Medical Experience in Nepal with Projects Abroad

  Nepal

• Kathmandu: 
Kathmandu

Term: Fall, Spring, Summer, Throughout the year, Winter 
Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 5-8 weeks
Dates: All Year Round (You set the start and end dates)

Description: Volunteering on a Medicine & Healthcare project in Nepal is a unique experience. As a Medicine & Healthcare volunteer you will gain a great deal of valuable work-experience alongside some of the most skilled practitioners in the country. The facilities are generally quite basic when compared to facilities in the west.

Volunteer Medicine & Healthcare placements in Nepal are based in and around Kathmandu. You will be working on social and health development projects focusing on providing medicine and healthcare for the underprivileged. This is a particularly important service in a country such as Nepal where the National Health System provides for only 15% of the population.

Work at the Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC), at Banepa in the Kathmandu Valley involves a unique combination of working with doctors and being involved with care activities, and is particularly relevant for those who wish to specialize in pediatrics. The Centre is a leading referral center for the functional mobility of physically disabled children. Most of the cases are neglected orthopedic conditions: TB, polio, post-burn contractures and cerebral palsy.

Nepal Orthopedic Hospital is Nepal's only charitable orthopedic treatment center. It is dedicated to providing the best available medicine and healthcare in the field of trauma, orthopedics and rehabilitation to Nepalese people who cannot wait for, or afford, treatment elsewhere. Under supervision, previous volunteers have been allowed to clean and dress wounds as well as assist with setting up traction and plaster and stitch removal.

At the Chatrapati Free Clinic you will come into contact with many diseases in acute stages of development, which you are extremely unlikely to have seen in the west. Many of these conditions, with symptoms such as diarrhea and origins in malnutrition, are easily preventable. You can be involved in the center's campaigns to increase public awareness around health issues and to help improve the quality of life by educating people about health and sanitation. You can also work in departments such as general health services, orthopedics, ophthalmology, dental services, ENT, orthopedics, x-ray and ultrasound and assist with basic surgical and dressing services.

Medical Elective Opportunities

If you are currently enrolled in medical school and wish to do your elective in Nepal, you will be working in and around Kathmandu. You will shadow one of our supervisors who are very experienced at working with western medical and physical therapy students. They will be eager to test out your knowledge, as well as give you the benefit of their training and experience.

Outside of the hospital you will live with a local host family, who will provide you with all your meals outside of your normal working hours. When you arent at work there is plenty to keep you occupied in Kathmandu & nearby Patan: art, temples, architecture, bars and cinemas. The surrounding area is fantastic for hiking or cycling, and you can take part in a number of adventure sports. Projects Abroad staff and volunteers are always around too, in case you require some company that reminds you of home!

Highlights: For your accommodation, you'll live with a Nepalese host-family, which is great environment for learning about a new way of life. All the families involved are extremely supportive of the projects carried out by Projects Abroad and are eager to experience an inter-cultural exchange and learn about the lives of volunteers.

Projects Abroad has opened here to give volunteers a truly unforgettable experience. Our office is in the bustling capital city of Kathmandu where jostling crowds, rickety bullock carts and noisy auto-rickshaws all contribute to the noise, character and constant energy of its traditionally narrow streets.

This program offers you the opportunity to become fully immersed in the culture in a manner which even the most hardened of backpackers could never hope to do.

Qualifications: No qualifications or experience required

Cost in US$: From US$1,795 up

Credit Available: yes

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Open-minded with a desire to travel.

Age Range: 16-70

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

Participants Travel to Nepal Independently Or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement: As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded: 1992