About the Elective Programme
Our Medical Elective Programme gives international medical, nursing and allied health students genuine clinical exposure within the Sri Lankan healthcare system. Through placements in selected departments at Karapitiya National Hospital, Galle, you observe local consultants, doctors and nursing teams while developing your clinical knowledge in a busy, diverse government hospital.
Open to medical, nursing, physiotherapy, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy and dentistry students, at any stage your university programme allows. See our Elective Programmes page for the full list of departments and tracks.
Our clinical team
Dr P.P.K. Silva
Director / Head
Dr L.M.E. Prabuddhika
Acting Director
Dr Manila Dandunna
Clinical Coordinator
Dr Tharindu Wijerathna
Clinical Coordinator
Accommodation
When you are living and working in an unfamiliar country, a safe and comfortable place to come home to makes all the difference. Secure accommodation helps you rest properly, stay healthy and focus fully on your placement.
Stay in comfortable, safe shared housing close to the hospital, alongside other elective students. Serendib Med Trails provides accommodation in partnership with Silva Nest Residencies.
The rooms
- Each house holds up to 10 volunteers, with male and female students accommodated separately, and up to 4 volunteers per room.
- Every volunteer is provided with clean bedding, a fan, air conditioning and hot water.
- Clean rooms with reliable water and electricity.
- A refrigerator and a separate kitchen for each room.
- Lockers to keep valuable items secure.
- A washing machine for each room.
- Rooms are cleaned every three days, and bedding is changed weekly.
- Short walk or quick transfer to the hospital
- Shared common areas to meet other students
- On-site support throughout your stay
Meals
Sri Lankan food is fresh, fragrant and full of flavour — rice and curry, string hoppers, kottu and tropical fruit you will not forget in a hurry. Daily home-style meals are provided with options for common dietary needs, so you can try the local cuisine safely while staying energised for long hospital days.
A typical day of eating
Breakfast
Served at the Volunteer House every morning. Choose from continental options such as toast, eggs, yoghurt and fruit, or a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast of dhal and string hoppers, with tea and coffee. It is self-service, so you can help yourself before heading off to your programme.
Lunch
Served at the Volunteer House between the morning and afternoon projects. Expect a rotating spread of curries made with ingredients like jackfruit, coconut sambol and fish ambul thiyal, always with rice and accompaniments.
Dinner
The dinner menu changes every day, mixing Sri Lankan favourites with Asian dishes such as noodles, roti and fried rice.
3 = breakfast, lunch & dinner · B = breakfast only
Three meals a day are provided Monday to Friday. On weekends breakfast is served at the house, and lunch and dinner are yours to explore — a great chance to get out into the surrounding area, with our co-ordinators on hand to point you towards the best spots.
Good to know
Allergies
We take allergies very seriously. The chefs at our accommodation can cater to specific needs when they are told in advance, so if you are affected by any kind of allergy please let our team know during your pre-departure call.
Western alternatives
We believe eating traditional food is a big part of responsible travel and really completes the experience. That said, if you find the local cuisine difficult to adjust to, we will do our best to arrange a simple western alternative.
Supermarkets
Small supermarkets and shops can usually be found near the accommodation. We recommend bringing some spending money with you in case you are missing a few home comforts.
Local transport
Transport is part of the cost of your living arrangements. The type of vehicle we use depends on the project you are visiting, but every driver has been handpicked for their safety record and experience.
The busy roads of Sri Lanka are an experience in their own right! Our team is on hand to give every volunteer the safest transport available — we own all of our vehicles and maintain them to the highest standards.
Getting to your projects
From Monday to Friday our local Med Trails staff take you between your volunteer projects. We use our own vehicles — car and van — all kept to the highest standard. They pick you and your fellow volunteers up after breakfast and run you back and forth between projects throughout the day.
Security & 24/7 support
Security
All of our accommodation has gated security with 24/7 CCTV, along with night watchmen, so you feel safe 100% of the time.
Medical issues
Both owners of the accommodation are doctors practising in Sri Lanka, so they are on hand to help you with any medical support you may need.
