The medical staff at the CIWEC Clinic consists of four permanent physicians and a pool of four to five nurses who share the duties between themselves. We have a head laboratory technician and two other part time technicians. In addition to this we have a pool of “front of house” staff who man the two front desks, one desk dealing with billing issues and the other being the reception desk. Upstairs, behind the scenes we have a team of Nepali staff who have a variety of roles from the clinic manageress and her assistant, to the accountant, liaison officer and general helpers.

Most of the work inquiries that we receive are from medical students from various countries who wish to spend a short period of time at the clinic as part of an elective or just to see what we do here. We also receive inquiries form nurse practitioners, nurses, and doctors in various stages of their postgraduate training and non-medical travelers just curious about travel medicine. To help those who are thinking of contacting the clinic with a work inquiry, here are some guidelines as to the availability of certain posts at CIWEC:

• Staff physicians: these posts do not come up very often and when a vacancy occurs, we generally do not advertise but put out feelers in the travel medicine community for anyone with the appropriate background who may be interested. We ask that new physicians be able to commit for at least two years. This means experience in living in developing countries is preferable but not essential. Physicians are usually, but not necessarily from one of three backgrounds: internal medicine, family practice or emergency medicine.


• Nursing staff: the nurses at the clinic are always already resident in Nepal and so are usually accompanying a partner/spouse who is also employed in Nepal. This means that the average length of stay for any single nurse is about three years. The clinic is unable to accept any applicant for a nursing post who does not already hold a non-tourist visa. Great flexibility in working hours is usually desired by the nursing staff at the clinic so we have a “pool” of 4-5 nurses which allows two or three to be away at any one time due to vacation, sick leave, patient escort duty etc. This means that extended leave is usually possible to arrange for each nurse at least once a year. Most of the nurses at the clinic have extensive experience and often are qualified midwives as well. A single nurse staffs the clinic each day of the year, including weekends. During the busy seasons of spring and autumn, two nurses are usually required each weekday. The job demands a high level of responsibility and one of the main roles of the duty nurse is to assess the vaccine requirements of any individual, traveler, resident adult or child, then administer the vaccines.


• Receptionists: similar to the nursing staff, we have a pool of receptionists who all posses non-tourist visas. No previous experience is required and anyone who is resident in Kathmandu for a year or more is welcome to apply. If you are interested in working as a receptionist at the clinic, please feel free to contact us and arrange to speak with the either the clinic manager or the head receptionist.


• Laboratory staff: the lab technicians are all hired locally. The chief technician has been with us since the clinic was founded and is responsible, along with the medical director, for selecting and orientating new technicians.


• Administrative staff: again these staff members are all hired locally but occasionally we have hired a foreign clinic manager.


• Post graduate volunteers: we usually try to have a postgraduate doctor working at the clinic for the busy seasons. These are invariably doctors who are completing their residency posts (SHO rotations for UK doctors) and have a particular interest in wilderness/travel medicine. They are always orientated fully before seeing patients themselves. Due to the unusual nature and range of problems that we see, all patients seen by the volunteer doctors are discussed with one of the attending physicians before the patient leaves the clinic. This opportunity gives the volunteer doctor a great insight into travel and wilderness medicine at a point when he or she is often at a crossroads in their career. It also introduces them to the network of travel medicine practitioners so allowing them the opportunity to continue in the field as they wish.


• Undergraduate medical students: we receive a lot of inquiries from medical students around the world who wish to spend some time at the clinic, usually as part of an elective in their final year of medical school. Sadly we are unable to take on medical students at the clinic and all the physicians have agreed upon this decision. The busy seasons (mid-March to mid-May and mid-October to mid-December) are when we see the greatest range of problems and they are without doubt the most useful time periods to learn at the clinic. However these seasons are, as their name suggests, very busy. Often it is all we can do just to get through the number of patients that attend the clinic each day and there is no time to teach or supervise students. Any medical students who are thinking of a career in travel medicine are very welcome to contact us once they have completed their residency or equivalent training.


• Visiting medical specialists: are always welcome at the clinic. We do however request that some advance warning is given if at all possible. Twenty doctors turning up at the clinic in the busy season and expecting a guided tour (to give an actual example) puts us in an awkward position. So please let us know you are coming by phoning ahead and checking that someone is available to show you around, and as we are sure you understand, our patients have priority over our time.