Internships Abroad

Hello, my name is Allison. I am from Scottsdale, Arizona, I am twenty years old, and I am in my third year of undergraduate studies in California. I chose a medical internship because I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine in the future. I really wanted to get a taste of medicine and be involved in that environment. I was offered this opportunity through my school, and it seemed like a great way to go abroad and see a part of the world I had never seen before. Some of the most exciting things I’ve seen specifically in the hospital include patient interaction, which was super cool, as well as some incredible surgeries. My favorite experience was seeing an open-heart surgery, which was one of the craziest things I’ve ever witnessed. The doctors were amazing—they really explained everything. Coordination was smooth. I think, as much as it is well-coordinated, you also have to take initiative to see what you want to see. Athens is beautiful. The people are super nice and helpful if you need anything. The food was amazing—I had so much gyros! I also got to visit some of the islands and learn about the history of the region, which was very enriching.

I have had such an amazing journey with beyond academy. The staff were wonderful and accommodating, my placement program could not have gone better, and overall I had the best two months of my life. If I had to complain it would be about some aspects of my accomodations, which were not through beyond academy. They helped me find a place and booked it for me, but were not the owners of the building and thus were also confused by some of the occurrences that happened there. Beyond academy helped me to resolve those issues and even brought bedding when the accomodations forgot to provide any. This team is very good at what they do.

Hi, my name is Harika, I am twenty years old and I go to the University of Middlesex in London. So, the reason I chose this internship is because I am looking to become a cardiologist and I just wanted to get some insight and some internal experience of how it would be like to get a taste of the future. The coordination with Intern Abroad/Cerca Abroad was ten out of ten. Everything has worked perfectly for me from my apartment, communication, and assistance, I couldn’t have had any other way.

I had a great experience with the AIP Asian Internship Program. The team was very helpful throughout the process, and the internship gave me a great opportunity to gain international work experience and learn about a new culture. I would definitely recommend AIP to anyone looking for an internship abroad.

Amazing program! You feel really immersed in the country's culture, and it was an amazing use of time between sophomore and freshman year! The workplace environment helped my spanish immensely. It is fantastic!

Hi, my name is Chloe and I am from California. I go to San Diego State University. I chose this program because I eventually want to become a doctor or a surgeon. My experience with Cerca Abroad was very good. I got to experience lots of surgeries I had never seen before, which is something we can’t really see in America—so it was definitely a good experience. Athens was very fun. We also got to visit some of the islands. Overall, it was a great experience and I gained a lot of clinical experience as well.

I was a little nervous about traveling to Africa by myself, especially since I didn’t know anyone before arriving. That feeling disappeared pretty quickly. I met students from different places, and within a few days we were going to the hospital together and exploring on the weekends. One of my favorite rotations was in the labour ward. I got to see babies being born, which was something I had never experienced before. Seeing a new life come into the world right in front of me was honestly amazing, and each delivery felt just as special as the first one. I learned a lot during my time abroad, but those moments in the labour ward are something I know I’ll always remember.

Hi, my name is Katie. I am from Columbus, Ohio, USA and I will be a junior this year at Harvard. I chose to do this internship because I wanted to explore the research industry and I am a bioengineer, so I thought that this was the best opportunity to do that. Some interesting things that I saw during my internship were that I was able to work with PCR tests, DNA extraction, which was super cool. I am very happy with the internship’s coordination by Cerca, the team was very attentive to any needs. I enjoyed my stay in Greece, the people are very welcoming and I love the Mediterranean diet, so the food was also great.

Hi, I am Jenny, I am from California, I go to San Diego State University. I chose this internship because I really wanted to immerse myself in another culture and get that new experience especially in the healthcare and medical field. It was very interesting to get a new perspective on how other countries work with patients and their techniques in medicine. I chose Greece specifically because I love the culture and the food. My first job was at a Greek restaurant and they’ve always made me feel like family and I really liked that. So I think coming here I wanted to experience more of that. Everyone here is so friendly. And the food, of course. And Cerca has been very helpful. They’ve been very good at communicating. If I’ve had a problem they would answer very quickly, so they’re responsive. I think everything was planned out very well. I didn’t have any issues with getting to work or anything like that. Everything was super smooth, especially picking me up from the airport was very helpful too. I think everything was really good.

I did a 5 month marketing internship in Bali through Island Internship and it was the best decision of my bachelors. I had previously done an internship in my home country and hands down I prefer the internship abroad. They hand-matched me to a company that fit my goals, sorted my housing and airport pickup, and checked in throughout. Having placement and accommodation handled meant I could focus on the work and actually enjoy Bali. The community events made it easy to meet other interns. Would recommend to any student wanting a internship abroad without the stress of arranging it alone.

I went to Kenya mainly for the clinical experience, but I ended up getting much more out of the program than I expected. I enjoyed being in the hospital every day and getting to know the doctors and other students along the way. There were definitely things that took some getting used to, but that was part of what made the experience so valuable. I also really enjoyed trying the local food. Everything was so fresh and flavorful, and I definitely ate more than I expected to while I was there.

I had the opportunity to work as an intern in Japan for three months through the Asia Internship Program, and the entire experience was amazing from the very beginning. I would like to sincerely thank Ted Ko for his support throughout the company search process, as well as Kate for her continuous help and support during my stay in Japan. Their guidance made the whole experience much smoother and more enjoyable. The experience and knowledge I gained during this internship will be extremely valuable for my future. It gave me the opportunity to experience a professional environment firsthand and gain a better understanding of the real-world workplace. This opportunity helped me grow not only professionally, but also personally. I also really appreciated not having to worry about arranging accommodation. AIP did a great job finding a comfortable place to stay, and living in a sharehouse was an experience in itself. I had the chance to meet many new people, make new friends, and share memorable experiences. Overall, I am very grateful for this opportunity and for everything I learned and experienced during my time in Japan. It was an unforgettable experience that I will carry with me into my future career and personal life.

In Cape Town I learned from brilliant physiotherapists, shared stories and laughs with fellow interns, and experienced incredible hikes, beaches, food, and theatre. I have a newfound confidence in myself as a developing clinician, and I’m excited to apply everything I’ve learned when I return home. During my internship, my confidence treating children with neurological disabilities improved greatly. I developed classroom management skills through Movement Classes. I learned how to use play as a therapeutic intervention and how to tailor games to specific children’s needs and personalities. I worked with a team of educational therapists who provide treatment that allows students to best participate in their studies. I was placed at an amazing school with an experienced supervisor who really cared about my development as a clinician. I also appreciated that I was able to get in touch with my supervisor prior to the internship so that I could properly prepare. My advice for future interns is to embrace the unexpected situations that come with working in a primary school, be willing to expand your comfort zone, and have fun! Stay humble, keep an open mind, serve with compassion, and have a great time. I also learned so much about the layers of history here, and I can’t wait to keep traveling and living in new places. This trip reignited my love for adventure and traveling, and I am so grateful for all the kindness and guidance from VAC.

My main goal was to understand how South African football culture works, and I would say that I totally reached this goal. With a variety of different tasks, specifically the #She’sABaller campaign, I came to understand how football and its surroundings work here. The organization that I worked with helps give people the chance to play football no matter where they come from. Especially through our #She’sABaller campaign, girls also have the chance to play football and develop their personal and social skills. I also really enjoyed being able to meet the people at my internship site beforehand and have a conversation about what I could expect and what they could expect from me. I love Serena, Kus, Loyd and Rowan. They have great personalities and made the start in a country outside of Europe so easy and comfortable. If you have problems, they are also very helpful contact people. In my eyes, the VAC program was the best program I’ve ever done. You offer great activities and create moments that will last forever. I’m gonna miss you :'( I also liked that every week was a different activity. The best was at GAPA!!

I loved my experience in Kenya. It was both humbling and eye-opening. Seeing patients in open wards and watching doctors do everything they could with the resources available was difficult. There were moments when I felt helpless, knowing there was more I wanted to do but not having the skills or resources to change the situation. At the same time, seeing how much the doctors and nurses were able to accomplish with what they had was incredibly humbling. It pushed me to become more confident with taking histories, performing physical exams, and thinking through cases. More than anything, this experience changed the way I think about healthcare. I developed a much deeper appreciation for the resources and opportunities we have in the U.S, and a stronger understanding of why access to quality healthcare matters so much.

I was really nervous about how my first week was gonna turn out, but it's been really fun - I gained a lot of experience and knowledge. Really grateful I got to meet everyone; everyone is super friendly and I love the work environment too.

My name is Katerina and I am a student from Ontario, Canada. I chose the medical internship simply because I wanted to learn more about all the different parts and workings of the hospital as well as different positions in healthcare. I’ve really loved my time at the hospital, especially shadowing a surgery. I got to see a lot of very interesting procedures and I got to learn a lot. The doctors were excellent teachers. So, it’s very interesting and informative. Coordination-wise it was very clear, communicated amazingly. They were awesome at accommodating me and my needs, which was also very nice. Athens overall was awesome. It’s such a cool city. The people are so sweet and so nice. They love to see people from abroad. It was a great time.

My experience in the Galápagos was definitely one of the best of my life for several reasons. I lived with a family, which allowed me to share in their daily life and learn about their eating habits. By working on farms, I was able to understand the challenges the archipelago faces with its agriculture (especially the lack of fresh water) and see how they are addressing them! I also spent a lot of time exploring Santa Cruz and other islands with their magnificent landscapes and unique wildlife. it was incredible for me to move around the island and randomly encounter a giant tortoise or groups of marine iguanas. I am grateful to everyone I met there for being so welcoming; it’s an experience I highly recommend!

Hi, my name is Luke, I am from New York, USA. I currently attend New York Institute of Technology. I chose to intern abroad in Athens because I wanted to spend some time away from home, see what it’s like to intern abroad, and because I don’t have the roommate experience back at college. I assumed it would be nice to live with people who are around my age who have the same interests as me and also to get to travel, which I haven’t done much in my life. So, my overall experience throughout my internship was very positive. I got to spend two weeks in surgery, which was very cool. I got to see tons of orthopedic surgeries, which is where my interests lie, and I am currently finishing my rotations which has been very cool. I got to see tons of things. I saw the blood lab yesterday, I saw dialysis today. Athens is very cool. Tons of food I got to try. So much history to be learned. Many places I got to see, like the Acropolis. I’ve seen Santorini—that was a cool island. I got to see the Olympic Stadium, that was very cool. I still have yet to visit the Acropolis Museum, which I plan to visit tomorrow. My favorite food to try here was the gyros. It was very good. The souvlaki was also very good. The coordination with Cerca Abroad was also very well put together. Everyone was on top of everything. Whenever I have had any concerns, they addressed them; they were right on top of them and made sure to take care of them. Nothing bad to say about it.

Hi, I am Olivia, I am from Georgia in the United States and I study at the University of Georgia. I chose the medical internship because I am pre-nursing and I wanted to get an idea of the specialty and what I am going to get into. This internship has done an amazing job in exposing me to all the different kinds of medicine. I feel that the team has done a really good job at giving me all the information that I needed to know about getting around Athens, getting to work, and how to enjoy the city, which is really amazing. I enjoyed my time here. The culture and the people are very welcoming.