Sri Lanka has something for everyone.  Adrenaline junkies will love the world-class surf, trekking and rafting whilst animal-lovers can swim with dolphins and track wild elephants in the national parks. Into history and culture? The UNESCO temples are something to behold. There are even a few tropical beaches thrown in for good measure.

The Work the World House

Our house in Kandy will be a hub of activity throughout your clinical placement in Sri Lanka. Think of it as your home from home. You will share the house with other healthcare students and graduates from around the world, which gives the house a lively atmosphere.

You’ll find the Kandy house at the heart of the city, just a stone’s throw from Kandy Lake. Outside the house, you can hop into a tuk tuk and zip off to visit ancient temples, cool off in a hotel pool, ride up to the Big Buddha statue to watch the sunset over the bustling city below, and have some fun in the local bars and restaurants.

The house itself is open and airy, which is perfect for the warm climate.

The layout also offers plenty of social areas in which you and your housemates can unwind after a day on the wards.

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In-Country Team

Management team: Based in the house, they oversee your entire clincal placement — 24/7 — from the moment you land to the moment you leaveCatering team: Cook a variety of both local cuisine and familiar home comforts, accommodating all dietary requirementsHousekeeper: Keeps the house clean and tidy from top to bottom, making sure you're comfortableLanguage teacher: Visits the house twice per-week. During their lessons, you’ll learn everyday phrases and clinical terminology to help you get more from your placementSecurity team: Monitor the house 24/7 for your peace of mind

Support in the Hospital

Before you officially start, our Kandy team will take you to look around your placement hospital. You’ll meet your supervisors and other staff from the departments you’ll be spending time in. This will help you adjust a little before diving in. The team will come back to visit you at intervals right the way through your placement. This is just to make sure everything is running smoothly.

We’ll also assign your supervisors before your clinical placement starts. If you build rapport with them, they’ll help you to see Ghana’s healthcare system through the eyes of a local practitioner.

The fundamental idea is that we support you all the way through your clinical placement, if and when you need it.

Medical Electives in Sri Lanka

Clinical Placements in Kandy

Medical Placement, Sri Lanka (Kandy)

Medical Electives

In Kandy, you can get experience in departments including psychiatry, surgery, OBG, and general medicine, among many others. For cultural and religious reasons, the practises and attitudes towards medicine in Sri Lanka may differ from what you’ve learnt. Our partner hospital is also known for its extraordinarily broad range of ICUs including: surgical ICU, medical ICU, cardiothoracic ICU, the coronary care unit, and cardiac ICU. Treatments are free at the point of care for patients in Sri Lanka, but a lack of resource is still a real challenge for local staff.

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Midwifery Placement, Sri Lanka (Kandy)

Midwifery Placements

As a midwifery student in Sri Lanka, you’ll learn all about the differences between maternity at home versus a developing country. Spending time in our partner hospital’s OBG department you’ll see women giving birth with little to no pain relief whatsoever — the cost of medication in Sri Lanka is relatively high. C-sections are also common, making up around 40% of all births. A big part of the placement here is interacting with local midwives. You’ll learn how they get around the resource limitations, and you can share with them your knowledge from home.

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Dentistry Elective, Sri Lanka (Kandy)

Dentistry Electives

As a dental student in Sri Lanka, you’ll begin to understand the difficulties of delivering care in a low-resource environment. You’ll be welcomed in by the small, but specialised team here, and you can tap into the breadth of knowledge staff have between them. You’ll get experience across a broad range of areas. whether that be in orthodontics, in the OPD, in maxillofacial or elsewhere.

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Nursing Placement, Sri Lanka (Kandy)

Nursing Placements

Our main partner hospital in Sri Lanka offers you the chance to gain extensive experience across a range of departments. This will give you a broader understanding of Sri Lanka’s healthcare system. It’s also the case that you’ll see conditions that are either rare or non-existent in Australia. These include dengue fever, tuberculosis and malnutrition. Our partner hospital is connected to a large nursing college in the city, so you can exchange stories with Sri Lankan nursing students.

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Physiotherapy Placement, Sri Lanka (Kandy)

Physiotherapy Placements

Undertaking your placement in the rheumatology department’s physiotherapy unit, Kandy offers a varied placement. You’ll experience in a number of areas including the neurosurgical ward, surgical ICU and cardiothoracics. You can also spend time in the OPD, helping to rehabilitate patients using basic gym equipment and other treatments. The OPD sees a steady stream of patients, daily. Common conditions include cerebral palsy, stroke, fractures, burns, MSK, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and beyond.

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AYURVEDA WEEK

In addition to your main clinical placement in Kandy, spending an optional week at our Ayurveda Experience is a must. Each morning, you’ll head to the small local forest clinic. This is where you’ll learn about the ancient healing art of Ayurveda. The (world-famous) local doctor is a skilled healer who creates medicines from plants and barks. Each afternoon you’ll take part in activities like canoe trips along narrow jungle rivers, ox and cart rides, wild elephant safaris and even full body massages at an Ayurvedic spa.

AYURVEDA EXPERIENCE

"Doctors are so revered in Sri Lankan culture that patients rarely speak against them or challenge them."

Daisy Tudball, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry 2022

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"My time in the hospital was really interesting. The saying ‘you only get out of it what you put into it’ could not be more accurate. I had the four best weeks of my life."

Michiel Notelaers , Universiteit Gent 2022

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"The hospital staff were really welcoming and keen to get me involved. Most spoke really good English, and it was fascinating that all patient notes were in English too."

Samantha Jolliffe , University of Surrey 2022

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When I first went to the hospital I couldn't believe how busy it was. There was a constant flow of people.

Charlotte Tincknell, Kingston University 2022

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"There were stark differences when it came to confidentiality, privacy and dignity."

Jennifer Pilling, Manchester Metropolitan University 2019

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WHAT HEALTHCARE DISCIPLINES DO WORK THE WORLD CATER FOR?

Work the World organise supervised medical electives and clinical placements for the following disciplines: - 1. Medical  2. Nursing 3. Midwifery 4. Physiotherapy 5. Radiography 6. Pharmacy 7. Dentistry 8. Occupational Therapy 9. Paramedic Science

WHAT IS THE WORK THE WORLD HOUSE LIKE IN SRI LANKA

Our house in Sri Lanka is situated in the heart of the city of Kandy. The house itself is open and airy -  perfect for the warm climate, and there are plenty of social areas for you and your housemates to unwind after a day on placement.

WHAT TRAVELLING OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR ME WHILST I’M IN SRI LANKA?

Sri Lanka has something for everyone. Adrenaline junkies will love the surf, trekking and rafting whilst animal-lovers can swim with dolphins and track wild elephants in the national parks. There are even a few tropical beaches thrown in for good measure.