Choosing a destination
On receipt of a new student enquiry, our local team based in Melbourne will work with the student to help them choose the best program to suit their clinical interests, objectives and university requirements.
Based on information provided by our Operations teams and in-country management teams, we provide detailed advice on the destination, hospital and individual departments to assist the student in making an informed decision.
Pre-departure support
Following a student’s registration onto the program, we will then allocate them a dedicated Operations Manager who oversee their entire placement preparation, ensuring that the student feels ready for their experience overseas.
Each student receives a welcome call within two days of registering. The focus of this call is to talk students through the pre-departure process and answering any initial questions they may have.
CLINICAL INTEREST CALL
Two to three months before departure, the Operations Manager (OM) allocated to the student conducts a Clinical Interest call with the student. During this call, the OM sets expectations for the placement and gets a thorough understanding of the student’s clinical interests, university requirements, and department preferences — the placement/departments will then be finalised.
PRE-DEPARTURE CALL
Finally, a pre-departure call takes place in the week before the student arrives in the country. This call is to answer any last-minute questions the student may have and to ensure the student is 100% prepared.
MyTrip
Students also get access to MyTrip - their customised online placement planner. MyTrip has an interactive timeline that displays each preparatory step in the run up to their trip. The planner includes information about:
- Their placement hospitals
- The Work the World house
- Who their housemates will be
- Packing lists
- Advice on visas, travel/health insurance and malpractice insurance
- Language guides and videos
- Local cultural information
In-country support
When the student lands at the local airport, a member of our team will be waiting to meet them. Then, they will:
- Travel together to the Work the World house
- Meet the rest of the Work the World staff and their new housemates
- Eat a home-cooked welcome meal
- Receive a full welcome briefing
- Go on a full city orientation with the local team where they’ll learn where to find all local amenities and the most reputable places to change money
- Get informal daily debriefs
- Get formal documented weekly debriefs
The in-country team exist to provide the student with 24/7 support as and when they need it. Students who exhibit greater independence have freedom to do so.
In-country team
We have a designated Program Manager in each of our destinations. They manage the rest of the local team and are responsible for every aspect of the students’ experience.
Each and every one of our Program Managers are exceptionally well qualified, with backgrounds in travel and tourism, healthcare, or both. The Program Manager is a demanding role, so we only employ candidates of the highest caliber.
The Assistant Program Manager is the direct assistant to the Program Manager, and together they run our programs in-country. They both help forge and maintain the close hospital relationships that set us apart as an organisation. These relationships give us access to a breadth of hospital departments, allowing us to customise placements to each students’ goals.
This management team operates from offices found in each Work the World House. They are a familiar, friendly and reassuring presence for the students. The underlying goal of everything our management teams do is making sure the student has the most fulfilling experience possible.
"The Work the World team in Tanzania were absolutely amazing! They always made sure we were safe and gave us advice when we were planning our weekend trips. Often, after a really hard day on placement, they would debrief with us, making sure we were okay and continue to talk to us about it." Kaylah Jones, Griffith University
Support in the placement hospital
Before the student’s placement starts, they receive a full hospital orientation and department introduction. We do this so students can get a sense of the environment and meet the staff before their placement starts.
Each student also receives in-hospital supervision from hospital staff to help align them with local ethical considerations. For example, a supervisor can help ensure that any hands-on/practical involvement is at a level appropriate for the students’ experience.
OPTIONAL EXperiences
Village Healthcare Experiences
A Village Healthcare Experience adds invaluable perspective to the city-based placement. At the end of their placement, students can spend a week living in a rural village. In the mornings, they spend time in a local health outpost, learning the unique challenges local staff face while delivering care in a rural setting.
In the afternoons, they take part in activities like island hopping, swimming in waterfalls, and hiking to mountain temples with an official Work the World guide and interpreter.
