Ella Magner

Coming from Australia’s very privileged healthcare system, I was intrigued to learn about how different cultures, religions and societal norms impacted healthcare. Getting the opportunity to undertake placements overseas is such a privilege and allows you to better connect with the community and culture.

Nepal has always been somewhere I have wanted to visit, and with an overseas elective, it seemed like too good an opportunity to waste.

Work the World made the process of organising an overseas medical elective so much easier. Overseas travel is intimidating at the best of times, let alone trying to organise a placement in a hospital, arrange accommodation and ensure safety.

As a female travelling by myself, I wanted a placement that was reliable, well supported and gave me a welcoming environment to meet new people—Work the World ticked all these boxes and more. From navigating airport transfers, weekend getaway destinations, offering support on placement and cooking amazing food—there really is nothing they can’t do.

The house is big and beautiful. It is enclosed with a gate and a constant security guard, with a gorgeous garden for outdoor dining and studying. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and spread enough that you never feel that the house is too busy. There are multiple living spaces which provide opportunities for game nights or movie marathons. But perhaps the best part is the rooftop terrace, offering stunning views at sunset of Kathmandu city and the mountains.

​I found the trip could be as social as you liked. There were always opportunities to grab lunch or go on weekend trips with other students. Living with other healthcare students honestly helped me as a solo traveller so much. Many students were studying different fields, which meant that you could learn about all the different parts of the hospital and health service. 

Undertaking placement in a different country can be confronting, but the presence of other students meant that we could easily bond and debrief on cases we had seen or challenging aspects of our days.

I think the people you are with can make or break your experience, and the in-country team could not have done a better job. The team consistently goes above and beyond to accommodate all students and truly make the house feel like a home away from home. 

From recommendations for weekend trips to cooking delicious local food, it is clear that the team love their jobs. The security guards and chefs were always there to greet us with a big smile and truly made the experience.

Australia’s healthcare system was my only exposure to the field of medicine, so safe to say there were significant differences between home and Nepal. It can be a bit confronting to enter the busy hospital setting, with hundreds of patients being seen in each department’s OPD on any given day. 

The health system in Nepal is very well established and respected in the community, with very rapid turnover for patients to accommodate the immense demand. The speed at which they review patients in no way impacts their care; in fact, it is probably more in-depth. The hospital teams are very friendly and eager to involve you in the team. I found myself sought out for learning opportunities and interesting cases.

It is physically impossible to be bored in a city like Kathmandu. My housemates and I would spend our evenings and weekends exploring Thamel, local temples, viewpoints, hiking (and of course souvenir shopping). 

We travelled to Pokhara for the Holi Festival and returned to our hotel a mix of several colours. Everyone was always keen to explore, and even if you wanted some time to yourself, Nepal is such a safe place that there was no issue going alone.

On the more chill weeknights, we would have movie marathons, face masks and game nights.

There were many patients I bonded with and supported in labour and surgery that will stick with me forever. 

The language barrier had no impact on the support I could provide, and often, just being there to hold a hand made a huge difference to a patient's experience.

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