Medical Electives
Fully qualified doctors are in short supply in Tanzania so a near-qualified medical student from UK can make a huge contribution to the locality chosen for their elective. FUM's experience is that the experience is likely to have an equally great impact on the individual.
Background
FUM has supported many UK medical students wishing to spend their elective placement in a developing world hospital. We can organise a placement, arrange local accommodation and advise about travel from and back to Dar es Salaam. We can also arrange a trusted guide for you in Dar es Salaam and overnight accommodation there.
The hospitals we would assign you to are in Urambo and Nzega Districts, both in Tabora Region of Tanzania. The two hospitals serve their widespread administrative districts, with mainly rural populations living far from the hospitals. To provide primary health care there are a number of rural clinics, some funded by FUM, and it will be possible for you to visit and help in one of these as well as in the hospitals. Your hospital supervisor will organise any visits to clinics at FUM's expense.
Below you will find accounts of several UK medical students who spent their electives in Tabora Region. We would be able to put you in contact with one of these doctors should you want to discuss this opportunity.
FUM Secretary Rod Smith secretary@fum.org.uk has visited Tanzania many times with school groups and can give full information on the logistical aspects of a placement.
Our Medical Officer Dr Iain Chorlton medical@fum.org.uk is a GP in UK with experience in Tanzania.
Medical Electives 2021 Update
Latest news Sadly, travel restrictions due to the covid pandemic mean that our new group of student doctors have had to withdraw from their scheduled Elective Placements in Tanzania.
It was very disappointing that the elective of our 2020 student doctor volunteer Jessica Eardley had to be cancelled because of the covid pandemic in UK. Jessica instead spent the time working in her hard-pressed University hospital.
We had been delighted to announce that four UK medical students had opted to spend their electives in Tanzania for 4 weeks during during May/June 2021. Alas these will not now take place.
Rachel and Anna were to be based at Urambo Hospital supervised by our good friend Dr Swakala while Rachael and Alastair were to serve at Ndala Hospital in Nzega District with Dr Mgalega. 
Medical Electives: An African Experience
In March/April this year two more UK doctors, this time from Exeter University Medical School, spent their 'elective' training period at Urambo Hospital. They were accommodated at Urambo FDC, in Devon House, which is within walking distance of the hospital.
Doctors Harry Theron (left) and Ben Kodiatt spent about 6 weeks under the supervison of the hospital Director gaining invaluable experience of the sort of medical problems faced by people in developing countries such as Tanzania. Equally, after 6 years of medical training, they were almost fully qualified UK doctors so were of great assistance giving much needed support to the under-staffed hospital. Definitely a win-win situation.
FUM support As usual FUM arranged their collection from the airport, transit stay in Dar es Salaam and onward travel to Urambo. FUM also arranged travel around Urambo District, visiting some village clinics that FUM supports. We will be particularly interested to hear their accounts of developments at Kamalendi, Kiloleni and Usisya clinics which we 'adopted' in 2017.
Medical Electives 2017 Update
In April/May 2017 three UK doctors from UCL spent their 'elective' at Urambo Hospital providing much needed extra support there, as well as gaining hugely themselves from the experience.
FUM organised their time in and transport from Dar es Salaam on arrival from UK. They stayed at nearby Urambo FDC, hosted by the long-standing housekeeper Mama Morro who is well used to overseas visitors such as FUM Officers Jo and Richard in November 2016.
Read Adam and Jane's reports of their 2017 Elective Placement
Medical Electives Report Dr Nick Tilbury
As a medical student Nick learned of the possibility of having his Elective placement in Tanzania.
FUM Officers Sioux Horsfield and Dr Iain Chorlton advised Nick on what to expect and, once he had made the decision to go, helped him with travel arrangements within Tanzania.
Medical Electives Report Dr Amy Baigent
Amy visited Tanzania with a Cranbrook School group in 2005. The picture shows her then at Maboha clinic.
The experience there changed the course of her life by deciding to switch to studying medicine at university.
Amy later chose her elective to be in Nzega Hospital with another student in 2011.
A FUM partner TDT provided funds for them to buy equipment for the local village clinics.
Medical Electives Report Dr Jo Minchin
For Jo's placement at Urambo Hospital she was attached to Dr Masimba, shown.
She stayed with Mama Kizinga then Principal at Urambo FDC and chose to walk to the hospital. She felt she had 'arrived' when passers-by started calling her "Mwanafunzi daktari" (student doctor) rather than the usual "mzungu" (white person).
She was intrigued by the arrival from Kilimanjaro District of the 'flying surgeons' who held a clinic for 60 patients and operated on 30 of them, all in the space of two hectic days.
