Medicine in Ghana

Our medical work experience placements in Ghana are based in hospitals and clinics in Cape Coast and Takoradi. We deliberately choose regional hospitals in towns rather than small rural clinics so that you can gain experience in a broad range of departments during your time with us.

When you arrive, you will meet your project supervisor who will chat to you about previous experience and any interests or medical fields that you would like to gain more experience in.

Your supervisor will then organise a programme for you to spend time in various departments. You will then spend time shadowing doctors and medical professionals in these departments, following them on ward visits and learning all you can. If your time with us permits it may be possible for you to arrange to spend time in a department that you are particularly interested in. Theatre, A & E and Paediatrics always the most popular departments.

You will be working in a hospital with similar departments to the hospitals you might have visited at home however, the biggest difference will be the medical conditions and treatments you will see.

Malaria will be by far the most common illness you will see, along with other tropical illness such as Typhoid and Hepatitis. As Ghana does not have the same levels of sanitation as we are fortunate to have you will also become experienced in the treatment of intestinal parasites and dysentery.

Medical care in Ghana is not free. Sadly you will also become accustomed to doctors making diagnoses without tools we take for granted such as x-rays because the patient simply can't afford them. You will also see doctors powerless to treat some patients because they can't afford to buy the medicines.

Many of the hospitals have links with small rural clinics so if your time with us permits, we'll arrange for you to spend time on a rural outreach clinic, usually a rural inoculation programme.

A medical programme in Ghana really is a great opportunity to gain experience you couldn't have hoped for at home. You will see medical conditions and their treatment that you probably would only have read about during your studies and are rarely likely to see in your career.

Read about Jonny and Rachael's medical project in Ghana Click here>>

Many of our volunteers combine this project with our HIV Awareness and Counselling Project or orphanage work.

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
2013	£995	£1,095	£1,095	£1,095	£1,095	£1,095	£1,195	£1,195	£1,095	£1,095	£995	£895
2014	£995	£1,095	£1,095	£1,095	£1,095	£1,095	£1,195	£1,195	£1,095	£1,095	£995	£895
2015	£995	£995	£995	£995	£995	£995	£995	£995	£995	£995	£995	£895