Projects Abroad - CHINA Project Information for Medicine in China

Medical Volunteer Placements in China

For our medical programme we work with hospitals in Shanghai and Wujan which all have excellent medical facilities and good doctors on hand. Our volunteers spend approximately one or two weeks in various departments shadowing and learning from different specialists. These different departments include:

Surgery
Oncology
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Emergency ward
Paediatrics
Cardiology

Our medical placements are growing rapidly in China and we now have over 30 volunteers applying to do medical projects throughout the year.

The Role of the Volunteer

During your time at a hospital you will be given a real insight into traditional Chinese Medicine as well as major western medicine departments. Also you will have the chance to become familiar with the local doctors and nurses as well as the patients.

On a typical day the volunteer will be required to work for 8 hours. The hospital working day is divided into two parts. In the morning you will be accompanying doctors on their rounds. You might also have the opportunity to observe an operation or sit in on a consultation. In the afternoon you will be given the chance to talk to your supervisor about specific cases and any other medical terms you might have come across during your morning rounds. Volunteers normally spend one week in each department.

Your role as a volunteer will mostly be observational. You will be allowed to shadow doctors and ask them relevant questions regarding their work. Hands-on experience is very limited and will only be available to those volunteers who have had some experience.

This is an excellent opportunity to see how medical practices vary across the globe. You might be called on to give presentations highlighting the differences between the medical facilities and procedures in your home country compared to China.