Sri Lanka – Medical and Nursing Program

This program is near Galle, a beautiful area in southern Sri Lanka that is surrounded by lush greenery and is in proximity to world-class beaches! Many of the nearby beaches are prime surfing spots, and others are more relaxing. There is even a turtle lagoon nearby. Galle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, complete with Dutch-colonial buildings, ancient religious buildings, museums and more. Galle is also quite trendy, and is home to cafes, specialty shops and boutique hotels.

This program is ideal for medical students and medical professionals who are looking to specialize! Most of the volunteer work is observational and varies depending on the following placement.

Pre-Medical Observership: Designed for participants who are not currently enrolled in a medical or nursing degree, but have some prior knowledge and/or experience in the healthcare sector. It provides a broad-based understanding of the medical sector through observation-based learning experiences. As a volunteer, you will gain exposure to various wards, units, and institutions, learning about the medical system in Sri Lanka and tropical diseases prevalent in the region. This placement aims to help determine if a medical career is a potential path for you.

Medical Internship: Targeted towards participants already pursuing or having completed formal medical studies. It offers a more specialized and hands-on experience in specific medical areas, allowing participants to engage in tasks specific to their level of knowledge and skill. As an intern, you will rotate through different hospital departments, observe surgeries, assist medical teams, and gain practical experience in their chosen medical field. The program focuses on further developing clinical skills and deepening understanding of specific areas of medicine.

Nursing Internship: Suitable for nursing students enrolled in or recently completed a nursing degree. The program provides rotations between various wards and units in public hospitals, focusing on practical nursing experience and engagement within the nursing field. As an intern, you will gain exposure to diverse patient care settings, medical specialties, and nursing practices.

Level of Involvement:

Pre-Medical Observership: Participants primarily engage in observation-based learning, gaining exposure to various medical settings. The level of engagement varies depending on factors, such as the participant’s background/skill set and rapport with local hospital staff. Some units may offer more hands-on work than others.

Medical Internship: Medical interns, with their formal medical background, have the opportunity for hands-on involvement based on their capabilities and rapport with the local hospital staff. The level of engagement varies across departments within the hospital. More advanced medical students may volunteer in specialized units such as vascular surgery, pediatric cardiology, oncology and neurosurgery.

Nursing Internship: Nursing interns actively take part in patient care activities, assist medical staff, and observe specialized procedures. The level of involvement is based on the intern’s capabilities and rapport with local nurses, allowing for hands-on experiences within their scope of nursing practice.

Volunteer work locations: 

Depending on availability and your level of study, skill or interest, the following institutions and wards are available:

National Hospital Galle: Previously known as “Teaching Hospital Karapitiya”, this is the largest public hospital in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka and the third-largest hospital in the country. It has a capacity of approximately 2,000 beds, 54 wards, and several specialized units. Examples of wards include:

• Maternity Care Units: Experience the different aspects of maternity care, including antenatal and postnatal care, labor room help, and observing obstetric procedures. Female volunteers only.
• Emergency Treatment Centre: Gain exposure to emergency medicine, bedside teaching, and observation of live surgeries in the casualty operation theater.
• Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Unit: Support patients in their daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy exercises, and engage in activities to enhance their mental well-being.
• General Pediatrics Unit: Study patient histories, take part in ward rounds, and engage in activities to socialize with children under parental consent.
• General Medical Units: Join ward rounds, attend lectures, and gain exposure to various medical cases and patient management.
• General Surgical Units: Assist in wound dressing, observe live surgeries such as Cholecystectomy and Hernia repair, and take part in ward rounds.
• Psychiatry Ward (for advanced medical students): Assist in the treatment of mental disorders alongside the specialized local team.
• Rheumatology Department (for advanced medical students): Assist in the treatment and care of patients with musculoskeletal diseases.
• Observation of Special Surgeries: Depending on availability, observe surgeries in specialties such as vascular, plastic, urology, neuro, casualty, and oncology.

Government Ayurveda Institute: A hospital specializing in the traditional medicinal practice of Ayurveda.

Community Projects: Collaboration with local schools and community organizations. Activities include first aid training, promoting hygiene practices, assisting medical campaigns, engaging with special needs children, and socializing with older adults.

All the above institutions are conveniently within 40 minutes of the volunteer house, ensuring easy accessibility for program participants.

Please note that for public sector placements volunteers should apply at least three-four months in advance. The experience in the hospital is largely observation-based, with certain units offering more hands-on work than others. The level of involvement for each student depends on factors such as their background, skill set, relationship with the local hospital staff, and the specific department’s practices and policies. Volunteers will be offered a project completion certificate after successfully completing the project.

Schedule: Volunteers will wake early, around 6:00-6:30 AM, enjoy breakfast and arrive at their placement by 8:00 AM. Volunteers work between three to five hours per day, Monday-Friday. Evenings are free except on days with evening surgery observations. During the weekends and local holidays, the program does not run and volunteers can enjoy sight seeing activities.

Local Achievements: We are thrilled to announce the opening of our transformative new Community Centre, made possible through the incredible support of our international volunteers! Located in the heart of Galle town, this first-of-its-kind facility serves as a free school and support center for the greater Galle community—home to our volunteer programs. This milestone marks a powerful step forward in uplifting the vibrant Galle community, and is a testament to our dedicated volunteers from around the globe!

Internet: Each volunteer may use up to 5 GB of WiFi in the volunteer house during their stay.

Laundry: Laundry services are available for an additional fee.

 Accommodations: Volunteers stay in a main volunteer house overlooking the beach and Indian Ocean, offering single-gender dorms with up to 4 people per room. The house has 11 bedrooms with fans, 11 bathrooms with hot water, and a private pool. It features eco-friendly solar heating and can host up to 52 volunteers at a time. AC rooms are available for an extra fee.

• • Private Room Upgrades: Private rooms are available for an additional fee, based on availability. These rooms are located in separate houses 50–100 meters from the main house and include AC in the upgrade cost. Volunteers with private rooms still have full access to all main house facilities.
  • Important Note: All applicants are welcome to upgrade based on availability. All applicants aged 40 and above will be required to upgrade to a private room for an additional fee.
  • Photos: The main volunteer house photos are shown on the project page above. Private room photos represent the general quality standards across the three separate houses. Detailed photos of your assigned house will be provided after trip confirmation.

Food: Three meals per day will be prepared by house chefs, using local, fresh ingredients. All meals for volunteers regardless of which accommodations assigned to your placement, are served at the main house. Tropical fruit is available during every meal and there is a salad bar set up during most lunches and dinners. Vegan, nut-free, gluten-free and lactose-free diets can be accommodated with advance notice. Tea, coffee and filtered water are available throughout the day. For cases where hospital hours may coincide with mealtimes (which can happen with lunch occasionally), volunteers are responsible to cover their own meals at the hospital cafeteria, which is very affordable.

Requirements for pre-med observership:

• Pre-medical students must have prior demonstrable knowledge and experience in the healthcare sector.
  • Examples of such include: Healthcare Assistants, Geriatric nurse or elderly care nurse, nursing apprenticeship for 1-2 months, First Aid or ambulance service experience for 1-2 months, Prior medical or nursing or healthcare internship experiences in hospitals.
  • Above qualifications or experiences must be confirmed by a reference letter or certificate issued.
  • Hospital management has the right to reject any premedical application if the reference does not satisfy the requirements of the hospital.
• Applicants don’t need to be enrolled in a medical or nursing degree to join this program
• Proficiency in English
• Most nationalities can easily apply for an online ETA visa to enter Sri Lanka.
• Minimum age of 18.
• National Police Clearance
• All applicants aged 40 and above are required to upgrade to a private room for an additional fee
• CV or resume
• Motivation Letter (or Intent Letter) describing personal background and rationale for pursuing this internship
• Clothing should be smart and professional with medical scrubs with long trousers

Additional requirements for medical and nursing interns: 

• Medical or nursing student or have recently completed, a medical degree from a university
• University reference letter
• Passport sized photo
• Elective information sheet provided by the hospital
• All the interns should submit all their documents six (6) weeks prior to their start date.

Volunteers can enjoy weekly evening yoga session on the rooftop, night fishing trips, weekly movie nights, monthly bike tours and barbecues! Additional travel adventures are available for an additional fee, and we list a few recommendations below:

Adventure Tour (Highly Recommended):
Extend your stay in Sri Lanka by participating in a seven-day Adventure Tour! This adventure tour includes a game drive, visits to waterfalls, a long train ride, an overnight stay at a riverside eco lodge, visit to temples, a village walk, visit to a spice grove, a visit to Lion Rock, time in the local market and a trip to Negombo Beach!

Additional Recommendations:

• Elephant safari
• Rainforest hike
• Surfing lessons on nearby beaches
• Whale watching (during the season)
• Cooking class
• Fort Galle visit