If you are a part qualified or fully qualified medical practitioner, volunteer on your gap year with this hospital in Tanzania to understand health care works in developing countries.

Based in Arusha, Tanzania, this gap year internship project is perfect if you are half way through your medical degree or a fully qualified doctor, physiotherapist or pharmacist. Volunteer with this hospital that was started in 1980 as a small unit but is now a full fledged unit catering to patients in Arusha and the surrounding regions.

The hospital now has 20 beds, including 2 intensive care and 2 maternity beds. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with outpatients, admissions and emergencies. There are specialist clinics with visiting doctors for orthopaedics and urology. They also have a laboratory including blood bank, a free TB clinic and facilities for X-ray and ultrasound. There are 82 staff catering for around 50 outpatients a day. The hospital is clean and basic. In the mornings it can be hectic with many emergency cases

Your role: As a volunteer in this intern project, your role will be decided based on your experience and qualifications.

If you would like to use this programme for your medical electivesyou would need the involvement of your home university in the design of the programme. Medical students could be rotated between the different departments e.g. general, gynaecology, orthopaedics, urology, ears, nose, throat etc. There would be plenty of chance to work with tropical diseases which are unique to Africa. Pharmacists would have a very similar role as in their home countries. Physiotherapists would be able to share the different techniques between the 2 continents. Nurses could rotate between normal wards, minor theatre, major theatre and maternity.

What you Gain: This project will add a great amount of experience to your professional career. Living and working in Tanzania will give you the know- how of tropical diseases which are often not found in developing countries. It also gives you a chance to know how people work in an environment with limited resources. And while you are there, don’t miss visiting the Serengeti or Ngorongoro Crater.