Medical Care

Medical care volunteering programs are suitable for medical students or qualified healthcare professionals working in all areas of medicine, including OPD services, Pediatrics, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Imaging, Pathology, Endoscopy, General Nursing, Ambulance Service, Medical Library Assistance or Dental. This volunteering program will allow you to gain medical experience in a real environment, learn more about healthcare in a developing country, and work under the supervision of experts whilst helping those who need it the most. Not only will our medical volunteer program be a fantastic career boost or career break, but you will learn so much and meet some fantastic people along the way. All this whilst still having an opportunity to travel, soak up new cultures and see new places.

Volunteers are paired with resident Nepalese doctors and nurses to observe and shadow. Among the most impoverished groups within Nepal’s population, there is a continual need to mobilize health workers. This program makes a real difference to the people of Nepal by assisting with the provision of medical assistance to help those who need it most.

Medical care focuses to provide quality clinical services through health centres and in the community. Through this project, we support community clinics or health posts, health camps and outreach medical campaigns.  In this project, we treat or support to treat sick people. We take a history, do a clinical examination, advise for the pathological or diagnostic procedures and prescribe medicine. Volunteers work with doctors or local medical staff, support them by assisting in clinical examination and diagnosis. Volunteers assist in taking vitals (blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiration rate, weight), examine patients to identify clinical signs or manifestations and provide clues for differential diagnosis. We keep a record of all data and analyze the data to understand the health situation of the area.  These data are also important for health posts and national statistics.

Medical Care Highlights:

  • Intern under professionals in local hospitals/clinics in Kathmandu and get a practical experience of the healthcare industry
  • Responsibilities at the project include assisting the doctors, shadowing/observing everyday treatment
  • Depending on skills, assist with procedures like suturing wounds, giving vaccinations, checking blood pressure and maintaining records
  • Work with fellow interns/medical professionals who come down from the different part of the worlds
  • Work during weekdays. Weekends are free to explore the Himalayan country and neighboring famous sights

Key Information

Improve access to quality healthcare
Various locations in Nepal
Homestay accommodation
Based in hospitals and clinics in Nepal
Up to 4 - 5 hours volunteers a day
Fully hosted experience from 300 euro for 1 week
Base Camp treks and other tours available
Durations from 1 - 4 weeks

Read reviews of our optimistic volunteers.

"If I have to describe my medical internship in Nepal experience with Volunteer World Nepal in a couple of words I would say: interesting, a leap in the dark, varied and actually one of my best life experiences. With no clue what to expect I entered Kathmandu on the 6th of November and the moment I stepped out of the plane, I felt embraced by..."

Milou Buijk, Italy

Medical internship in Nepal

Orientation begins on the morning of next day your arrival and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Nepal – an introduction to Nepal, Nepalese customs, language training details, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in Nepal, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to visit local temples, sample authentic Nepali food, meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing. The program may vary depending on your time of arrival. We will manage to include all below mentioned activities in you introduction program.
• Arrival and introduction host family
• Survival Nepali lessons and cultural discussion
• Local amenities and sightseeing and project start

On arrival in Nepal, volunteers stay in a host family in Kathmandu for their orientation.

Volunteers are then accommodated together in homestays and hosted by local families who have been approved by our program staff. We give your host family a fee for your support, food and board. It is exciting to stay with a host family, providing you with a unique opportunity to learn about the Nepalese way of life, meet local people, try traditional food and speak the local language – especially when host families in Nepal tend to have limited English.

Living is basic but comfortable and most homestays have electricity and running water, with the exception of some rural homestays which are without these conveniences during the dry season. Squat toilets are the norm in Nepal and you will not come across many western toilets. Volunteers can also expect low-pressure showers that are generally not heated; however, this is refreshing after a day in the heat.

You can expect to share a room with one to three other volunteers and bedrooms have single beds and bunk beds with bedding provided. It is recommended volunteers bring their own sleeping bags and mosquito nets for any trips away.

WiFi is available in most of the volunteer homestays. If you would like to keep connected during your stay, we recommend bringing an unlocked mobile phone and purchasing a local SIM card when you arrive in Nepal.

The staple meal for most Nepali families is dal bhat, which consists of lentil soup (dal), rice (bhat) and vegetables in curry (tarkari) and/or meat (masu) with a side of pickle/sauce (achar). Volunteers are served two meals per day at their homestay and can purchase additional food to supplement this if they wish.

Volunteers can have a meaningful impact on Nepalese communities by providing assistance with a wide range of activities that help make life, and the future, better for local people. Volunteer World Nepal has a number of volunteer projects in Nepal. Some are located on the outskirts of the capital city of Kathmandu in rural and urban areas, while others are in Pokhara and Salleri. Pokhara is located in mid-western Nepal and is a popular tourist destination, renowned for its amazing mountain views. Salleri is the Everest Mountain region: beautiful landscapes, hillsides dotted with villages, a lively weekend bazaar, a Tibetan camp, and many spectacular Buddhist monasteries. In Salleri you can teach in Schools, teach English in a monastery, work in a Health Clinic or work in Construction. Salleri is a small Himalayan Region town that serves as the headquarters of the Solukhumbu District.

Low cost, fully hosted volunteer abroad programs in Nepal.
Your registration fee and your program fee provides access to a fully hosted volunteer experience with Volunteer World Nepal. In order to apply to join Volunteer World Nepal you are required to make your registration fee payment of 100 Euro.

What's included:

  • accommodation
  • meals (breakfast & dinner)
  • Survival Nepali language lesson
  • email and telephone support
  • volunteer handbook
  • 24 hour emergency support
  • dedicated VWN project & travel mentor
  • regular program inspection
  • women’s development program
  • scholarships for low income students

What's Excluded:

  • flights to Kathmandu
  • visa cost
  • travel & health insurance
  • domestic flight costs
  • transportation costs for the volunteers who want to work outside the Kathmandu valley
  • sundries such as personal items, extra beverages and entertainment
  • personal travel & sightseeing
  • transportation service during weekends travel