Medicine in Tanzania

Our medical work experience placements in Tanzania are based in hospitals and clinics in the Kinondoni district of Dar es Salaam. We've chosen to locate in this area because our partner hospitals can give you the opportunity to gain experience in a wide variety of medical fields. Some of the departments you will work in will be similar to those you'd experience at home such as maternity, paediatrics or surgery, many others will give you the opportunity to gain experience of the treatment of illnesses you wouldn't have experienced at home.

During the rainy season, attendance at the hospitals swells due to the increased incidence of malaria, cholera and pneumonias. During the dry season the most common everyday conditions you'll experience will include TB, HIV, skin disorders and gastric illnesses.

When you arrive, you will meet the doctor responsible for organising your experience. They will chat to you about previous experience and any interests or areas of medicine that you would like to gain more experience in.

Some of the hospitals we work with specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV, TB and STI's so if you are interested in these areas please let us know and we'll organise your placement accordingly. In addition to working in these departments it's also possible to combine projects and spend time on our HIV awareness and counselling programme if you'd like to know more about HIV counselling.

As well as gaining experience in medical fields you wouldn't have been able to see at home, you will also gain experience of how doctors in Tanzania work given the daily challenges they face. Very poor resources mean different approaches are taken. For example the prescribing of drugs is a major problem for Doctors when dealing with the very poor. A patient prescribed a course of antibiotics can, in many cases, only afford to purchase a small number of pills and the chances of them completing a full course are very slim. Despite the lack of resources the medical staff are able perform and provide extensive services.

Traditional medicine is also practiced in some of the hospitals and there is active research into areas where it has been found to be effective. Local healers’ are still regularly consulted in Tanzania and some of their methods are known to have very good effects. It has been known when medicines are in short supply for patients to be advised by doctors to find specific local plants and trees to make teas and follow the traditional healing methods.

This project is not just for budding medical students, this programme may also be suitable for those about to study:

Nursing
Physiotherapy
Dentistry

Dates and Costs

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2008	€1,295	€1,295	€1,295	€1,295	€1,295	€1,395	€1,395	€1,395	€1,295	€1,295	€1,195	€995
2009	€1,295	€1,295	€1,295	€1,295	€1,295	€1,395	€1,395	€1,395	€1,295	€1,295	€1,195	€995
2010	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€1,195	€995