What position do you hold at Work the World?
I’m currently the Operations Manager for our Ghana and Dumaguete programs.
What is your work experience to date?
It’s been pretty varied! In the past I’ve run programs in Iloilo, Ghana, and Peru, as well as traveling around the UK and speaking about Work the World at student events. This has given me real understanding of the student experience and a deep knowledge of Work the World as an organization and its ethos.
What you are your main responsibilities?
Working on the Operations Team is exciting - we look after students from the point they’ve secured a placement on one of our overseas programs. We want to make sure that when students leave for placement, they go with the right expectations and have a thorough understanding of what’s ahead. One of the most satisfying things to see is a student who is nervous - maybe someone who hasn’t left their country before - and watch them growing not only in their chosen profession, but also as a person.
Operations also manage the overseas staff teams. We‘re incredibly invested not just in our staff, but the countries they operate in too. I have the Ghana news reel on in the morning, so I often know more about what’s going on in Ghana on a daily basis than I do in the UK!
What is the best bit about working for your organization?
One of the joys is working in our head office. There are so many diverse personalities with different experiences, yet everyone gets on so well. I think it’s because all of us – from the person who answers the phones to the Directors, are passionate about Work the World and what the organization does. We’re creating formative experiences for people who may go onto have a serious impact on global healthcare.
How does Work the World differ to other organizations?
In so many ways. One of the main things being our attention to detail when considering each individual student. As well as our amazing head office team, each destination we operate in has a dedicated support network. The support our local staff give our students is unparalleled. Much of our service revolves around them and the relationships they’ve worked hard to build with our partner hospitals.
We also make sure we’re building fair partnerships with everyone we work with. We actually sit down every month with our partner hospitals and ask what they need. Expressing a genuine care for the people we partner with, we’ve found, works incredibly well. The Philippines during their annual election period is a great example of this. During election periods, government hospitals cannot purchase medical supplies. If they run out of something like anesthesia or pediatric needles for example, they simply cannot put in a purchase order.
Our donation system really ramps up during this period; it’s tailored to each hospital and its needs no matter the country.
Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of Work the World?
As the sentimental one in the office, there have been quite a few times when I’ve felt very, very proud to be working where I do.
For example, our Gatekeeper in Dumaguete is 54. His age makes him otherwise unemployable in The Philippines. He’s amazing, and comes in every morning with a massive smile. This man is an utterly fantastic employee, and I feel the organization has given him the chance to once again become part of a working community his age excluded him from.
When it comes to my interaction with students I could give you examples for hours. When I see that a student ‘gets it’, when I see it in their faces or hear it on the phone during feedback that they went to the hospital and something that they’d never see at home happened, and then go on excitedly explaining to me what they understood from it, that’s when we can be very proud of what we do.
What Work the World destinations have you visited?
All of them!
What has been your favorite?
Ghana. It’s this feeling you get when you first step off the plane – the warmth of the people. From that moment you know everything to come is going to be amazing. You’ll leave a little piece of yourself in Ghana when you leave. So many people I’ve spoken to want to go back.
What advice do you have for someone considering a healthcare placement abroad?
If you look at something and think, ‘that looks a bit challenging’ – pick it. If you don’t challenge yourself, you’ll regret it.