I enjoyed staying at the Mothers’ hostel; it was great to be so near to the hospital buildings. There were always lots of children and their parents around, as well as the security guard and it was good to get to know them, it really helped us settle in. We definitely got to know more of the staff and patients than we would have staying elsewhere and I’d definitely recommend staying there if you’re coming with a friend. However it does mean that you have to be available to play with the children etc all the time which can get a bit overwhelming! The facilities were fine; we shared a bathroom with one other room and had our own fridge.

The only disadvantage was not being with other students. Although it was only about 10 minutes walk to see them it’s not quite the same as just being next door. One of the best parts of our elective was meeting the other students both from the hospital Medical School and abroad, so if you don’t stay at the students hostel make sure you contact the International Student Rep (that’s a Ghanaian Medical Student) as they organise evenings out etc. If you were coming on your own staying with the students would probably be a better idea as Korle Bu is very large and it gets dark early so finding your way around on your own might be rather daunting, although we always felt safe. The students’ hostel also has an I.T. room with internet access.

I think it’s good to be near the hospital, which you are with either hostel, as the days tend to start much earlier than we expected - sometimes 7 or half 7 so it would mean getting up very early if you were commuting and you can go back to your room during the day. However staying with a family would have been interesting for at least some of the time. If you do, find out how long it will take you to get to the hospital beforehand - and be prepared for the rush hour traffic if you’re going to get a tro-tro- probably not the most relaxing way of travelling to work!