International Medical Internships: 8 Essential Must-Knows
International medical internships are the perfect way to kick-start your career in medicine and healthcare. It will give you an extra edge when it comes to med school applications and you'll learn from real-world situations instead of a textbook. Overseas medical internships are incredible opportunities, but before joining a program, there are a few things to know.
With all the advantages of pursuing a medical internship abroad comes the question of where to begin. What are the requirements? What kind of work will you do? Does it matter which country you intern in? We’ve put together a list of eight things to know before your medical internship abroad to make sure you’re fully prepared.
What to know about international medical internships
1. Your experience starts with choosing where you want to go for overseas medical internships
Whether you want to be a medical intern in Australia, Africa, Asia, or Latin America, the experience of working in a different country will always be a great learning opportunity. Keep in mind that interning in a developing country comes with its own set of unique challenges and opportunities.
In these developing countries, you’ll encounter unfamiliar practices and conditions. You’ll see how doctors and nurses solve medical problems when they have limited resources. A successful overseas medical internship will ultimately give you the opportunity to learn about a range of foreign medical issues that you would not come across back home. Tropical diseases, for example.
When considering a destination to travel to become a medical intern abroad, it’s worth taking weekend activities and the living environment into consideration as well. Whether you want craggy mountainscapes, glistening beaches, or lush rainforests, you’ll find an overseas medical internship that aligns with your preferences.
2. You don’t need a specialty, but it helps
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to international medical internships. This is why you can choose from an extensive range of specialties. Many international medical internships offer specialities that focus on a specific field of medicine, like nursing, physical therapy, and more.
Regardless of the specialty you choose, you’ll always work under the supervision of trained professionals and learn from their day-to-day tasks. A specialized internship will either reinforce your love for the field or give you clarity on what your next step will be.
Next Steps: Browse ALL Medical Internships Abroad & Find Yours
However, most organizations don’t expect you to know exactly what speciality interests you most right off the bat. If you’re unsure or want to get a broader understanding of different medical fields, then general international medical internships are for you. Most of the placements will expose you to different specialities as you rotate through hospital departments.
3. Determine the setting you want to work in in advance
Depending on the speciality you choose for your internship, the actual place of overseas medical internships can be quite varied. Traditional work experience can take place in:
- Public, teaching, and private hospitals
- Smaller medical clinics
- Health and care centers
Whether participating in hospital internships abroad or working elsewhere, you can expect to shadow local professionals throughout the work day across a multitude of departments. You’ll also be exposed to a range of specialized treatments and different equipments. Further, depending on the internship you choose, you may also get to spend a portion of your time working at medical outreaches and mobile clinics in the local and rural communities.
During these outreaches, you’ll have a chance at more practical work. Under the supervision of qualified medical staff, you can carry out medical checks and provide basic medical treatment to members of the local community who would otherwise not receive adequate, regular health care.
4. You won’t be working alone
You’ll work closely with local professionals at all times. You’ll also find yourself working in a fast-paced, real-world setting, which can help shape your future as a medical professional. If you do outreach work, you’ll be taught everything you need to know. It’s an opportunity for you to learn basic medical skills and demonstrate your commitment to healthcare at the same time.
While working together with the local medical staff and interns from all different walks of life, you can also expect to improve your communication skills, and increase your confidence. As a result, you’ll also get to grow your professional network, something critical for a career in medicine.
Related: Top 10 Medical Internships Abroad for Undergraduates
Besides being able to expand your knowledge by observing local doctors and nurses, you might also be asked to assist with basic healthcare check-ups in understaffed departments. This usually depends on your level of experience and training. Your involvement is also at the discretion of your supervising doctor.
5. Try to stay for longer
Before you join international medical internships, you need to consider how much time you can commit. Will you join during your school vacation? Or, do you want to gain experience as a medical intern abroad during your gap year? Do you want to be a medical intern abroad for a few days, weeks, months?
Generally speaking, you can choose an internship ranging from one week to 12 months and anywhere in between. In order to get the most out of their medical internship overseas for the smallest time commitment, most interns go for between two and four weeks. However, you can decide on the length of your stay depending on the time you have available.
6. Double check the requirements
Many medical internships abroad are suitable for pre-med students. This is because there is typically professional staff in-location to guide and supervise every step of the way. Having someone watch over you is a fantastic opportunity for you to get first-hand experience of healthcare issues and deepen your understanding of medicine at a global scale.
Related: Where to Find the Most Impactful Medical Internships Abroad
However, some medical and hospital internships abroad do require you to have a certain level of experience and training. Be sure to check whether the project, destination and trip format you have in mind aligns with what is required of you to join.
Whether you’re still building your med school application or want to see if a career in medicine is the right choice, there will be an internship opportunity that’s perfect for you. Use the work experience to boost your resume and provide you with interesting talking points for job interviews.
Pro tip: Make sure you apply for your projects and internship on time. The more time you have to prepare, the more you can get out of the experience. This will also give you enough time to organize certain documents like your passport or visa.
7. This internship can prepare you for the next step—if you’re wise
By going abroad, you’ll be able to broaden your knowledge of the healthcare challenges people face around the world. You’ll learn directly from skilled professionals in a clinical setting, and you’ll have a supervisor to guide you. You’re also likely to see illnesses you’ve only read about before, like malaria, leprosy, and polio.
While these internships can fulfill your requirements, the experience also goes far beyond that. It can also shape you into a more well-rounded medical practitioner with a deeper understanding of medicine in different cultural contexts.
If you’re smart, you’ll cross compare opportunities with elective requirements for your academic program—or find programs that will bolster your med school application. Many organizations are happy to help you map out these fulfillments; for example, the internship provider Projects Abroad offers ample medical electives to cater to all types of medical students’ and their unique goals, promising to go the extra mile to ensure that your requirements are met. Services like these should be taken advantage of from the get-go, which can allow your program advisor to coordinate with your school to help you meet requirements.
Becoming a medical intern abroad is one thing—doing it with the end goal in mind, with support from invested program providers, and with a productive eye towards your future path is another.
8. There are a variety of programs at a variety of prices
Many organizations require you to pay a fee to join one of their internships abroad. This is not an unusual request, as the fee often covers essentials like 24-hour support from local staff, accommodations, food, and work-related transport. It also covers added extras like travel and medical insurance, visa support, assistance with flight bookings, workshops and more.
Paying a fee means that you don’t have to worry about all the logistical details. You’ll be assured a safe, hassle-free internship right from the start. In short, you are paying for an option you can trust so that your focus can be on your internship and improving your medical skills (rather than reviewing bus schedules and trusting your gut about whether an internship offer is legit or a scam).
However, not all international medical internships are priced the same. Prices can start from $1770 for one week in Nepal to $3365 for two weeks in China. It varies between country and gradually increases depending on how long you stay. You’ll want to pay attention to fees, what’s included, and then make a game plan for how to cover the costs of pre med internships abroad. Unfortunately, paid medical internships abroad are few and far between, and generally reserved for individuals with more advanced skills.
If money is the only thing standing in your way, then you should consider the fundraising route. Some find creative ways to raise the money, but others take a more traditional approach (which often works out just as well!). Try contacting companies and organizations for sponsorships, hosting events like bake sales and car washes, or saving money from part-time jobs. The effort you put into fundraising may even make your internship that much more rewarding.
How to find overseas medical internships
- Decide where to go. Somewhere advanced? Somewhere far flung and rural? What country is calling—and where will your skills be most useful? Pick a place!
- Decide when to go. Give your calendar a good-hard look and figure out what time of year—and how long—you want to participate in unpaid OR paid medical internships abroad.
- Choose from the best intern abroad programs. Pay attention to past participants’ reviews, program/job reputation, location, and your ease of getting settled. Some providers may even provide contact info for past interns if you want the REAL dirt. Here's more advice on how to find the perfect program provider for you. Pro tip: You can use MyGoAbroad to compare programs side-by-side.
- Plan your finances. Sort out your ongoing funding before you go to afford daily essentials and splurge in travel (in addition to program costs and airfare). Do your research to have an idea of how much your day-to-day life abroad will cost, and get to work on learning how to pay for your international internship.
- Get prepared. Preparing to intern abroad is as fun as it sounds. With the days til departure number dwindling and your excitement boiling, it can be easy to overlook the details. Lean on us to help guide you through your pre-departure process—that's what we're here for.
You’re ready for pre medical internships abroad
Now that you know what to consider when looking into medical internships abroad, you’re ready to start planning your trip! It’s a big decision to make, but with a bit of guidance, it could turn out to be one of the best decisions you’ve made. By completing a medical internship abroad, you can gain invaluable experience in a setting you would never be able to find in your home country. It’s a chance to take your career in medicine and healthcare to the next level, and you’ll become a better medical practitioner for it.
So what are you waiting for? Take these eight points and use them to start researching programs. A carefully planned medical internship abroad can be the gateway for you to discover what you’re capable of.
Get Matched with 5 Overseas Medical Internships for FREE
Projects Abroad is an international volunteering and internship organization. They run a wide range of medical projects in over 20 countries. With over 25 years of experience and dedicated local staff, they are the world leaders in internships abroad. Visit their GoAbroad page to learn more.
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