We have over 16 years experience and have used it to our advantage to make sure that our students get the most out of their midwifery elective placements. We believe we have formed the perfect balance of work and pleasure and want to make sure you get to enjoy a once in a lifetime experience.
A critical amount of wards have to contest with lack of staff and resources in developing countries as well as an excessive amount of patients. As a result the staff students might find themselves thrown in at the deep end. A lack of supplies can also mean back to basics methods as many utensils that are readily available in the West are absent. But this is all really an excellent chance to get as much hands on experience as possible while being accompanied by professionals in the field.
You might also come across cases that barely exist in your own country, such as malaria and tuberculosis in pregnancy, or even HIV spread from mother to child. It really is an opportunity to extend your understanding of midwifery.
Because of a lack of cash and the distances and absence of education in these under resourced countries, patients commonly come in with illnesses that have progressed to a crucial stage, such as gynecological cancer, or that have emergencies in labor such as pre-eclampsia, which could have been dealt with if pre-labor care had been accessible to them. This is a unique chance to gain a new set of skills that will make you a better midwife in your future career.
You will also be fully immersed into the new culture during your time off while you enjoy trips, taste new foods, enjoy new cultural experiences and witness how people live in different parts of the world.
