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Great Stories and Tips from Abroad.
Elective Africa
Embarking on your internship in East Africa, be prepared to witness a stark contrast between the healthcare system here and the one you're accustomed to back home. This journey promises not just a professional experience but a transformative exploration of healthcare landscapes, revealing both challenges and innovations unique to this region.
Healthcare Infrastructure:
In developed nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, cutting-edge medical facilities abound. However, Kenya and Tanzania grapple with challenges, particularly in rural areas. Undertaking an internship in these environments fosters resilience and innovation, essential qualities for future medical professionals.
Health Finance:
The backbone ...
Elective Africa
International internships are an incredible way to develop your skills, learn about new cultures, and create connections with people from different parts of the world. However, traveling abroad as an intern is also an amazing chance to meet new people and even make lifelong friends. Unfortunately, that’s not easy for everyone. Some people find making social connections way harder than creating their business network. This is a guide on how to make the most of your next travel. Here’s how to make friends during your internship abroad and make it the most memorable time.
1. Connect with other internsYour ...
Elective Africa
Being an intern abroad is going to boost your chances of landing the best job once you come back. Why? Because, as an international intern, you will get a chance to learn from the best people in their field, acquire new skills and languages, and gain irreplaceable experience. And, on top of all this, you will enrich your life. Just think about it—when working, studying, and just living in a different place, you will have an opportunity to meet diverse people and cultures, see mesmerizing things, try unusual food, breathe different air, and most importantly, travel the world. Yes, ...
Elective Africa
One thing’s for sure - having work experience is much more important than having the job itself. Why is that? The thing about having industry experience is that it can significantly affect your future career and the goals you wish to achieve. It puts you in a much better position from where you have the luxury of choosing where you want to work. And your best chance of getting there is through internships. Recently published statistics showed people with internship experience have a higher chance of getting a job. However, the odds of getting that same job ...
Elective Africa
Being lucky enough to get an internship that you've applied for is something not everyone experiences. You'll get to go to a foreign country, learn new things, and experience a very different reality from yours. However, your mission shouldn't stop there. Once you get through this step, you should do your best to make the most out of your internship abroad. If you're not too sure just how to do this, we've got you. Here are some solid tips that we've gathered.
1. Ensure success before you even head offWhether you'll make the most out of your internship ...
Elective Africa
Not many dare to invest in themselves by endeavoring to get out of their comfort zone. However, if you've ever thought about applying yourself in such a way, we urge you to look deeper into it. Chances are, you'll discover facets of your personality that you never thought existed. Taking an internship somewhere far away will be challenging, don't get us wrong. Nevertheless, the reward that'll come with it is more than worth the effort. There are many skills you'll gain from interning abroad, some expected and some a bit less so.
1. You'll ...Elective Africa
It’s the time of the year when most students and volunteers are thinking about undertaking their clinical rotations in the upcoming months. A question that is often top of mind is how far in advance should you start planing or paying for an international internship. We recommend 6 months as it gives you enough time to prepare. Here is why:
Due to the pandemic, we have a limited number of spaces in our residences. Reaching out early secures your slot, especially if you are traveling as a group.
All our hospital departments have a maximum number ...
Elective Africa
If you've signed up for an abroad program in Kenya but haven't started to plan your departure, it's about time. Don't wait until it's too late and you begin to panic. Start planning all the necessary parts of your relocation so that you can relax and soak it all in once the day is here. If this seems like a big undertaking, relax, there's no reason to worry. If you begin preparing on time, you'll be just fine. Luckily, many people have done this before you. Make sure to do enough research and find advice that suits your ...
Elective Africa
Elective Africa’s programs have reopened their Kenyan destination in Mombasa and we are now accepting reservations for both premed and medical students. Our healthcare internships and volunteer programs are impactful ways of gaining invaluable experience in your medical field, getting exposure to different cultures, and impacting communities.
Over the years, we have continued to work closely in partnerships with the communities where we operate by prioritizing their health and safety.
Since the first covid-19 case was reported in Kenya, we have ensured to keep at par with the best industry practices to secure the well-being of our community. Elective ...
Elective Africa
Physician Assistants, commonly referred to as PA’s, are highly-trained medical providers who examine, diagnose, treat patients and assist in surgeries. PA’s work under the supervision of licenced physicians or surgeons. However, in some states and regions, PAs can practice independently.
Physicians Assistants is one of the most in-demand medical professions due to the critical role they play in the healthcare system. PA’s have master’s degrees from an accredited physician assistant program which includes coursework and supervised clinical work to garner medical experience.
PA’s are among the highest paid professionals in the medical industry; making an average of $112,260 (in ...
Elective Africa
As of April 2020, close to 2.5 Billion people around the world have restricted movement as ordered by their governments in order to slow the spread of Coronavirus.
Travel restrictions have also been tightened. This has been very hard especially for wanderlusters, travel junkies and explorers but also students who undertake their electives, international internships and volunteer programs abroad.
Sooner or later, the COVID-19 pandemic will ease and airports will buzz back to life with throngs of passengers. In the meantime calm your itchy feet by learning more about your desired destinations and start planning.
Here are reasons why you ...
Elective Africa
Isaac Newton first began observing the laws of motion and gravity while working in quarantine due to the Great Plague of London.
The spread of coronavirus around the world has led to people practicing social distancing and self quarantine measures. This has undoubtedly disrupted our social lives and travel plans. However, we can still use this time to better ourselves, people around us and the world beyond.
Constructive Social Distancing Activities
1. Plan something incredible for the futureWhether it is school, career or social life, this is the time to slow down and reinvent ourselves. Reflect on the short ...
Elective Africa
The goal of medical schools is to curve all rounded healthcare professionals that cannot be hindered by limitations of diagnostic services and treatment options. To achieve this, global healthcare awareness is essential.
Even though rotating abroad (as a medical student or as a resident) can be daunting because of the costs involved, fear of interacting with new cultures or simply lack of inadequate information, the benefits are greater.
Benefits of International Clinical Experiences
1. Learning About Different Healthcare Systems
You might be planning to establish your career in your own country but you can’t cancel out the possibility of changes ...
Elective Africa
Choosing a premed major can be challenging because of the high stakes involved.
Since PreMed is not a major in itself, you will have to choose a subject that you will study as a major in your pursuit of being a doctor. These subjects will help you with prerequisite classes for medical school and preparing for the MCAT.
Pre-Med Major Options
More than half of medical school applicants major in biological sciences, after all, biology is the basis for physiology and other medical principles. But you can get into medical school with other science majors such as neuroscience, ...
Elective Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale who served as manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War.
Nightingale came into prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War. Florence Nightingale was born in Italy on May 12, 1820. During the Crimean War in which she organised care for wounded soldiers reducing the death count by two-thirds.
According to History.com, Nightingale laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment of her ...
Elective Africa
As the saying goes, every journey begins with one step. This step for surgeons may be that of undertaking a surgery elective. According to the world health organisation the number of surgical specialists is inadequate in large parts of the world. Especially in low income and middle-income countries as low as 0.7 providers per 100,000 population.
Students aspiring to be future surgeons are usually advised to have real life experience on how their work-life is going to be when they decide to become surgeons. A step that is indeed a good one, with over eleven specialties in surgery ...
Elective Africa
Who is a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants are medical providers who work under the supervision of a doctor or medical professional. They are referred to as Physician Associates in the UK.
PA’s are licensed to diagnose, treat illnesses/diseases and to prescribe medication for patients. They work in hospitals, clinics, physician offices/group medical practices, colleges, and government agencies in collaboration with a licensed physician. Physician assistants are integral members of the health care team.
How do I become a physician assistant?
PA’s are required to have an advanced education and ...
Elective Africa
While some healthcare and pre-health students opt to undertake their programs within their countries many others opt to undertake their internships abroad.
Having worked as a hospital placement abroad advisor with Elective Africa for the last 3 years, I have worked on a one on one with participants who opted to undertake their programs in Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania. It has been an amazing learning experience and is happy to share five factors to consider while undertaking hospital internships abroad:
Narrow down your objectivesIn case you are seeking an elective or a pre-health shadowing internship abroad one of the key ...
Elective Africa
A midwifery elective is hospital placement program that midwifery students undertake as part of their degree for practical experience.
The programs are suited for students seeking significant women's health experience in relation to child births by working in hospitals and community health centres in Africa.
An overseas midwifery program offers a good training opportunity for student midwives and anyone seeking experience of working internationally as a midwife.
These placements are a great way to gain practical work experience under supervision in obstetrics and-gynecology, neonatal intensive care unit, labor ...
Elective Africa
Are you looking to start a successful career in Midwifery? A pre midwifery internship abroad is a great starting point.
Not only will it give you unique medical insight in global healthcare but also midwifery experience and a chance to learn and get mentorship from qualified midwives, nurses and doctors.
You will get to shadow healthcare professionals during the clinical care of different patients in clinics, theatre and ward rounds. This will in turn give you a real life exposure in midwifery and the activities involved.
Elective Africa
If you are considering a global health program or an elective abroad packed with exciting adventure think no further than Tanzania and Kenya.
Elective Africa has dedicated staff in these destinations who ensure that you are well guided and informed of events every step of the way. It is important while going abroad you have locals to assist in giving you information and to guide you.
You might also like this blog: 6 best places for internship in Kenya
One of our placement destinations is Arusha, a city in ...
Elective Africa
A nursing elective is a clinical rotation that nursing students undertake as part of their nursing degree to support and grow their career in the nursing field. A nursing elective abroad offers registered nurses, and nursing students an opportunity to gain hands on experience abroad in a new healthcare system and a new culture.
During a nursing elective program with elective Africa, a nursing student will work with nurses and medical professionals under supervision and mentorship during their rotations in hospitals, clinics or volunteer medical camps depending on the ...
Elective Africa
Pre-Nursing programs are designed to prepare students who are looking to join a nursing college . On a pre-nursing shadowing placement you observe how to do basic patient care activities like dressing wounds, triage nursing, taking vitals and helping to prepare medical equipment. There are also opportunities to shadow nurses and doctors in the operating room and during their daily routines.
You might also like this Blog: Having a social life while undertaking a hospital internship abroad
Benefits a pre nursing shadowing internship
Undertaking a pre-nursing internship abroad will provide ...
Elective Africa
Looking for a fun way to earn extra money, grow your network and social skills? If yes then buckle up because this is for you.
A brand ambassador is someone who often does live demonstrations to represent a particular brand and drive people to use the product or service.
By being an Elective Africa Brand Ambassador, you will help build awareness about our programs to your fellow students, faculty, and peers from other schools in your country.
Not only no necessary experience required to become a brand ambassador but also you ...
Elective Africa
Dental electives are clinical placement programs undertaken by students in dental school designed to allow students the opportunity to vary their curriculum according to individual interests by having practical experience in a location of their choice.
The famous American comedian Bill Cosby was right when he said, “Dentists tell you not to pick your teeth with any sharp metal object. Then you sit in their chair and the first thing they grab is an iron hook.”
After all, they should be the only ones who are allowed to. The Global burden of dental ...
Elective Africa
A Pre Dental Internship program is a dental health volunteer program designed to prepare students who are on a pre-dental track program, this being in addition to taking courses that would be prerequisite to a dental school application.
Pre Dental students are encouraged to consider volunteering opportunities in a hospital or dental clinic to gain exposure in dental health so as to gain a better understanding of their field of interest and gives them an opportunity to gain practical exposure and a better clue of what career is right for them.
They are ...
Elective Africa
Elective Africa offers various volunteering and healthcare internship programs which do not only give you the opportunity to further enhance your healthcare skills but also gain insights on working in a differentiated healthcare system. Our hospital internships are usually carried out in developing countries in Africa where the healthcare facilities have limited resources. As a participant you will have the opportunity to learn how to use the limited resources at your disposal to deliver health care at all times.
One of the questions asked most by participants who want to take part in our programs is of ...
Elective Africa
The role of a nurse cannot be underestimated in the delivery of healthcare. In no doubt when you are sick and admitted at the hospital, by your side will be a nurse committed to identify and take care of your healthcare needs. In many ways, what a nurse does is similar to what our parents/guardians did for us when we were kids. They nurtured and cared for us during various stages of our lives. Nurses therefore play a vital role in making sure that a patient’s overall recovery is progressing smoothly thus their role and priority begins and ...
Elective Africa
Healthcare Internships Abroad are life changing opportunities, when you opt into a placement in Africa you are guaranteed a rewarding experience leaned towards career exposure, personal growth and cultural immersion. While many of the participants are drawn to the very customized packages, one challenge can always arise: you are low on funds to pay for your healthcare internship travel abroad. Here are a few ways we have seen work for other participants previously.
Apply for Travel Scholarships:
There are many organizations, learning institutions ,companies that offer scholarships The best way to go about with this is ...
Elective Africa
Africa as a whole is a great place to plan for your healthcare placement. Most of the countries are developing countries thus a lot of room for learning and hands on experience for medical students in their clinical years and hand off experience for students in their pre health years. Kenya is at the heart of Africa and several factors come to play making it a great location for your next healthcare internship.
1) Has the opportunity differentiated learning for learning.
Kenya being a developing country has a great room for learning and exposure. Most of ...
Elective Africa
Once you have reserved your spot for an healthcare internship abroad with us, we start the process of planning for your placement at your placement destination. We make us of every detail and information that you have give us to provide you with an awesome unique experience.
1)What do you want to do and where do you want to do it?
In respect to your area of study among the pool of healthcare professions, we note the program that best matches your area of study and the destination you are interested in. We ...
Elective Africa
Med school life is a really exciting time for a med school student pursuing their studies. It is filled with moments of success and moments of stressful challenges.
These challenges can be overwhelming and force you into making regrettable decisions. However they can be overcome with good habits aimed at ensuring you succeed.
Practicing the following six habits Is a nice starting point to you keep working towards achieving your goals and make the most out of your time in med school life.
1) Being Dedicated.
Being dedicated to a purpose and working to ...
Elective Africa
Pre-medical shadowing and medical electives have in the recent past become popular among students in undergraduate and those in medical schools. The opportunities to shadow and also be involved in activities is immense and hence the great interest. But above those two categories is the new doctor and resident electives which has something special in the experience and that is the ability to work like a doctor with the doctors within.
This is what makes this elective unique!
Nature of the program
The program is set up for the resident or the recently graduated doctor ...
Elective Africa
Obstetric care is one of the most essential services that a hospital should have. In the Kenyan health system as well as most of the health systems in Africa, it’s one of the most sought after services. While a rotation in this department may appear obvious in expectations it is always good to have a picture of the actual experiences and what exactly they may entail.
Here is what a typical day or days of the rotation in this unit of the hospital may entail.
Participation in the Prenatal clinics
To be well versed with ...
Elective Africa
Whatever place around the world you are looking into travelling to, culture immersion should be on top of your bucket list. There are diverse cultures all around the world and getting yourself into knowing, appreciating and being part of them will always make you an all rounded person as well as improve your cultural competence.
At Elective Africa, We understand how immersive experience makes better learning and that’s why we make sure that while you are on program with us, you take part in cultural immersion activities. In our Mombasa, Kenya location there are various places where ...
Elective Africa
Volunteering abroad seems like the sure thing to do at your free time in the course of your hospital rotations abroad. We in fact encourage our participants to involve themselves in volunteer activities like assisting to feed the children at the orphanage or spending some time with the pupils at the nearby community schools. Most of our participants have had their views about how their world changed. They have been able to make new friends, learn new games and songs and share their skills with the kid. I know you are wondering how much time you have to ...
Elective Africa
I credit the school advisors, clinical directors and global health coordinators who through experience and research have identified many do’s and don’ts for students traveling abroad. While the lists of what is recommended for ideal travel abroad is vast and its content far reaching there are crucial elements of planning, experience, and post-experience that you can never exhaust; not even by this article. Being on ground (In Africa) where you will come for your experience, and having been with hundreds of students I wish you knew the following prior to your travel:
That being fully prepared is ...
Elective Africa
Undertaking an internship abroad whether in the healthcare field or any field is a truly a big step towards becoming a better person. Interning abroad comes with its value in terms of exposure to a new environment as well as the new culture of practice. Given the new environment and possibly a new country one may experience a few challenges, while being prepared to face them is key it is the resilience that is notable. Below are a few of the challenges that one should be prepared to see and how to overcome them.
Cost and Budget
Elective Africa
Mombasa city is a coastal town in Kenya and one of our most popular healthcare internships abroad placement destinations. It is the country’s oldest town and the second largest after the capital city Nairobi.
It is a beautiful city with a lot of exotic and scenic attractions, adrenaline rushing activities and tropical ambiance that make it a favorable place to visit. Being a great worldwide tourist destination, it has a variety of fun activities that you can undertake which include;
A Visit to Mamba Village
This is a crocodile farm located in Nyali ...
Elective Africa
One of the biggest and major concerns for anyone traveling to a foreign country either to undertake a healthcare internship or for any other activity is safety. We all want to travel to destinations that are safe and at the end of our trip get back to our families and friends in one piece. At Elective Africa, we are keen to ensure that your program and all activities are safe. Right from your arrival at the airport, to your residence, to the hospital, excursions and back to the airport for your flight back home
Safety Advice for ...
Elective Africa
Quality mentorship and supervision is a key factor in maximizing the educational value of learning. As one sets off for the placement getting it right to utilize and maintain the engagement with the mentors must be your ultimate priority.
Maximizing on the supervisor’s resourcefulness requires both an open approach to seeking to learn, seeking to be involved and seeking to achieve your objectives. The mentors have a primary role in patient care and since this care creates an opportunity for students to learn it’s crucial to observe the following key practices to maximize on the experience:
Be proactive ...Elective Africa
Traveling to a new place is one of the most exciting things to do often in one’s lifetime. William Maddux, an America Social Psychologist at INSEAD Research Center in his studies on how living abroad makes one more creative says that it’s not just being in different cultures, but being open to immersion: learning the language and adapting to an alternate way to life. Having arrived at the airport, all one hopes for is the best experience and that the trip will be worth the time and money spent. In most cases, it is, in some cases, it ...
Elective Africa
Standing at Fort Jesus, I couldn’t help but enjoy the breeze and the soothing sound emanating from the waves hitting the fort. Built between 1593 – 1596 by the Portuguese, the Fort not only served its military fortification purpose but also a great reminder of the history of these amazing and friendly people at Coastal Kenya. This is just one the amazing places you get to visit while in Mombasa Kenya. But why are Mombasa placements very popular?
Mombasa is home to the Coast Provincial General Hospital which is the second largest referral hospital in Kenya.The hospital serves ...
Elective Africa
Students interested in medicine are encouraged to do their research regarding the wide variety of health professions careers available. This involves discussing this with their pre-health advisor or a health profession to better gain understanding into the nature and demands of medicine before submitting their application. Shadowing a healthcare professional is a great way to get a better understanding of what their typical day entails and whether it’s something you would like to pursue. This will also come in handy during your medical school application.When most pre health students hear about pre health shadowing abroad, there is always ...
Elective Africa
At Elective Africa, we know that one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences while in your medical school or mental health nursing program in undertaking your clinical rotation overseas. For those looking into undertaking psychiatry or mental health nursing placements, our psychiatry placements abroad give you an opportunity to get immersed in a unique healthcare system at Port Reitz District Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.
Kenya’s mental health policy estimates that about 25% of outpatients and about 40% of in-patients suffer from mental health conditions. The most frequent diagnosis of mental illnesses made in general hospital settings ...
Elective Africa
Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor or a nurse. It looked fascinating. I was so in love with the white coats, the stethoscope and the demeanour of these two professions. Needles were however not my thing. I remember I once witness my sister; a passionate nurse dressing a wound and that was the end of my dream in the medical field. I am scared to hell about needles and I think I would become more sicker than the patient if they were to present a case before me. How do you do it? You guys ...
Elective Africa
Having your healthcare placement rotation in your home country is a great idea since you are in a familiar setting, with a familiar culture and tradition and sometimes people. However, choosing to undertake your healthcare placement abroad in a new setting could do you more good as you get to learn more about healthcare and specifically medicine from a global perspective. You also get to interact with new cultures and traditions and get to appreciate them and lastly you learn more about medical conditions that are alien to your home setting. As exciting as it may seem to be, one ...
Elective Africa
Public health is defined as the science of protecting the safety and improving the health of communities through education, policy-making and research for disease and injury prevention. The definition is a mirror of not only the training levels but also a mirror of the focus areas for any targeted public health initiatives such as the international elective.
When one contemplates undertaking a public health elective abroad, it may arise as a key question what some of the factors of key considerations are. While many resources are a pointer to what to consider in funding and training exposure, ...
Elective Africa
Kenya is generally great and you will always find something unique with each destination. Famously known for its white sandy beaches and rich savannah which is home to the big 5 and other wildlife, the country has been among the top destination for international celebrities like Jack Ma, Mark Zuckerberg, top model Naomi Campbell, Manchester Coach, Jose Mourinho just to name a few.
On Facebook Mark wrote, “One of my [favourite] parts of travelling to a new country is trying the food. I enjoyed ugali and a whole fried tilapia for the first time and loved them ...
Elective Africa
Despite travelling to Africa being regarded as expensive, the planning process seen as tiresome and security as a concern to many, great number of students have found valuable experience in Africa. You will be attending to different people and patients during your practice, at times you will be required to work amidst limited resources and required to sacrifice your comfort to administer healthcare services. This special field needs research and curiosity to learn and understand what is happening around the world. Tropical diseases may not be experienced in your country, but somewhere in Africa, it’s among the top ...
Elective Africa
Travelling abroad has never been this fun and nice. The thought of living with completely strange people, learning a new language, trying new food and walking different street from what you are accustomed to is a thrilling experience. It may be scary at first but once you get used to it and are open minded, you will make memories that will last a lifetime. Accommodation is one of the core part of our placement program in Africa. We therefore strive to ensure that we select accommodation in locations not only closer to your placement hospital but also in ...
Elective Africa
How many misconceptions have you heard about travelling to Africa? With no doubts, they are a lot. While it may be a dream of a lifetime to anyone living outside Africa to travel there, there are many misconceptions which you have heard about Africa which are certainly not true and some may induce fear to your decision to travelling to Africa. Below are some of the misconceptions we’ve heard about Africa;
Africans do not speak English
It may surprise you to know that there are more than a dozen of African countries where English is the ...
Elective Africa
The obstetrics & Gynecology department often dubbed the women health department is one of the most popular departments for medical students and other health profession students seeking to have an international experience. As one contemplates travelling abroad for the programs it is important to have some details about some of the conditions affecting women in the destinations of choice.
If you choose to travel to Kenya, here are some prevalent conditions affecting women in Kenya
Maternal health complicationsAccording to WHO for every 100,000 live births in Kenya , 362 women die with most of these deaths being ...
Elective Africa
It can be quite a nightmare if that placement abroad that you have always dreamed of turns out to be what you never expected. You may ask yourself, how? Doesn’t seem like it can happen, right? Well, in my years with Elective Africa, helping students and volunteers organise for placements abroad, I have encountered such cases where participants or rather students get frustrated by the experience of what they get.
We cannot fully avoid problems in life or even in our healthcare placements abroad; one or two things may go wrong but this doesn’t mean that the ...
Elective Africa
One of the most interesting things about hospital internships abroad is the immersion to a new and different culture. It is also one of the elements that make travelling abroad authentic and unique. This is because every location has its own uniqueness. For instance if you decide to travel to Kenya, which is found at the East part of Africa, you are bound to experience a diverse culture considering the country consists of over 46 tribes, each with its unique way of living.
Having a social life while undertaking a hospital internship abroad will help you to ...
Elective Africa
Travelling abroad for a medical elective, premedical shadowing internship or any other healthcare placement is both an adventurous experience and an educative expedition. Different scholars, school advisors and study abroad advisors express the consistent view that a hospital internship abroad is unique for its helps the students to:
Immerse in a new and different culture hence equipping them with essential empathy through dealing with people of different culture and patients with varied conditions. Lean more on different disease patterns which is clinically eye opening Gain clinical experience which is essential for strengthening of skills as well as a clear view of ...Elective Africa
Travelling abroad for a placement is a both fun and stressful affair but it doesn’t have to be. I don’t know about you, but am that kind of person that really does research before purchasing a product or a service just to know what am getting into before hand.
Travelling abroad for a hospital internship is not something that you wake up one day, book a flight and voila! You are at the hospital working! No! It doesn’t work like that. It needs proper planning and thorough research. You need to know what you are getting yourself ...
Elective Africa
It’s finally a new semester and as you set off you have energy piled up from the festive seasons break.
Whether in clinical years hence at a hospital and only attending classes online or going for period lectures or in undergraduate and thus in heavy lecture schedules you are definitely looking to set off in this semester running. The need to therefore study smart is a lot and below are a few ways to ensure that you do just that.
Be Prepared- Have a plan
Being smart is about working in a well-directed and focused ...
Elective Africa
I love the excitement that comes with travelling to a new place. I always look forward to meeting new people, trying new food and experiencing their culture. One thing that I dread however is getting lost in a new place. In as much as it’s always fun narrating it later to friends, on the day of event, there is always little to smile about. Healthcare placements abroad are normally one of those times in the life of a medical student and premed students that one normally looks forward to. It is normally a great opportunity to spend around ...
Elective Africa
As the famous quote by Marty Rubin says “Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind”
While many of us may have heard of the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve and others visited places like Lake Nakuru National Park & the Amboseli National Park, there are also other gems that may be are unheard of and these are the different wildlife conservancies in the Kenya. While we love to travel, conservation should also be part of us. Most of the wild animals that we travel far and wide to see are becoming endangered and some of them ...
Elective Africa
As a student nurse you need to have basic competencies to meet the demands on patient care in a diverse society giving an emphasis on clinical training in multiple settings across the world.
Nursing elective abroad not only gives you an opportunity to connect with your peers from all over the world but also a chance to view your country’s healthcare system in a different perspective, considering you will be working with nurses and other healthcare professions in a hospital setting. Better still, you will have a chance to learn about different cultures by immersing yourself in a new ...
Elective Africa
Once travel becomes part of you, it’s the little things you do and the places that you travel that bring joy to you as a traveler. Great travellers know that the magic of visiting new places goes beyond the itineraries that are written down for them. They let themselves loose to discovering and appreciating new places and letting nature overcome them.
Here are some travel quotes to inspire you towards making that dream of traveling and wandering far off become true
Don’t call it a dream, call it a plan – Anonymous “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. ...Elective Africa
Travelling abroad to shadow as a pre health student is a once in lifetime opportunity and it’s benefits are never measurable.
Whether you are on track to become a medical doctor, a physician assistant, a nurse, a midwife or a dentist here are four benefits of a pre health shadowing internship abroad:
Benefit #1: Broaden your horizons by getting exposure to global HealthcareTraveling abroad for a pre health shadowing internship broadens the horizons for any pre health student in the exposure to the medical field. It opens one to the idea that medicine is a global ...
Elective Africa
A placement abroad is a very exciting opportunity not only to connect with healthcare professionals and fellow students from all over the world but also to learn from a unique hospital setting. It will only be fair if you can get the best out of the trip after parting with your money to organize for the trip. Before anything else preparation is key for a successful placement abroad. Here is a sneak peak into what your first week will look like
Arrival Day: When you arrive at Moi International Airport, Mombasa,(preferably on Sunday) you will be picked up ...
Elective Africa
Truth be told, travelling abroad for a placement or safari or any other business is not a cheap affair. Tickets, accommodation and other expenses make travelling abroad a not so easy venture to undertake but looking on a brighter side, nothing comes on a silver platter. Good news however is, travelling abroad for a healthcare elective or premed shadowing internship can be cheaper.
Here are few suggestions on how you can undertake medical elective or pre- medical shadowing internship abroad on a budget;
Experience as Priority
Experiencing a medical system in a unique and different hospital cultural setting not only enhances your clinical skills but also help you ...
Elective Africa
Application to medical school in the present day is a process that requires adequate planning and preparation. It all starts when you enroll to your undergrad through to when you are admitted to medical school. In the whole process key steps stand out and can be mapped out as steps for boosting your application into a med school.
Step 1: Look into the various options available for you in Medicine
You have joined college and are in your freshman year where you aim to establish with totality whether medicine is your field. In this initial step ...
Elective Africa
Travelling abroad doesn’t just happen; it’s usually premeditated and entails a lot of planning and organisation. All these are with the hope that you will have an excellent experience abroad. Does it always happen? That is a story for another day. When travelling for an elective abroad placement, planning and organisation are also taken into place. And one of the most important questions is who will be on placement at the same time as I am? Can I come with a friend? But again, I will not have privacy, will be clashing constantly with my roommates and even ...
Elective Africa
Travelling abroad is both exciting and scary. Exciting because you will get to meet new people, see new scenery, cultures and health systems. But scary because of the uncertainty. Where will I sleep? What if I don’t understand their language? Where can I go during my free time? The questions are endless. At the end of it, you will only appreciate the chances you grabbed and will be glad you did. It is no wonder, Elective Africa ensures you get an extensive pre departure support and 24/7 unground support. Advancements in technology is also making it easier for ...
Elective Africa
An Elective Abroad opportunity brings with it a chance to experience unique healthcare in a different country. This comes with the different cultural beliefs and healthcare delivery. For instance in Western Kenya, some communities like the Bukusu regard giving birth to twins as a bad omen and one of the twins has to be killed or the mother sent away. Most communities in the country also practice circumcision, which is regarded as a right of passage from childhood to adulthood. In the past, the removal of the man’s foreskin was done the crude way and using crude tools that ...
Elective Africa
The swahili people are an ethnic group living at the coastal region of East Africa, with the name swahili derived from the Arabic word Swahili, which means “people who dwell at the coastal region” In your placement in Mombasa, Kenya you will not only live with the Swahili but also immerse in their culture. Here are 4 things that you are likely to encounter in your stay in Mombasa, Kenya.
Swahili way of dressing
The ‘kanga’ is a popular swahili garment. It is a rectangle of pure cotton cloth with a border all around ...
Elective Africa
Snuggled in a wide expanse of fertile volcanic land, Arusha town is located at the foothill of Mt. Meru and is a gateway to Africa’s highest Mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro. At a glance, Arusha town is not a charmer, mainly because it is a hive of activities as it is considered a stopover in the heart of Tanzania’s safari industry due to its fascinating surroundings and varied national parks. Arusha’s main economic activity is agriculture; seconded by tourism.
Despite the many opportunities the town offers, one cannot help but fall in love with Arusha’s real beauty. Arusha is ...
Elective Africa
A walk into St. Joseph’s Mission Hospital; widely known as Ombo, and you will realize you are in the right place to gain both hands-on cultural experience and supervised clinical exposure for health degree students and extensive shadowing and observational learning for pre health students. The friendliness, the busy healthcare professionals walking along the corridors in a hurry in white coats and the ambience is a great environment for learning and understanding rural healthcare in a developing world.
St. Joseph Migori Hospital is a mission hospital in the Catholic Church providing health care for all. It is ...
EA
At Elective Africa, we know that one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences while in your medical school or mental health nursing program in undertaking your clinical rotation overseas. For those looking into undertaking psychiatry or mental health nursing placements, our psychiatry placements abroad give you an opportunity to get immersed in a unique healthcare system at Port Reitz District Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.
Kenya’s mental health policy estimates that about 25% of outpatients and about 40% of in-patients suffer from mental health conditions. The most frequent diagnosis of mental illnesses made in general hospital settings ...
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About Us
Elective Africa is a leading organizer of educational and Expedition travel programs to Africa. Our mission is to provide unique experiential learning trips with a global perspective.
Contact Us
Open from 8am-6pm EAT Monday to Friday, and 8am to 12pm EAT on Saturday
Suite 1150, 1775 Eye Street NW
Washington DC 20006, USA
6th Floor, The Chancery, Valley Road, Nairobi, Kenya
info@electiveafrica.com
+1 609 375 8912
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