Navjot Dhanoa

I have been involved in placements all over the UK throughout my degree, but when the opportunity arose for an overseas elective, I immediately jumped at it. This was because I had always wanted to witness what healthcare was like in another country with a completely different culture.

I wanted to observe the mindset of healthcare professionals elsewhere and experience the practice of medicine in a different clinical setting, thereby also challenging myself.

Work the World made my dream elective possible. They were involved right from the start to the end and provided me with lots of information about travelling, visas, what to expect when I arrived, and they checked in with me throughout.

Once I arrived, I was picked up from the airport. The staff were extremely welcoming, and my housemates and I had a great first dinner together. They provided an in-depth city orientation and introduced us individually to our supervisors and broader department teams. It meant I didn’t have to worry about all the extra troubles — it was all managed for me.

Living in the Work the World house was a lot of fun and welcoming. I shared a room with other female students. There was a great big dining area where we all ate our meals together. There was a living room upstairs with a TV to relax in front of in the evenings. The bathrooms were cleaned daily, and even our beds were made when we went off to placement each day. The house always had a fun and vibrant feel.

Living with other healthcare students was a lot of fun. We all travelled to our placements together and learned together. It was great to be able to talk about each of our days and support each other during times when things were occasionally challenging in the hospital. 

Having shared meals together was lovely, too — it never felt lonely. Getting to know people from all over the world was a great learning experience, as we were all able to absorb each other’s cultures.

From arriving in Nepal, I remember having a great first impression of the local team. Sammichiya welcomed us at the airport with special Nepali scarves and made sure we were all comfortable. And Sean was always positive and fixed any problem we had. Merlin and Mo were ever so kind - Mo even made me some ramen when I wasn’t feeling well. The Work the World House really was like a home away from home!

Then there was the hospital placement. In the UK, we have access to many more resources than Nepal does. We don’t reuse equipment in the UK. Whereas in Nepal, due to shortages, much equipment, even sterile, was reused. In the OPDs, there were often three clinics happening in the same room, whereas in the UK, patient privacy and patient confidentiality are paramount. OPD doctors in Nepal saw many more patients than we would have in the same time in the UK, and dermatology also saw sexual health cases, which was surprising, as in the UK these are completely different specialities.

The ED was hectic, as it is in the UK. Still, there were fundamental differences in how things were documented — everything in Nepal was on paper, whereas in most of the UK, things are recorded electronically.

In the evenings, we relaxed, and if the weather was good, we would go to nearby bars, play pool, or explore local tourist destinations. If the weather was bad, we’d watch movies and play games. During weekends, we explored other cities like Chitwan and Pokhara to do activities like trekking and going on safari. If I had to pick one highlight of my trip, it’d have to be paragliding in Pokhara  — it was extremely fun and exhilarating.

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