Projects Abroad Medical Placements in Nepal

It’ll be a bit of a stretch to give you a proper insight into my experience, and at the same time not say too much because part of the magic is that you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Here’s my attempt: I was 18 when I started my roughly four month long trip, which is over a year ago now, had just finished school and wanted to go abroad before starting university. I loved the idea of a fairly small country with high mountains as well as tropical climate and a rich culture. And I love Asia. Arriving at a crowded airport alone, in a different part of the world, anxiously waiting for my luggage to finally show up, knowing I had this big trip ahead of me, felt very surreal but fantastic. A Nepali lady offered to wait with me for my luggage. The transport to the hotel was organised perfectly well, as was everything else during the trip, without exception. I spent the first day exploring Kathmandu on my own before other volunteers arrived with whom I travelled to our final destination: Bharatpur, the second biggest city of the country, located farther south. This in itself can be quite the experience as the roads are in questionable conditions, especially during monsoon season. As a medical volunteer, this is the usual location as there is a large private hospital of relatively good standard, but it is also possible to stay in Kathmandu for the medical placement, which from what I’ve heard, is great too. We had a lovely welcome and were brought to our wonderful host families. From that point onwards, new, incredible memories were added each day. Medically speaking, It is fascinating to see how different medical care is there to what one is used to from home, what the interaction between nurses/doctors and patients is like and how patients and their families deal with diseases, and especially psychiatric conditions. You’re getting the chance to get an insight into all kinds of medical specialties and experience how medical care works in Nepal. There is a lot to learn, watch and observe. It is also possible to teach hygiene to school kids and participate in other outreach projects. All in all, It is the combination of everything being new and exciting and so very different for a while and getting into an entirely different routine after some time, that truly makes the experience. The amount of wonderful people, other volunteers and locals alike, that I have met during my time still overwhelms me. I still sometimes find myself in disbelief about it. I would also like to mention the time of the year that I travelled to Nepal: I was there from summer to late autumn/early winter which meant experiencing monsoon season as well as the start of the cold season, being there for trekking season and experiencing almost all of the big Hindu festivals first-hand which was absolutely incredible and magical. I definitely recommend this time of the year. I could talk all day about some of my dearest moments of the trip, but I’m sure you’ll make your own marvellous memories. So take all the numerous opportunities thrown in your way to make some once there ;).

It's been a while since I volunteered with Projects Abroad but I still hold the memory very close to heart! My confidence grew and I became so much more independent, which has really helped shape me into the person I am today. The staff were incredible and so accommodating: when I asked to switch to the teaching programme for a couple of weeks (just because I wanted to experience as much as possible whilst I was over there) they were able to do this for me immediately and at no extra cost. It was amazing to see another culture first hand and even get glimpses of other ones through meeting the other volunteers there who came from all over the world. I still have friends that I am in contact with and we were able to go on numerous trips together at weekends in order to experience as much of Nepal as possible. I would recommend this trip to anyone!

My name is Alicia Gant and I am a senior at the University of Nevada, Reno. I plan to attend Medical School the following year. I will always be grateful for the experience Projects Abroad allowed me to have in Nepal.

I was placed in the local teaching hospital in Chitwan, Nepal. I was able to observe numerous surgeries and ask as many questions as I felt were necessary in order for me to understand everything. The language barrier was only a minor part of my experience in Nepal because the people there were so caring. The supervisors that Projects Abroad had stationed there would always go out of their way to make my stay there enjoyable.

After living in non-tourist parts of Nepal for a month I have more gratitude for the life I am given now. I was adopted from China when I was only 6 months old. Had I not been adopted I would have grown up in an area very similar to the one I only spent a month visiting. Projects Abroad gave me this opportunity and for that I will always be grateful.

The two weeks I spent in Chitwan on the high school special medicine project might have been the best 2 weeks of my life. Not only did I help out at hospitals and acquire a passion for a doctors work but I also made friends from around the globe who shared the same aspiration and interests as I did. Each step of the way our coordinators made sure we felt completely safe and addressed any complaint or problem positively and made us feel completely at home. Our placements were interesting as each day we had a different hospital and were able to see surgical procedures and everyday doctor-patient interactions and all the doctors were really friendly and answered all our doubts and sometimes asked us to help out to get a hands on experience. Our project had exact mixture of free time, nepali culture and medicine, We had enough time to ourselves to strengthen friendships, enough time to learn about the country we were in, explore it and go sightseeing, along with enough time to learn about why we were on the trip.
Hands down I would recommend any this trip to anyone who wants an experience abroad.

I was in Nepal for 2 weeks volunteering in a cancer hospital. I stayed with a host family that was very kind, attentive and my host mom made the BEST food for me and the 3 other volunteers that I stayed with. The hospital was a great learning experience. All the doctors would take the time to translate any chance they could. This is also where I was able to watch my first surgery! Not only did I get to experience what it was like in a Nepali hospital but I volunteered in a school teaching children about the importance of eating healthy. I met amazing volunteers from all over the world, and was able to meet plenty of locals were we would spend hours over delicious coffee learning about our different customs and cultures. The Nepali people are very kind and love to have festivals and are just generally laid back and relaxed people.
Throughout the entire trip a volunteer coordinator was just a quick text or phone call away. They organized most of the taxi rides and events during the weekdays and helped us organize our weekend trips.
Traveling truly is the best way to learn about yourself. You realize just how tiny your corner of the universe is and just how large and beautiful the world really is. This trip was eye opening for me and I was humbled by my time in Nepal. I loved being able to do it all through Projects Abroad, they made it easy and made me feel safe though out the entire trip. I hope that many other people can have the opportunity to share in this experience!

Projects Abroad was the best experience I have ever had with a medical experience abroad. Every week before the trip the staff were checking in, answering questions, and providing lots of information for my arrival. When I got to Nepal, they showed me around and made me feel right at home. They contacted me almost everyday with events going on or checking in to make sure everything was going smooth. The medical experience was hands on and very real. Everyone was so kind and gave me so many opportunities to learn. I gained so much knowledge all thanks to projects abroad. They set up events where all the volunteers could meet up and do cultural things to meet. The host family they set me up with was so kind and made you feel like part of the family. Thanks for such an amazing trip projects abroad, 5 stars!

My experience with projects abroad was amazing. I went into this placement as a curious student of biology, wondering if I should go into the profession of nursing. My day to day tasks consisted mostly of shadowing nurses, doctors and other clinical professionals in the town of Chitwan, Nepal. I witnessed several cesarean sections, orthopedic surgeries, and debridement of burned victims.

I also took part in pop up treatment camps in some rural villages, where I took vital signs to aid in the care of patients.
Making friends was easy, where I had the pleasure of spending down time with a nurse from France, a physiotherapist from Sweden, a physician from Spain, and many others from different walks of life. Help was available at the drop of a hat as well, with the volunteer coordinator being available 24/7.

I want to go back and help out as a full fledged registered nurse in a couples years after I finish my degree, and I plan to go with projects abroad with their medical professional program

I have been a Medical Surgical nurse for 2 years. I was looking to expand my critical thinking skills and change in scenery and thus I choose Projects Abroad to test my nursing skills. Nepal has no set insurance plan so everything is out of pocket when it comes to getting medical care. This organization set you up in safe housing and strives to find opportunities for you to expand your medical knowledge.