Medical Elective in Vanuatu, some advice

I was recently contacted by another medical student looking for advice on their future trip to Vanuatu and thought I would post that information here for others to see as well.

1) Housing:

a) Coconut Palms Hotel: I would really recommend staying here, it’s clean, has great staff and is relatively affordable compared with the other options. It is just around from the hospital on the way to the city and beachfront making it ideally located. There are daily events held by the hotel staff and a highlight is the Trivia nights on Wednesday. Round up the team of medical students and have a go as ‘Team Baby Docs’. It’s a fun time and the prizes are well worth a serious attempt at winning.

b) Mangoes Resort: This is actually where Aaron and I stayed during our rotation. It’s a very nice, clean resort situated right behind the hospitals back gates. Unfortunately this makes it slightly further from the city centre and it’s luxuries are represented on the price. There are no events and it tends to be pretty quiet guests.

2) Phone:

I would recommend getting a phone upon landing, it’ll come in super handy in planning and coordinating shifts with doctors as well as any extra-curricular activities you get up to during the weekends.

3) Hospital:

There are five different opportunities at Vila Central Hospital: Internal Medicine, Surgery, Maternity, Pediatrics and outpatient. There are also visiting specialist who you will also be able to work with, however they are mainly there to teach local students. You are free to arrange your time as you wish between these wards, but I’d recommend rotating at best on a weekly basis. Chat with the other students already there and it’s best to keep it to 2-3 students on each ward at a time. Rounds generally start at 8am and you can arrange the rest of the days with the resident depending on clinics and theatre schedule. My favourite wards were Medicine and Peds, both had great residents keen to have students and teach.

3) Food and drinks:

a) Numbawan Cafe: Great hangout spot on the waterfront, ideally located near the local dive shop as well. Awesome place to grab a drink at the end of the day and really enjoy the beautiful surroundings. They have free WiFi which is another visit and have multiple outdoor movie screenings through the week.

b) Numbatwo Bar: Fun bar/brewery with the best beer on Vila and the best place to stay tuned with International sports.  Awesome staff, introduce yourself early and make some awesome friends!

c) Market food: BEST place for any cheap meal! These outdoor stands at the market are run by incredibly friendly locals, pick one you like early and stay loyal. The are a range of dishes, but generally stay away from the fish and anything that is not cooked fresh, everything else is delicious and safe to eat! The steak or beef stew are safe choices and the portions are huge. If you want a drink, run over to the local supermarket next to the market for cheap drinks and bring it back.

d) Chinese restaurants: There are a few chinese restaurants on the island that serve cheap food comparable to the market. These are a good choice if you want something quick and close to the hospital, but the market food is much better.

4)Island Travel:

Flights are the only way to get about Vanuatu, and it ain’t cheap: somewhere in the $200-300+ range for short round-trips. Make your weekends 4 day long when flying to make the most of your time on these islands. There are local travel agents be the waterfront supermarket who are very helpful in arranging these outlying island adventures.

a) Santo: Vanuatu’s largest island is home to world-class Wreck diving and beautiful picturesque beaches.  Must do for any Diver.

b) Tanna: Beautiful island with live volcano and ash planes. Also has a very diverse and unique culture, just ask your residents about Kustom medicine. If you’ve ever wanted to look into the cauldron of a live volcano there is no better place in the world!

c) Ambrym: Awesome lesser-know island great for any adventure seeker. If you’re interested in hiking up a tropical mountain with 2 live volcanoes and ash plains at the top this is the place for you. It’s a bit harder to get to and back from Ambrym so arrange early and don’t do it right before your flight out of Vanuatu.

d) Vila: A great way to explore Vila’s blue holes is by bike. Ask your hotel front desk about arranging hire. These are long rides (30+km) but they have incredibly scenery and are well worth it if you’re up for the exercise.

5) Local travel in Vila:

a) Walking is very easy and everything is close. We never had any issues with safety but always wear shoes as there is a lot of broken glass.

b) The local buses  or people driving vans are the second best option if you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to trek up the hill back to the hospital. Just make sure you take ones that are empty, otherwise you might be taking the long route to your destination.

c) Taxi’s are expensive and we never really needed to use it.

6) Kava:

This is the local drink and it has an entire culture around it. I’m not a fan of the taste but while you’re in Vanuatu you should try to go to a Kava bar with a local. Going on your own you will miss out on most of the experience, just ask any of the physicians and they’ll probably be more than happy to take you.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you want more details on any of this, tried to be short to keep it manageable on here.