Sarah from Canada (medical student):
I had an amazing time in Moshi, Tanzania doing a medical elective at the Pasua Health Care Center! The staff were very welcoming and kind. On this placement, we were able to decide what we wanted to do every day to make sure we had a full experience based on our interests. We worked in the inpatient unit, outpatient unit, labour and delivery unit, laboratory, family planning clinic, and more. The staff being always happy to have our help was always explaining to us how and why they made their care decisions. It was very eye-opening experience to see that even with fewer resources they are able to care for these patients as they deserve to be treated. My only recommendation I would be to know some Swahili before coming to this beautiful country, as it will enrich your experience working with the patients. Luckily, the staff do speak English!
Moshi is a beautiful city to explore. It is easy to walk around and access everything. They have great coffee shops (we actually ended up going to the same one every day as their coffee was so good)! During our stay, many were celebrating Ramadan, which allowed us the opportunity to be introduced to the food and culture. We were even invited to prepare food with the locals, which was a wonderful experience.
To finish, World Unite! is a great organization! They were well organized and always available to answer our questions. Everyone was so nice in Moshi and very welcoming! We went on a day trip to the hot springs and on a weekend trip to the safari, all organized by World Unite! It was absolutely amazing! It’s very easy to plan and you have nothing to worry about.
Honestly, it was my first time visiting an African country and it was an experience of a lifetime that I will remember forever! If I could use three descriptors for my trip, they would be eye opening, amazing, and outside my comfort zone. As a last recommendation, I suggest you visit Zanzibar for a weekend, the beach is FANTASTIC!
Enjoy!
Sarah arranged her medical elective through World Unite!, a specialist provider for medical electives and internships in nursing, therapies and midwifery in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Click here to read more about Sarah’s placement and learn how to apply for your own elective in Tanzania.