Your hospital internship

Your entire hospital internship is covered in the price. This includes following a doctor, nurse, dentist or midwife who will act as your mentor and engage you in his or her daily routine from monday to friday every week you are on the placement. Depending on your preferences you will be able to switch department from week to week which will give you a broad picture of the work at the hospital. Apart from your internship at the hospital one teaching lesson will be held by hospital personnel per week. The purpose of the lecture is to amplify your theoretical knowledge of tropical diseases you can encounter during your internship. The duration of the lessons is 1 hour and is held in the afternoon.

Preparation Guide

We have put together a preparation guide that contains information about airfare, travel insurance, visa, what to pack and more which will help you throughout your preparation for your stay. Furthermore you will be put in a facebook group for your chosen departure. In the group you will be able to see and talk with your fellow students you will be going on the placement with. You can use the group to plan air tickets together.

We will correspond with you to make sure everything is in place before your departure. You will be as well prepared as possible for your placement and will always be able to contact us if you have any questions. Likewise there will be a dedicated team on Zanzibar consisting of a program manager, chefs, drivers, cleaning ladies and more that will be with you throughout your placement.

Transport

The hospital is 7 km from the Try Medics house. You will be driven to and from the hospital and on the activities by our two dedicated drivers. On weekdays, the last transport from the hospital or town to the house is at 3pm. If you wish to stay at the hospital or in Stone Town after 3pm it is possible and our drivers will still be available for you. You will have the luxury of being able to call them at any time when you want your transport back to the Try Medics house.

Transport from Stone Town or the hospital to the house is free up to 3pm and after 3pm cost 4€ which goes directly to the drivers.

Food

Two private chefs are employed to make breakfast and dinner for you so you only have to focus on your internship and enjoying your stay. Breakfast is every weekday and dinner is all days except Saturday where you and your fellow Try Medics students can go out to eat or cook together at the Try Medics house. For lunch you will have the opportunity to go out to eat at one of Stone Towns many exotic restaurants with your fellow student. Stone Town offers many delicious restaurants. Both local and international restaurants. You buy lunch yourself and you should expect to pay 4€ per meal. It is also possible to have lunch at the Try Medics house where you can use the food in the kitchen. There will most often be bread, fruit, nutella, milk and leftovers from the day before which you can take off. However you may prefer to have lunch at a restaurant in town with your new Try Medics friends before returning to the house.

Activities

Around your hospital internship we arrange activities for you and your fellow students so that you can experience Zanzibar’s exotic possibilities and fascinating culture. The following activities are included in your stay. If you choose to stay longer than 4 weeks you can experience the activities below several times.

Dolphin tour: This trip takes you out and swim with wild dolphins.

Ocean safari: Full day trip where you can snorkel by a sand bank, enjoy a seafood BBQ on a small Island and sail in a adventuorus lagoon.

Spice tour: Zanzibar is one of the world’s leading producers of spices. The trip takes you to one of Zanzibar’s many spice farms where you will go on a guided tour and figure out how vanilla, pineapple and cinnamon grows.

BBQ: Every Friday the chefs cook a delicious BBQ by the pool at the Try Medics house so you and your fellow students will get a good start to the weekend.

Stone Town tour: You will be taken on a guided tour through Stone Town’s narrow streets. Stone Town is located on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and offers many historical sites. See a video of stone town in this link.

Swahili lesson: You will receive two Swahili lessons, so you can communicate better with the locals during your stay. The people of Zanzibar are really welcoming and with a few swahili greetings you will be met with a smile and helping hand

Visiting an orphanage: You will a afternoon during your placement get the chance to visit a orphanage. The kids are always nice to visit and if you have anything you would like to donate it will be much appreciated

The Rock Restaurant: After your Dolphin tour we will take you to a famous restaurant located on a rock just outside the south eastern beach of Zanzibar.

Besides the included activities there will be many optional activities you can choose to go on during your placement. All the optional activities can be chosen and paid for during your placement expect the safari trip which you have to pick as part of your registration to the program.

Flight ticket

You have to buy your flight ticket to Zanzibar yourself. We understand that the trip to Zanzibar can be a long journey to take alone and therefore we put you in a facebook group with the other Try Medics students who will be leaving the same time as you. In this way you can coordinate flight tickets and safely travel together to Zanzibar. You should wait with buying flight ticket to after you have signed up.

We will be there when you arrive! Depending on which route you choose you will be met by a Try Medics employee at the airport or at the port of Zanzibar and safely driven to the Try Medics house.

The sooner you buy flight ticket during your preparation for your stay the cheaper the ticket most often is.

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Travel and cancellation insurance

You have to get a travel insurance covering the duration of your placement. The most important aspect of the travel insurance is to be covered by serious illness and/or injury where emergency treatment and/or transfer to better facilities are needed. It can cost a lot of money and if you do not have a travel insurance you may not be able to get the treatment you need. You will also need a cancellation insurance if you have to cancel your trip due to an insured cause such as illness, rehabilitation or death in the family. Here, a cancellation insurance can save you a lot of money.

Cancellation cover varies so please check the applicable rules for the insurance you choose. We can help with recommending appropriate travel insurance and information about this is also included in the preparation guide that you receive upon registration

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Travel vaccinations

You have to consult with your doctor before your departure. Vaccinations and preventive medicine recommended for travel to Tanzania will depend on your medical history. What is recommended for a one traveler may be different for another. Because of this it is important that you consult your doctor and tell that you are going on a internship at a hospital in Zanzibar, Tanzania. We recommend that you consult your doctor at least one month before your departure to give the vaccinations time to work. Most of our students gets vaccinations against Diphtheria, Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid and Yellow fever. Further they take anti-malarial pills during their placement.

Visa

Tanzania’s law requires students to have two documents for undergoing your placement at the hospital: entry visa and business pass. The fee for Visa is $50 and business pass $200 which must be paid by card upon arrival at Zanzibar Airport or Dar es Salaam Airport, Tanzania depending on which route you choose. You therefore do not need to apply for visa or business pass before you travel as you will get it on arrival.

Pocket money

You will need pocket money if you are going on optional activities, shopping or choose to have lunch in town. Many things are cheap on Zanzibar. Optional activities such as weekend trip to Nungwi, trip to Prison Island and more can be decided and paid for during your placement in Zanzibar. We recommend approx. 95€ a week in pocket money.

Workwear

If you do not have  workwear for your internship you can rent or buy it from us. For your internship you must have a white lab coat, scrubs and disposable gloves

You can rent a set including a white lab coat and scrubs for 27€. You can buy the same set for 81€. We recommend that you rent two sets of workwear so you have the opportunity to change during your placement.

We also recommend you only buy one package of disposable gloves for your placement. Disposable gloves are available at most pharmacies. When renting workwear you will receive it on Zanzibar where you will be able to try out the different sizes and find the right one for you. Rented workwear needs to be handed over to your program manager at the end of your stay.

Footwear at the hospital: The hospital’s only requirement for footwear is that the shoes are closed. So sandals or flip flops can not be used in the hospital.

Your hospital internship

Your entire hospital internship is covered in the price. This includes following a doctor, nurse, dentist or midwife who will act as your mentor and engage you in his or her daily routine from monday to friday every week you are on the placement. Depending on your preferences you will be able to switch department from week to week which will give you a broad picture of the work at the hospital. Apart from your internship at the hospital two teaching lesson will be held by hospital personnel per week. The purpose of the lecture is to amplify your theoretical knowledge of tropical diseases you can encounter during your internship. The duration of the lessons is 1 hour and is held at the hospital in the afternoon.

Preparation Guide

We have put together a preparation guide that contains information about airfare, travel insurance, visa, what to pack and more which will help you throughout your preparation for your stay. Furthermore you will be put in a facebook group for your chosen departure. In the group you will be able to see and talk with your fellow students you will be going on the placement with. You can use the group to plan air tickets together.

We will correspond with you to make sure everything is in place before your departure. You will be as well prepared as possible for your placement and will always be able to contact us if you have any questions. Likewise there will be a dedicated team in Uganda consisting of a program manager, chefs, cleaning ladies and more that will be with you throughout your placement.

Transport

You will be picked up at your arrival to Entebbe Airport, Uganda and safely driven to the Try Medics house in Mbarara together with your fellow students. The trip is a 5 hours drive. On your departure your transport to the airport is also included.

During your placement you will be driven on the activities. The university hospital is a 25 minute walk from the Try Medics house. You will be walking to and from the hospital with your fellow students. The walk is a nice way to get to know the area you are staying in. Incase of rain you will driven to and from the hospital.

Food

Two private chefs are employed to make breakfast, lunch and dinner for you so you only have to focus on your internship and enjoying your stay. Breakfast is every weekday and dinner is all days except Saturday where you and your fellow Try Medics students can go out to eat or cook together at the Try Medics house.

Activities

Around your internship at the university hospital there will be ample opportunity to experience Uganda’s fascinating nature and culture. Included in your stay is a weekend safari so you can experience Uganda’s rich wildlife and meet the animals you saw in the lion king as a child. These include zebras, monkeys, elephants and more. Furthermore is included a dance show, visit to an orphanage and school.

Besides the included activities there will be optional activities as an extended weekend trip to the White Nile river where you will get to bungee jump, river raft, quad bike, kayak and horseback ride.

All the optional activities can be chosen and paid for during your placement. Read more about the optional activities here (Link til optional activities Uganda)

Flight ticket

You have to buy your flight ticket to Uganda yourself. We understand that the trip to Uganda can be a long journey to take alone and therefore we put you in a facebook group with the other Try Medics students who will be leaving the same time as you. In this way you can coordinate flight tickets and safely travel together to Entebbe Airport, Uganda. You should wait with buying flight ticket to after you have signed up.

We will be there when you arrive! A Try Medics employee will meet you at the airport on your arrival and safely drive you and your fellow students to the Try Medics house in Mbarara. The drive to the house takes 5 hours.

The sooner you buy flight ticket during your preparation for your stay the cheaper the ticket most often is.

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Travel and cancellation insurance

You have to get a travel insurance covering the duration of your placement. The most important aspect of the travel insurance is to be covered by serious illness and/or injury where emergency treatment and/or transfer to better facilities are needed. It can cost a lot of money and if you do not have a travel insurance you may not be able to get the treatment you need.

You will also need a cancellation insurance if you have to cancel your trip due to an insured cause such as illness, rehabilitation or death in the family. Here, a cancellation insurance can save you a lot of money.

Cancellation cover varies so please check the applicable rules for the insurance you choose. We can help with recommending appropriate travel insurance and information about this is also included in the preparation guide that you receive upon registration

.

Travel vaccinations

You have to consult with your doctor before your departure. Vaccinations and preventive medicine recommended for travel to Uganda will depend on your medical history. What is recommended for a one traveler may be different for another. Because of this it is important that you consult your doctor and tell that you are going on a internship at a university hospital in Mbarara, Uganda. We recommend that you consult your doctor at least one month before your departure to give the vaccinations time to work. Most of our students gets vaccinations against Diphtheria, Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid, Meningococcal and Yellow fever. Further they take anti-malarial pills during their placement.

Visa

Uganda law requires students to have visa for entering the country and undergoing your placement at the hospital. The fee for Visa is $50 which must be paid in cash upon arrival in Uganda. You have to apply for visa online. We will send you a guide on how to apply and the relevant documents for your application. The process is very easy and you most often get your application approved within 7 days from applying.

Pocket money

You will need pocket money if you are going on optional activities, shopping etc. Many things are cheap in Uganda. Optional activities can be decided and paid for during your placement. We recommend approx. 95€ a week in pocket money.

Workwear

If you do not have  workwear for your internship you can rent or buy it from us. For your internship you must have a white lab coat, scrubs and disposable gloves

You can rent a set including a white lab coat and scrubs for 27€. You can buy the same set for 81€. We recommend that you rent two sets of workwear so you have the opportunity to change during your placement.

We also recommend you only buy one package of disposable gloves for your placement. Disposable gloves are available at most pharmacies. When renting workwear you will receive it in Uganda where you will be able to try out the different sizes and find the right one for you. Rented workwear needs to be handed over to your program manager at the end of your stay.

Footwear at the hospital: The hospital’s only requirement for footwear is that the shoes are closed. So sandals or flip flops can not be used in the hospital.