Your day will start with breakfast with your host family. You’ll sit down for a tasty meal before getting ready, picking up your notebook, and catching a dalla dalla, which will zip you off to a local hospital.
Your typical work day will start at about 7.30am, because Tanzanian hospitals are particularly busy in the mornings. You’ll usually finish work at around 3pm.
You’ll be assigned a supervising doctor, who will lead you through different consultations and procedures. Take notes, ask questions, and take this opportunity to learn as much as you can. You might have the chance to learn how to take X-rays or practise working with medical equipment.
You’ll help out at medical outreaches about once every two weeks. During outreaches, you’ll set up a healthcare station at a local school or community centre, and take measurements like blood pressure, blood sugar, height, and weight. This is tiring work and you’ll probably screen many different people in one day. But it’s also a chance to have direct contact with patients and provide them with early medical screening.
Once every two weeks, you’ll also attend a medical workshop given by a local doctor. At these workshops, you’ll learn valuable skills like how to administer first aid or practise suturing.
Your evenings will be free, giving you the chance to explore your surroundings and get to know your fellow interns.
