Description

We have spent over 10 years organizing electives in the medical community particularly in Kenya.

For doctors looking to spend sometime helping in a needy hospital or community, we can help you with on the ground organizations and obtaining necessary volunteer or work permits.

We also organize medical camps where we work with you and your hospital or community of interest to organize your medical camp.

Please email us if you are interested in doctor service or medical camps.

Highlights

On arrival, you will be met at the airport by one of our representatives and depending on time and airport of arrival, you will either proceed directly to one of our accommodation houses or you will need to stay overnight in a hotel and proceed to your new temporary home the following day.

We use the first day for basic orientation on your surroundings, where to do basic shopping, cultural orientation and meeting other program participants. Part of orientation is to meet your mentors. We assign you two mentors: a host mentor to help you with navigating your new environment and medical professional mentor to ensure you get a very productive and enriching medical experience. One of Elective Africas key differentiators is that we have developed deep relationships not just with the healthcare institutions we place you in, but we also have deep and committed relationships with professionals that we will assign you to. This is a huge differentiator between our placements and other placements that send you to foreign lands, to unknown programs, under the care of unknown professionals. Our professional mentors are people who we know and we have evaluated and are comfortable with the quality of their mentorship based of feedback from past participants

Please note that depending on the hospital you are assigned, your medical professional mentor will probably be a physician, but can also be another medical professional such as a nurse. In areas of dire medical services needs such as Africa, nurses and midwives often perform work undertaken in other places only by physicians such as consultations, prescriptions, operations, administering anesthesia and admitting patients. So, whether your mentor is a physician of a nurse, you will get great exposure shadowing them on the job. They will be excellent teachers and will make every effort to give you hands-on experience, under close supervision, whenever possible.

In terms of exposure, we try to give you exposure to as many clinical fields as possible clinical medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, emergency medicine and critical care, general and orthopedic surgery, E.N.T, ophthalmology and radiology.

You will be taken for ward rotations in a manner that helps you attain real life exposure and integrating theoretical knowledge. You will observe the supervising doctors and consultants to enable you draw and understanding of diverse aspects relating to cared of patients such as relevant history taking in various body systems, physical examination, relevant laboratory investigations and their interpretation, arriving at pertinent diagnosis and appropriate treatment measures.

Various procedures in the clinical medicine and pediatric rotations may be viewed and even assist with such like injections, lumbar punctures, insertion of intravenous cannulae, nasogastric intubation, lymph node biopsies, etc. You may observe in various general and orthopedic surgeries.

Within obstetric and gynecology department, you will be permitted to view various procedures, which may include normal deliveries, cesarean sections, tubal ligations and several others.

Because we view our programs as not just an internship, we encourage students to avail themselves to activities that will facilitate cultural exchange and appreciation for their host country. For students who participate in our Kenya programs, for a supplement payment, we include a 3 day 2 nights Safari to the world famous Masai Mara game reserve.

Qualifications

Interns must be pre-med or medical students. Volunteers must be medical professionals.

Languages

• English

Cost in US$:

1,950 for 4 weeks

Cost Includes:

• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Excursions

Program Fees Include:

* Organizing your trip and pre-departure support
* Airport pick-up
* Orientation
* Accommodation
* Food
* Support network
* Visa advisory

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

Typical Volunteer

ElectiveAfrica medical students is one who is committed to making difference during their elective program. Participants should be keen to learn about other cultures, make new friends and all should be able to work closely with other staff in the hospital.

Age Range

18 yrs and above

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat
• Group living
• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 4-10

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Resume

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Elective Africa's Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide and offer opportunities for both students and international volunteers to interact in development and educational programs thus enabling them to gain experience and build their capacities for their lives and that of future generations.

Year Founded

2000