International travel is well and truly back. In fact, students and graduates like you are already back on the wards of our partner hospitals around the world.
But you may still have some hesitations about taking the plunge yourself. You’ll find all the reassurance you need in this post as you find out about our well-established safety measures and how they help mitigate the risks of Covid, whichever of our destinations you travel to.
Tried and tested safety measures
You can have total confidence in our safety measures knowing that we rolled them out and perfected them during the controlled reopening of our Ghana programme in 2021 — it was an overwhelming success.
Your overseas placement is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so to make sure you can still take that opportunity up, we’re rolling out these exact same measures across all of our destinations.
You’ll live in private accommodation run by a locally-hired team
You’ll feel safe living in one of our exclusive, privately-run Work the World houses. Only you, your housemates (all healthcare students) and our in-country team have access to the house, which is a big step up from the homestay accommodation you might find with other providers.
You should note that we never work with external contractors and we always hire our own staff. The huge benefit to you that comes from this is that we have total control over how things are run.
So now every Work the World house uses our established Covid safety blueprint. You even get an in-depth induction from your in-country team to help you understand and get the most from the measures we have in place.
Your highly trained in-country team are in constant communication with our Head Office in the UK. This gives us first-hand, real-time information about what’s happening on the ground, meaning we can make any necessary safety-related adjustments to any aspect of your experience at any time.
You can also note that Covid testing is available in all of our programme destinations.
“The house is full of other healthcare students, the staff are super supportive - you won’t feel worried when you get there. Just go for it!" — Emily Wyre, Paramedic Science, University of Brighton
Keeping you safe in our partner hospitals
You will have seen in the news that different countries take slightly different approaches to managing Covid. For your safety and comfort we continually assess and adapt the way we deliver placements with this in mind. This starts from the moment you get in touch, right the way through your placement itself.
You get the added benefit of the long-standing relationships we have with all our partner hospitals and local health authorities. Working closely with them keeps us up to date with any procedural changes they might implement in your placement hospitals. And that, in turn, means that we can immediately communicate these changes to you.
When you’re on placement, it will reassure you to see your dedicated in-hospital supervisors following all local hospital transmission-prevention protocols.
You will also need to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in all your placement hospitals.
“The NICU team was so welcoming and friendly, in particular my supervisor. She made me feel at ease, showed me the ropes and was so keen to teach. She was amazing.” — Caitlin Flack, Nursing, University of Suffolk
Staying safe while you travel in your free time
Outside of your placement you’ll have plenty of free time to get out and explore the country. Whether you want to trek through stunning rainforests, spot amazing wildlife, soak up the sun on beautiful beaches - there is something for everyone.
You’ll be able go wherever you want and see whatever you want, and you’ll appreciate that independence. But you will absolutely get support from your in-country team as and when you need it.
You’ll get an in-depth induction with your in-country teams when you first arrive at the Work the World house. This will give you a good foundation to confidently enjoy living in and exploring the country at large.
Your in-country team will also give you all the latest in-country information on any travel restrictions within the country.
They can even help guide you on where to go and what to do, and connect you with local tourist companies who can help arrange your transport and bookings.
In short, they have all the answers and solutions, so make sure you utilise their local expertise.
Here’s why you’re in safe hands with Work the World—
We set the standard for overseas healthcare placements. We’re able to do this because, unlike other providers, we offer healthcare placements only.
That means we can put all our energy and expertise into focusing on what makes the perfect placement for healthcare students and graduates like you.
Your whole experience, including the safety aspects of the placement, are specifically designed with that in mind.
Of course, you shouldn’t just take our word for it. Check out some of the incredible travel and placement stories told by other healthcare students and graduates:
If you’d like more detailed information about undertaking an overseas trip while Covid is still around, or about how you can now flexibly change your booking if you need to, you can dive in here:
