If you are looking to learn more about healthcare in a developing country, gain various shadowing and volunteer experiences, or to simply help those without access to proper medical care, then this medical internship is for you! We are looking for motivated individuals with a desire to help others receive the healthcare services they deserve. Among many things, students will be shadowing Nepali physicians (or other healthcare professionals) and directly interact with Nepali patients under supervision. They will keep a notebook to write down thoughts and lessons they learned each day, and will be required to submit a final report reflecting on the internship on the last day. This internship is a great opportunity to learn about the hospital dynamics in Nepal and gain a global perspective on healthcare!
Skills
We will be picking you up from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and driving you to your hotel, where you will stay for two nights. After two nights, you will be transported to live either with a host family or in a volunteer house. During the first few days, you will be participating in several orientation programs and tours to familiarize yourself with Nepali culture and adapting to a new work environment. After familiarizing yourself with Kathmandu, you will be able to briefly rotate through your selected specialties to gain a sense of familiarity with what specialties you would like to focus on for the remainder of the program. Students may be paired together depending on physician availability. Towards the end of the two week period, students will choose up to three specialties that they would like to focus on for the remainder of the program. It should be noted that although preferences will be taken into consideration, there are no guarantees as to which specialties students may receive. Assignments will depend on physician availability.
The next nine weeks will be divided depending on how many specialties a student has been assigned. Students with multiple assignments will have these nine weeks divided equally between specialties. The way in which students will spend time with their specialties will depend largely on the individual physician’s preferences and relationship with students. There are a variety of ways that students may become involved in their specialty, such as through shadowing, scribing, and potentially even assisting the physician in procedures. Within certain departments, students may be able to have unique or increased opportunities, such as assisting nurses or being an observer in the operating room. Listed below are some examples of opportunities students may have in different specialties.
Emergency Departments are hospital units where you can seek urgent medical care and treatment. Most major public hospital EDs are open 24 hours a day and have highly trained physicians and other healthcare professionals on-site to deal with emergencies. Students will:
Students will have the opportunity to shadow physicians and watch ongoing surgeries inside operating rooms. Here, the student may:
Rural Clinic rotation
Students here will have the opportunity to leave Kathmandu and go to a clinic in rural Nepal and experience healthcare in a new light. It should be noted that the Rural Clinic rotation has very limited availability and can only be done as a student’s last rotation. Students with substantial experience with direct patient interaction are preferred. Please note there will be a large language barrier and cultural difference from Kathmandu.
List of Project Sites
A typical day may go from 8am-1pm or 11am-4pm. Students may generally choose to stay on-site if they choose. In the afternoons/evenings, students will generally have free time to explore and bond, but the program will provide weekly educational seminars during this time as well. These seminars are over a variety of topics, including personal anecdotes from Nepali health care professionals, research presentations, Q&A sessions with Nepali healthcare professionals, and resume workshops to name a few. Weekends can be used to unwind or to continue working with physicians, which is up to the student’s discretion. The program will provide optional monthly weekend get-a-way trips, which will take students to a resort near Kathmandu called Kotdanda, located in the Himalayan mountains!
Throughout the internship, students will be required to keep a notebook to detail what they have learned each day. The information from this notebook will be used to create a short presentation/report that will be presented at the end of the program.
In the final week of the program, students will be expected to complete a presentation or report about their experiences. Students may continue working with physicians during this time if they so choose, provided that they still complete their report or presentation by the deadline. For the last few days of the program, students will have time to continue exploring Kathmandu at their leisure. Finally, students will be picked up from their hotel and be driven to Tribhuvan International Airport for departure.
Every Sunday All Year Round
Kathmandu, Nepal
Leadership, Playing with Kids, Immerse with local
English
Moderate Temperate
Minimum 2 to maximum 8
LIMITED SPACE, Join Group
60-80 hours
Deciding to leave home was the scary thing and actually doing it was the scariest but you need to do things in life that scare you, and I was so lucky to have Step abroad along the way if I ever needed something! (And believe me, I did lol) there is so much to see in this crazy beautiful world and I’m happy to say I’m lost in the right direction!