Biomedical Science Placements

On a biomedical science elective in Ghana, you can spend time in a district-level hospital, a maternity clinic, or the best-equipped city hospital. However, don't assume 'best-equipped' means well-equipped – medical practices in Ghana differ from what you're used to, with limited resources making this biomedical science placement uniquely eye-opening. Despite the challenges, you'll observe local staff creatively overcoming barriers to provide quality care.

During your biomedical science elective in Nepal, you'll have the opportunity to gain experience and encounter unique regional cases across various fields, such as microbiology — including immunology, virology, bacteriology, and parasitology. You'll also engage in pathology, covering histopathology/surgical pathology, cytopathology, haematology, blood bank, and biochemistry. Additionally, you can gain hands-on experience in the A&E department of the country's leading teaching hospital, which provides primary, tertiary, and specialist care. During your placement, you'll encounter a diverse range of conditions, including infectious diseases, malnutrition, chronic kidney and liver diseases, poisonings, and more.

Your biomedical science placement in Panay Island involves the largest government tertiary referral hospital and a tertiary teaching hospital. While the Philippines does have a national health insurance service, its coverage is restricted, especially in government hospitals. To put it in context, local doctors must consider patients' financial means when delivering treatments and prescribing medication rather than focusing solely on their medical needs. Given that many patients come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, this dynamic significantly influences how care is provided. You could see the above and more on your biomedical science placement in Iloilo.

On a biomedical science placement in Kandy, you can get eye-opening clinical experience in areas that broaden your understanding of diagnostics and patient care in a low-resource setting. In hematology, you might diagnose blood disorders using tests like CBC and bone marrow studies with advanced analyzers. You can observe viral diagnostics via PCR and ELISA in Virology, joining ICU and ward rounds. In biochemistry, you might get experience with fluid analysis, hormones, and tumour markers using analyzers like the Vitros 3600. Spending time in pathology could include tissue diagnostics, histology, and immunohistochemistry with automated tools.

Your biomedical science placement in Hue unfolds within a 600-bed university teaching hospital. Approximately half of the hospital's patients hail from Vietnam's rural and economically disadvantaged areas. While healthcare is free for many patients, getting to the hospital entails a costly journey and sacrificing days of paid work during admission. Consequently, patients often postpone seeking medical attention, leading to exceptionally late presentations and the manifestation of severely advanced conditions. The medical practices you'll witness on your biomedical science placement here will significantly differ from what you're accustomed to.