Your Role as a Medical Intern in Nepal
We will ask you which departments you would like to specialize in from the following options: General Medicine, Gynecology/Maternity, Infectious Diseases, ENT, Obstetrics, Psychiatric Ward, Neurology, Pneumology, Oncology, Urology, ICU, Ophthalmology, Stomatology, Emergency (requires at least 6 years of medical training), and Surgery (requires at least 3 years of medical training). All medical volunteers/electives in Nepal must have completed at least one year of medical-related studies or training by the time they join this project, or at least three years to work at the pediatric hospital. Each internship is tailored to your level of experience and interests.
The hospital staff requests that you spend a minimum of two weeks in each department. Your supervisor at the hospital, the Director, will then assign you to work with the specialist doctors within the different departments. We will do our best to place you according to your preferences, but cannot guarantee every department will be available all of the time.
Your role at the hospital will vary depending on your education and experience level. Usually, you will shadow the local staff upon arrival before switching departments. If you show enthusiasm and develop a good relationship with the medical staff, you may be trusted with more responsibilities. As with any job – especially in the field of medicine – you must prove yourself to be trustworthy before you are given responsibilities.
The hospital’s facilities are basic, and the treatment standards will probably be different from what you’re used to. You should be prepared to see some shocking cases and try not to get emotionally involved with the patients. The normal working hours are from Sunday to Friday, from 8 am to 12 pm. Many of the doctors do not work in the afternoons, though it is sometimes possible to arrange extra hours from 2 pm to 5 pm to help the nurses or do additional work with patients. Some interns have even arranged to work the occasional night shift.
Most of the doctors speak English. In some departments, there is staff who speaks a little English or, from time to time, there may also be local medical interns who can also communicate in English.
Organizing Health Camps
During their time working in a health institution, trained and experienced health volunteers will be deployed to work in health camps for between two and five days. Volunteers will work alongside their Nepali counterparts to examine patients, distribute medicine, and consult with communities about sanitation and health care. Volunteers’ participation in health camps raises local awareness of health and sanitation in rural communities.
Health and Sanitation Awareness and Conduct First Aid Trainings
In this program, volunteers will mainly be involved in working with the community schools, youth clubs, women’s groups, and other local organizations, teaching them about proper health and sanitation. In addition, volunteers will provide First-Aid information/training to the local people in rural villages, thereby providing them with a practical and sustainable life skill. Volunteers will also give similar First Aid courses to children in government schools, lasting from several days to a week in duration. The volunteers’ major role in this program is to educate and mobilize community groups who can then pass the information onto the community at large. This program is particularly suitable for medical students and volunteers with health training experience; however, we do accept other applicants, provided they have some experience in this area.
Real Journey Nepal encourages all interested experienced medical and health personnel, including students, professionals, organizations, associations, and other groups to join the Health Program and make a lasting contribution towards supporting needy Nepali people.
