Medical & Healthcare Internships in Ghana

Join us for a medical and healthcare internship in Ghana and learn from doctors by shadowing them on their daily rounds. You will work at a large district or regional hospital, and learn about diagnosing and treating different diseases and conditions. You will get valuable insight into a developing country’s medical practices, which could help your future career.

You will also get practical work experience doing basic health checks in rural communities. We’ll teach you what to do, and you’ll work under supervision. Your work will also include giving talks to raise awareness around key healthcare issues.

We offer medical placements for people of all backgrounds. So whether you’re a qualified healthcare professional looking to give back on your next vacation, a nursing / medical student organizing an overseas elective placement, or a school leaver looking for work experience to boost your university application – we have just the project for you!

Our medical and healthcare placements are found all in and around cities in Ghana. This internship is ideal for anyone who wants to see medicine in practice. You’ll get first-hand experience of working in a hospital in a developing country.

You can use this internship to add work experience to your resume before applying to medical school. You can also talk about all you saw, learned, and how you overcame challenges during interviews or in application essays. It’s also a great way to explore different departments within a large hospital. This is especially useful if you’re a medical student deciding on a specialization.

Keep in mind that you will be shadowing doctors and nurses in a busy medical environment. It’s important to be proactive, ask questions, and demonstrate initiative. This will ensure that you develop a good relationship with the staff, and that you learn as much as possible during your medical placement in Ghana.

Our medical internship in Ghana runs throughout the year, and you can join at any time from a minimum of two weeks. We encourage you to stay longer, so you can see and learn more.

This project is also ideally suited to professionals interested in using their skills to help, as well as university medical and healthcare elective students.

As a professional, you can be sure we will match your training and expertise to the placement where you are needed most. With your support, we can make an even bigger impact on the local communities we work with.

If you are an elective student, we will organize an elective placement where you can learn as much as possible. We want you gain the knowledge and skills that will begin to shape your professional career. You can schedule the placement around your needs and design your work schedule around the requirements for your elective. OGVO can also complete any paperwork required by your university, as we receive many healthcare students in Ghana for their elective placement.

Working under the supervision of medical and healthcare professionals, you will:

• Join doctors and nurses on their daily rounds at the hospital
• Do practical health checks during community outreaches
• Take part in health education campaigns and focus on disease prevention

Your work will be divided in three main areas:

Join doctors and nurses on their daily patient rounds

You will shadow doctors and nurses on their daily rounds. They will teach you about Ghana’s prevalent diseases, their diagnoses, management, and treatment. You should be prepared to encounter patients who suffer from diseases and conditions that you don’t see at home, such as Malaria and Typhoid.

During your time as a medical intern in Ghana, you’ll also spend some time in different departments of a large regional hospital. This will give you insight into various specializations and could help you choose your own later in your studies.

Do health checks during community outreaches

In Ghana, many rural and disadvantaged areas lack access to healthcare services. Most people cannot afford to travel to clinics or pay to see a doctor. This is also the case in marginalized communities, like leprosy camps. We organize regular outreaches, where you get involved with tasks like:

• Treat and dress chronic wounds at a leprosy camp
• Treat wounds and ringworm infections at schools
• Do health checks in rural communities, focusing on measuring blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and run free malaria tests

This is important work that gives you the chance to help others while learning and using basic medical skills.

Take part in health education campaigns

You will help us raise awareness about key healthcare issues around the country. We do this by holding talks in schools, care centers, or local communities. Typical topics will include:

• Good hygiene practices
• Malaria prevention
• Sexual education

Sexual education is critical, as this is still considered a taboo topic in many schools. You could also focus on healthy lifestyle choices to prevent illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.

There are many different departments available including:

Adolescent Counselling, Community Health Education, Dentistry, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), General surgery, Laboratory, Nursing, Maternity & Midwifery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Paediatrics, Pharmacology, Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy, Prenatal, Psychology, Radiology, Ultrasound

Participants are likely to have the opportunity to observe within more than one division. However, it is recommended that interns spend a minimum of one week per department.

During orientation, you will receive a full introduction to the hospital. A staff of OGVO will lead a tour around the whole institution, allowing you to become familiar with the hospital’s layout, and also meet staff members within each department.

A typical day as a medical intern in Ghana

On any given day, you will work shifts alongside your supervisors. These shifts typically take the following form:

• Morning: 8am – 2pm
• Afternoon: 2pm – 8pm
• Night: 8pm – 8am

Each shift starts with rounds as you follow the consulting doctor and learn about each patient’s case and course of treatment. Use this opportunity to ask plenty of questions. After rounds, you’ll assist nurses with patient care. You can watch them administer medication and treatment, and help to update patient files. Nurses always appreciate help in general patient care as well such as feeding, bathing, and bed changing.

Please note that hospitals in Ghana are often busiest in the mornings. Don’t be late for the morning shift if you’d like to witness the bulk of the day’s work!

Afternoons are a great opportunity to get to know the staff and patients better.

Two days per week, you will join one of our community outreaches to assist with doing health checks.

During the hours you aren’t working, you’ll have free time to explore Ghana’s colorful culture and natural beauty with your fellow interns.

Since you will be living with a local host family, breakfast or dinners offer great opportunities to get to know them better and fully immerse yourself in their way of life.

The main objective of this project is to help expand your medical knowledge with guidance from experienced local doctors and nurses.

It also gives you insight into the healthcare system of a developing country. Many Ghanaian government hospitals receive limited funding, which means they often lack the resources that are standard in most western hospitals.

As a developing country, Ghana also suffers from a double burden of disease. Infectious diseases are still rife, with occasional outbreaks of cholera and ongoing cases of malaria. The introduction of a more western lifestyle means that now there is also an increase of diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

Through school and community outreaches, we help educate local people about malaria prevention and the importance of early treatment. Our interns also help conduct screenings and tests to prevent further complications. We also offer basic healthcare services, as people are not always able to afford treatment for infected wounds, ringworm, or malaria.

Highlights

• Earn international volunteering experience by assisting doctors and nurses in treating patients in Ghana.
• Get the opportunity to explore different medical specializations, from pediatrics and maternity to mental health and surgery.
• Learn skills and techniques from seasoned doctors and nurses.
• Spend a few weeks in Ghana and immerse in its rich culture and history.
• Add to your CV or resume with this great experience

Qualifications
No previous experience is required.

Location of OGVO Volunteer/Intern Programs
We have volunteer and intern work placements in both urban and rural areas in Ghana including Accra, Koforidua, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Kwamoso, Salt Pond,Swedru,Tepa, Boaben-Fiema, Bibiani, Boako, Wassa Akropong, Wale Wale, Mampong, Asafo, Buduburam, and many more.

Start Dates and Durations
We pride ourselves for our flexibility. Volunteers or interns can arrive any day of the year with advanced notice. You can volunteer or intern for periods of 1 week to 6 months. Extension can be arranged with advanced notice as well.

OGVO Program Prices
Our fees are extremely affordable as compare to other organisations. Our program fee starts as small as US $250. Program fees mainly help us cover the variable costs, such as food, accommodation, airport pick-up, placement, program orientation, etc. Program fees vary according to the length of your program. To see program fees and what it covers, please click here

ACCOMMODATION & MEALS ARE INCLUDED

Volunteers on this program will be accommodated with a local host family, and will gain the opportunity to become immersed in the local culture and custom, improving their knowledge of the people, culture and language. Ghanaian families are renowned for their kindness and hospitality and they love to learn about different cultures. Living with a local family truly is the best way to throw oneself into the local culture and to meet people who will often become lifelong friends!

All families have been fully vetted by our team and have extensive experience hosting international volunteers. Bedrooms are private but generally shared with volunteers of the same gender. Volunteers will be provided access to a shared bathroom. Generally, your host brother, sister or mother assist you with your laundry but it is not an obligation, learn to wash your clothing’s with your hands in several buckets, enjoy the sun drying your clothes and odor the African fragrance in your clothes.

Host families will provide volunteers with breakfast, lunch and dinner during the working week.

Breakfast is usually ready by around 7am; however you can eat later if you prefer to get up late. Lunch is usually packed by your host family in a lunch box so that you can eat at your project if you wish. Dinner is usually served around 6pm.

If you have special eating needs, you can indicate that while applying. Even though special eating needs are not something we can guarantee, we will do our best to meet your needs.

It is important to remember that the living conditions in Ghana are different from home. Most families have running water, but hot water is still uncommon in some areas. Although the accommodation is basic, this is part of the challenge and experience of volunteering in a developing country. With a little patience, and a flexible attitude, you will quickly get used to your new surroundings.

Working days and hours

You will work 5 days a week, leaving you two free days (Saturday & Sunday) to explore the area. You’ll work around 4 – 9 hours per day.

FREE TIME

During weekends Volunteers/Interns have the opportunity to visit all that Ghana has to offer. Weekend trips available include visits to Mole National Park in the Northern Region of Ghana. This National Park offers a great Safari-like experience and is one of the biggest Elephant Sanctuaries in Africa with the chance to spot Lions, Leopards & Antelopes in their natural habitat.
Volunteers can also take a trip to Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana to relax in the beautiful beaches and see the famous Cape Coast castle, the Kakum Canopy walkway and Elmina castle, where slave trade begun.

What Our Volunteers and Interns Are Saying