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All our programmes are designed with the locals in mind first and foremost, and then volunteers and interns come to fit into the local setup, which ensures that the programmes will continue beyond the stay of external partners and volunteers. The programmes and experiences are also designed to ensure our core value of knowledge exchange takes place seamlessly.
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Global Health ELECTIVE Internship

Rotations Abroad for MD students, Physician Assistants, Nursing, Dentistry, Physical Therapy & Counsellors

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TRUSTED AND RECOGNISED

Our team has been the first Zimbabwe-based turnkey provider of cross-cultural exchanges through volunteering, and internship placements at matched organisations.

Are you looking to become a medical volunteer abroad? With us, you can gain real-life global health & clinical experience in your final year at medical school. Complete your global health elective in Zimbabwe and learn how to apply your skills in a setting where you can really challenge yourself. The unique clinical rotation elective allows you to become part of a dynamic healthcare team and a good way to prepare for life as a resident.

If you’re interested in tropical medicine, you’ll learn about the prevention and treatment of malaria, tuberculosis and schistosomiasis. We do absolutely take precautionary measures when it comes to preparing programme participants though – so your own risk exposure will be minimised.

What's the programme about?

The global health elective/internship is for final year students studying medicine. The clinical rotations take place at different hospitals across the country. Global health medical interns will experience the facilities provided by a private boutique hospital in the leafy Harare suburbs, two of the largest public hospitals in the country as well as rural hospitals run by religious missions. Perfect if you’re looking to gain experience as a medical volunteer abroad, this rotation is designed to enable participants to holistically experience the Zimbabwe healthcare system. What you gain at the various hospitals in terms of your learning and observational experience will be vastly different. The clinical rotations encompass surgical specialties, laboratory analysis, pharmacological and radiological services, as well as rehabilitation and integrative medicine.

You may choose from the following available clinical rotations, however, you may also be allocated to a unit depending on the availability of physicians:

Departments Clinics Units
Neurosurgery
Endocrinology
Stroke
Urology
Internal Medicine
Renal
Dermatology
Infectious Diseases
Burns
Physiotherapy
HIV
Intensive Care
General Internal Medicine
Leprosy Centre
Neurology: including the clinic and psychiatry unit
Opportunistic Infections
Obstetrics & Gynaecology 
Paediatrics 
Pathology

Some of the hospitals have a 24/7 casualty department that caters to all emergencies. There are also outpatient departments that review a patient’s status and admit or discharge them.

WHAT YOU CAN DO AS AN INTERN
  • Practice taking a comprehensive or focused medical history based on the symptoms and reasons why the patient is at the facility
  • Complete clinical examinations of the patient(s) and screen for signs of illness
  • Prepare differential diagnosis reports
  • Present assessment and treatment management plans
  • Practice cost-conscious medicine
  • Attend weekly grand rounds and interact with local Zimbabwean healthcare students
  • Work at least 150 hours in total throughout the duration of your global health internship experience

Here's a layout of a typical day in the programme
TimeActivity
07h30Surgical Operations
09h45Hospital rounds
10h30Tea Break
11h30Outpatient Department
13h30Lunch
14h30Outreach Immunisation and Antiretroviral Therapy Clinic
16h30Home Time

Where will you stay?

ACCOMODATION

Intern accommodation is in a leafy suburb of Mt Pleasant in Harare. It is a shared house with communal areas such as the kitchen, dining room, lounge and the garden. There is a swimming pool, an orchard, borehole water, solar hot water boiler, washing machine, Wi-Fi and cable satellite TV with over 100 channels.

We really make sure that you feel at home, and smoking is only allowed in the designated areas away from the house.

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What do you need to apply?

Tiritose supports volunteers and interns coming to Zimbabwe and ensures that the experience is equally rewarding for yourself and our programme.

Intern – education /skills/work experience required

  • Only students currently enrolled in medical school or Residency are eligible for the programme as it is clinical in nature.
  • Experience within a medical or health setting would be beneficial.
  • Positive, can-do attitude.
  • Skills:  Communication, organisational, reading and writing.
  • Students or residents need to be comfortable with rural village life if they choose the rural hospital option.

You’ll need to send proof of your:

  • Education, skills and work experience in the form of a CV, documentation from your school and reference letters.
  • Current enrollment in a professional, accredited, medical or healthcare programme of education

We’ll also need:

  • A list of references we can contact to confirm your experience, organisational skills and reading and writing ability – especially when it comes to interacting with patients and taking histories to have an initial online interview with you to assess your communication skills

programme highlights

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WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY?

Global Health interns are involved as both an observer and an active participant in the diagnosis and treatment of infections that present challenges to Zimbabwe’s people and health care system. Zimbabwe’s medical professionals are, however, cost conscious and well-versed in adequately treating their patients’ conditions despite the developing conditions within their institutions. You’ll see their knowledge, resilience and strength under pressure at work first-hand if you participate in one of our programmes.

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Testimonials

BENEFIT THAT GOES FULL-CIRCLE – WHAT OUR PARTICIPANTS HAVE SHARED:

Stuart Smith United States, Ohio State University

This has truly been a life changing experience, especially because it was my first trip outside of the United States. The program taught me to be more open to taking new experiences, exposed me to paediatrics at the children’s rehabilitation unit, which I did not think I would enjoy.

Necrisha in Zimbabwe for her Global Health Clinical Rotation Internship with Tiritose Sustainable Travel
Necrisha Roach United States, Ohio State University

Coming to Zimbabwe for my medical internship and working with Tiritose was an interesting experience and I really enjoyed the exposure to the healthcare system, the people and the excursions

Christopher Zheng United States, Ohio State University

I was pretty happy the whole time and the Tiritose staff were very supportive. What I enjoyed most about doing my internship in Zimbabwe is that it was a new continent for me, a whole new perspective on medicine, a better appreciation for the luxuries of US.

Sola Morakinyo United States, Ohio State University

What I enjoyed most about doing my medical clinical rotation internship in Zimbabwe was seeing the differences and similarities in how medicine is practiced here vs. the U.S. and differences and similarities in disease incidence.

Van Don Williams II United States, Ohio State University

The programme was also very organised. Other than waiting on our supervising physicians at the Children’s hospital on some of the days, it was a pretty good internship. Oh! And it was made better by watching Black Panther in Africa.

Global Health Medical Rotation in Africa - Zimbabwe
Jessica Hippolyte United States, Ohio State University

I really liked the balance between the fun staff and the clinical rotations at the various hospitals in the city and the rural placement just blew me away. I was exposed to medical conditions that I would otherwise not come across back home.

Martins Ayoola-Adeola United States, Ohio State University

I had a wonderful time in Zimbabwe. There are times I find myself fantasizing about going back. The administrative staff were great and really took the time to make the trip as personalized as possible.

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