Frequently Asked Questions

You don't need previous experience in the field to do a placement at the hospital. Background knowledge is naturally an advantage, but the mentors are used to welcoming participants at every level and adjust accordingly.

The adventure begins before departure, with a detailed preparation guide to help you get ready. On location you live together with the other participants in the Try Medics house, where you quickly form new friendships. On weekdays you take part in hospital placements, following and observing work on different wards, and on weekends you go on trips such as safaris or excursions to explore your destination — giving you both educational and cultural insight. A trip with Try Medics is a unique chance to gain relevant experience for your future studies while building lifelong relationships and memories.

No, all the hospital mentors as well as the Try Medics staff speak English.

We generally recommend upper-secondary-level English. You'll also follow your mentor together with a fellow participant during your placement, so if you miss something you can ask them or have your mentor repeat it.

The only requirement for our observation placement program, which is well suited to a gap year, is that you're at least 18 years old. For clinical placements for health-science students, you must already be enrolled in a relevant higher education program.

Participants are typically between 18 and 26 years old. Most go either as part of a gap year or alongside their higher education studies.

Of course, but it's not necessary. You'll make new friends with other young people who share an interest in the health sector — most participants go without knowing anyone beforehand.

Usually there are 12–25 participants per departure. A positive group dynamic tends to form quickly, and participants enjoy being able to share their experiences with each other.

Our stays range from 4 to 12 weeks. Most choose a 4-week stay, which is the baseline the program is built around to ensure a rewarding experience. If you're considering a longer stay, we recommend an 8-week combined stay — 4 weeks at one destination followed by 4 weeks at another. Many participants successfully choose this combination. The most important thing when choosing a length is to go with what feels right for you. If you're joining as part of a study program, be aware of any length requirements your school may have.

Participant wellbeing and safety is our highest priority, and it's the basis for choosing our destinations. We continuously monitor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advisories and follow local news closely at each destination. On every destination we have a dedicated team that takes care of the stay so you can focus on learning and experiencing — they'll be present throughout your trip, and their knowledge of local customs and culture helps create a safe framework for the program.

Placements run year-round with set start dates, which you can find in our travel calendar.

The placement alone won't automatically boost your admission chances (for example under quota 2 in Denmark), but it gives you relevant experience to reflect on regarding your study potential and motivation. If you're weighing up a health-science degree, a placement gives insight into the field you're considering, building confidence in your choice. It's also possible to combine programs to get insight into different professions, such as following both doctors and nurses during one stay. We recommend contacting the institution you're considering to ask about admission requirements directly.

The deadline varies, but we always recommend signing up as early as possible — it gives you better conditions for preparing your trip, including savings on flights when booked early. Spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and departures often fill up before the final deadline.

Within 7 days of signing up, a deposit of 5,000 DKK is due to secure your placement. The remaining balance is due one month before your chosen start date.

You can cancel with a full refund up until 60 days before your chosen start date — the full amount paid at that point will be refunded. If you cancel less than 60 days before the start, the deposit is non-refundable, but any remaining balance you've paid will still be refunded. Our flexible cancellation policy gives you financial peace of mind while securing your spot well in advance.

Try Medics is a member of the Danish Travel Guarantee Fund (Rejsegarantifonden), membership no. 2642. All our trips qualify as package tours, giving you the consumer protection that comes with it.

Yes, many participants choose to continue traveling after their placement ends — either onward within the same country or to a new one.

Before departure you'll need to sort out vaccinations, travel insurance, and flights. We help you through all of it once you've signed up, and you'll receive a preparation guide covering everything in detail, including a packing list. We're with you throughout your preparation, and you can always call or write to us with questions.

Traveling in a group brings community, increased safety, and the chance to form new friendships. Experience shows it is beneficial to have fellow participants to share and reflect on experiences with, especially during the placement. As a rule you are always paired with at least one other participant on each ward.

You'll be invited to a Facebook group where you can see and chat with the people you're traveling with. We also use the group to share announcements ahead of departure.

Even though flights aren't included in the stay, we still help you with this. We'll recommend a route that we encourage you and other participants on the same departure to book, so you can safely travel together as a group. As part of preparation, we create a Facebook group for everyone on the same departure, which we use to coordinate flights — we'll share a route recommendation once at least 5 people have signed up for your departure. We recommend waiting to book your flight until you're in the Facebook group, so you can plan with your fellow travelers.

For Uganda, fly to Entebbe Airport. For Zanzibar, fly to Zanzibar Airport. For Sri Lanka, fly to Bandaranaike International Airport.

For all destinations, you should arrive on the Sunday of your chosen start date, before 6 PM. As soon as you exit the airport, our team will meet you and drive you safely to the Try Medics house — the drive from the airport typically takes just 15–20 minutes.

The placement at both destinations ends after the final hospital day on Friday of your last week. Most participants then fly home on Saturday, giving plenty of time to pack. Your return flight should be at a time of your choosing on that Saturday. Our drivers will coordinate your transport to the airport and make sure you arrive 2.5 hours before your flight. In your departure's Facebook group, we'll suggest a flight route we recommend booking.

We recommend consulting your doctor, who can advise you on recommended vaccinations for the trip. You can also find relevant information on vaccinations and travel health at the Danish Doctors' Vaccination Service website. Based on past participants, common recommendations are: for Uganda and Zanzibar — diphtheria-tetanus, hepatitis A & B, yellow fever, meningitis, plus preventive malaria tablets during the stay; for Sri Lanka — diphtheria-tetanus, hepatitis A & B, and typhoid.

Our chefs at each destination have good experience accommodating food allergies such as gluten and lactose, as well as vegetarian diets. If you have a gluten allergy, we recommend bringing gluten-free pasta from home, as gluten-free products are limited at both destinations. In Zanzibar, all meat is halal, as 95% of the population is Muslim; in Uganda and Sri Lanka, meat is generally not halal. If you have any allergy or dietary need not mentioned here, just let us know before departure at kontakt@trymedics.com and we'll do our best to accommodate it.

Bring clothes suited to warm weather, as both destinations are tropical. Once you sign up, you'll receive a preparation guide with a recommended packing list. In Zanzibar, it's not required but respectful for women to cover shoulders and knees while in Stone Town, since most of the population is Muslim — you'll still have plenty of opportunity to wear tank tops and swimwear at the beach or the Try Medics house.

If you've rented scrubs for your hospital placement, you'll receive them on location, where you can try them on and choose the right size.

There's Wi-Fi at the Try Medics house you'll live in with the other participants — we recommend using it right away to let your family know you've arrived safely. In the first few days, we'll also help you and the other participants get a local SIM card with a data package. This is the best and cheapest way to stay online throughout the trip, even outside the house during placements or activities. Depending on usage, around 200 DKK for data packages is typically enough for a 4-week stay, and you can top up as needed.

Laundry at the destinations is done by bucket, water, and soap, which we provide at the house. You can wash your own clothes or have the cleaning staff do it for you — a load of laundry (max 10 items) costs around 50 DKK, which goes directly to the cleaning staff.

You may want local currency as pocket money for souvenir shopping or optional activities. Zanzibar uses Tanzanian shillings, Uganda uses Ugandan shillings, and Sri Lanka uses Sri Lankan rupees. You can withdraw cash on your first Monday, when you'll get a tour of the town and be shown where the ATMs are — withdrawing from ATMs on location is the best and cheapest way to get local currency. It's also possible to exchange dollars in cash, though we generally recommend sticking to ATMs so you avoid carrying large amounts of cash.

For Zanzibar and Sri Lanka, we recommend budgeting around 700 DKK per week in pocket money, and around 500 DKK per week for Uganda. These are just estimates based on past participants' experience — since it's purely pocket money, it's entirely up to you how much you spend. Both destinations offer optional activities at a range of price points, though most are not expensive.

You'll live in the Try Medics house together with your fellow participants, sharing a room with 2–10 people with your own bathroom. All Try Medics houses have large gardens, great spots to relax, and Wi-Fi so you can stay in touch with people back home. All rooms have bunk beds with mosquito nets and bed linen that's changed weekly. Living with other young people who share an interest in healthcare tends to create a great atmosphere — one that allows for both socializing with fellow travelers and quiet time with a book when you need to recharge. During the stay you'll take in many new impressions from the hospital environment and a different culture, and having a comfortable home base helps you process it all.

After completing your stay, you'll receive a certificate by email documenting your placement. You'll also have the opportunity to request references from the hospital mentors you're paired with during the stay.