when elements of your preparation are overdue.
There are no paid options available with Work the World.
You will be fully supported from the moment you arrive. All you need to do is upload your flight details to MyTrip and one of our friendly members of staff will be at the airport to greet you. You’ll recognise them by their blue Work the World t-shirt.
Don't worry if you get delayed - we check the arrivals every day so we can keep track of your flight and arrive at the correct time to meet you.
No - unlike a number of other placement providers, you will not be staying in a homestay. You’ll stay in our private Work the World houses with all the comforts that you’re used to at home. You’ll be living with healthcare students and graduates from all over the world, benefiting your interprofessional learning and meaning you’ll have a new group of friends to travel to placement with, share stories and experiences with after placement, and travel with on the weekends.
Read more about our private, fully-catered accommodation.
You can, but it is likely to be expensive if you’re not using Wi-Fi. On your first day in-country, our local team will take you to a shop that will sell local sim cards at a very cheap price. This is a much more cost effective way of keeping communication channels open with the Work the World team and fellow housemates.
With regards to funding, your first port of call should be your university. There are often bursaries and grants available for which a student undertaking an overseas placement may be eligible. A quick Google search may also turn up some third party funding options.
If you are interested in fundraising for your trip we have created the Fundraising Hub, where you can find a number of tips, resources, and guides to get you started.
Click the country you reside in to be directed to the relevant page.
Please visit the pricing page to see a full price list. You'll also see a list of inclusions and exclusions.
Our Work the World houses are based as close to your placement hospital or clinic as possible, after taking into account the safest and most suitable neighbourhoods to live in.
In most cases the easiest way to reach your placement hospital or clinic is to take public transport or a taxi. Our staff will show you exactly how to do this during your orientation. Most of the time you will be travelling with other Work the World students and professionals.
The typical placement hours across the majority of our destinations run Monday - Friday, you are also welcome to try other shifts such as weekend or night shifts, if you wish. Typically our students and professionals are based in the hospitals on average 35 hours per week. If you have a set amount of hours to complete, we can guarantee this for you.
Yes, subject to availability. All elective placements within departments are limited and are very much subject to each individual's interests and objectives. All will be confirmed before you depart.
You don’t.
All we need to secure your spot and start planning your placement is your registration fee. You can then spread the cost of your placement by breaking it into smaller payments and paying in instalments. You can pay in as many instalments as you wish, whenever you wish, as long as your full balance is clear 90 days prior to departure.
The majority of participants register at least 9 months in advance. This helps to ensure you’re guaranteed your first choice of destination and also gives you plenty of time to save or fundraise for your placement.
You may be in a position where you have a shorter-than-expected window to get your overseas placement sorted. Don’t worry - we can organise a placement for you in as little as a couple of weeks thanks to the infrastructure we have set up on the ground.
Once you have paid your registration fee you have a 14 day cooling off period where you would qualify for a full refund if you changed your mind. You can view all our Terms and Conditions here.
It really varies depending on where you go, but the cost of living is significantly cheaper than your home country. We recommend on average about £100/€120/$135 USD/£200 AUS for every week you are in-country. This will cover travel to and from placement, weekend trips away including accommodation and spending money, as well as mid-week drinks and meals out if you decide to not dine at the house.
The supervisor you are placed with will sign off your hours in the hospital/clinic you are based in.
Yes, you can. We involve you in the tailoring process of your placement at every stage. You choose the destination you want to travel to and the clinical departments you want to get experience in. Your dedicated placement consultant will be in touch two to three months before departure to go through your clinical interests and help you decide which departments to rotate through in order to meet your clinical goals
No.
You don’t need to be able to speak the local language in any of our destinations.
When preparing for your placement, learning a few everyday phrases can really help you build relationships with hospital staff and get the most from your time overseas. To help you with this we’ve created comprehensive language guides and videos, once you’ve registered with us you’ll get access to this section of MyTrip.
To give you an even deeper understanding of the local language and customs, a language teacher will provide twice-weekly language lessons in our Work the World houses. Designed with your clinical placement in mind, these language lessons are an added bonus to help you get to grips with clinical words and phrases.
The staff teams in the Work the World houses speak English exceptionally well and most senior consultants in the hospitals and clinics we partner with are required to study in English-speaking countries as part of their learning, so they’re likely to have a good level of English too.
Yes. We’ve been operating since 2005 so have an abundance of experience in supporting students with university documentation. This can range from items such as hospital allocation letters, proof of your placement, health & safety audits etc. Once you've registered, our administration team will support you throughout this whole process.
There are a huge variety of different travel options in each of our destinations, and it’s easy to arrange trips once you have arrived.
Our knowledgeable staff will always be able to give you some ideas. Each house also has a comments book from previous students with top travel tips.
Your university may offer credits for participating in an overseas elective. We work with hundreds of universities around the world and we can provide any information required by faculty to ensure we assist with this counting towards your degree.
Yes.
Indemnity protection for your particular field of healthcare is essential for completing a placement in a hospital or other clinical setting. Some healthcare students are able to obtain free indemnity protection through their university or their professional body.
Yes, everyone that takes part in one of our placements will need to ensure they have a travel insurance policy in place to cover them for the duration of their trip.
Our in-country management team are always on hand to ensure any issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently. We also provide you with a 24/7 emergency contact number while on placement which will be answered by our Head Office team.
If you have a medical emergency we will ensure you get the best treatment, and a member of staff will accompany you to a preferred private hospital.
Yes. Unlike other providers, our expert team will have detailed conversations with you in advance of your placement starting, meaning we can guarantee exactly what department/s you’ll be based in throughout your whole placement.
Visa requirements vary depending on the destination you have chosen and the type of passport you hold. Your dedicated MyTrip portal will have all the relevant information you’ll need including online embassy application forms, visa costs, the type of visa you’ll need to apply for and most importantly the time frames in which you’ll need to complete this by. We’ve been doing this since 2005 so we’ll be able to guide you every step of the way, should you need any further visa application assistance
The destination you have chosen and the vaccinations you have previously received will affect which vaccinations you need and it may be that you don’t need any vaccinations at all. Our advice is that you check with your local travel clinic or GP, who will have access to your medical files and who will be best placed to advise you on what you’ll need.
Covid Vaccination
We only accept people who have been fully vaccinated against Covid. All our in-country teams are vaccinated in line with each local ministry of health’s vaccination rules and the vaccination rollout in the destination. All staff who travel to our destinations from our UK Head Office will also be fully vaccinated.
Yes.
Our longstanding relationships and formal agreements with our partner hospitals and clinics mean you get guaranteed supervision and support for the duration of your placement. We also follow guidelines laid out by regulatory bodies and professional associations to ensure each placement is structured according to each student’s level of skill and particular interests.
Many universities have specific requirements regarding overseas electives and placements and want a more formal agreement to guarantee standards. We have contracts in place with several institutions and are happy to provide audit information and complete risk assessments if your university requires.
