Health Sciences Internships in Africa

I came to Africa with a friend, and I'm so glad we got to share this experience together. From our time in the hospital to exploring and experiencing the culture, we learnt so much and made some amazing memories. The Go-Elective team was also very welcoming and made us feel comfortable throughout our stay.

My time in Kenya gave me the chance to experience healthcare in a way I had never seen before. I was able to spend time in different wards, learn from healthcare professionals, and witness moments that were both inspiring and difficult. Some of the cases I saw were heartbreaking, while others, like witnessing births, were incredibly moving. Seeing patients and families go through such different experiences gave me a much deeper appreciation for patient care and showed me how important compassion is in medicine. Outside the hospital, I really enjoyed learning more about Kenyan culture, meeting local people, and exploring Mombasa. Everyone I met was warm and welcoming, and the GoElective team made the whole experience feel organised, comfortable, and easy to enjoy. It was a trip that gave me so much to reflect on, both personally and professionally.

My internship as a market and financial analyst was an excellent opportunity for me to gain professional experience dealing with real business needs and personnel. The submersion taught me many technical skills and built my confidence, which I am sure have helped prepare me for my future positions.

What an amazing internship experience! It was an unforgettable month that pushed me out of my comfort zone, gave me experiences I’d never have at home, and allowed me to learn about conservation while meeting some amazing people. I learned a great deal and the entire experience definitely exceeded my expectations! I really enjoyed game drives. It was a good way to explore the reserve, learn lots about the environment and wildlife, get to know other participants and no drive was ever the same. Seeing all the animals, sunrise and sunsets on drives and getting to know new people made the experience truly unforgettable.

The time spent doing my GIS internship at the Gondwana Game Reserve exceeded my expectations in both the knowledge I received and the amazing views I was fortunate enough to see. I learned a great deal, saw a lot of amazing animals and it was extremely rewarding to learn so much about GIS and wildlife.

Since completing the Psychology internship in Cape Town, I've been more empowered in several key ways. I've developed greater cultural competence within my field, along with a stronger understanding of how to draw on other professionals and networks to bring together resources that genuinely support a community or individual. I also feel more confident in the value of my informal counselling skills, and a renewed appreciation for the value of my psychology degree and what it equips me to offer. My experience co-facilitating the DBT session for clients with BPD has genuinely inspired me to consider this as a potential area of future specialisation, and I'd like to continue building my knowledge and skills in this space. I enjoyed staying in the big intern house with the other interns and exploring Cape Town together. The cultural insight from the local coordinator and internship was very insightful and has allowed me to personally and professionally appreciate and develop my cross-cultural competence.

I learnt a lot during my nursing elective in Kenya, especially from seeing how nurses manage busy wards and care for patients with limited resources. I was able to observe patient assessments, wound care, medication rounds and how nurses communicate with patients and their families. The experience gave me a better understanding of the responsibilities nurses take on every day and helped me feel more confident in my own clinical skills.

I had such a wonderful experience working at a Whiskey Distillery in Dublin. The staff were all so genuinely nice and made me feel right at home. Rotating through the cafe, reception, and the back bar allowed me to understand all the different phases of a working distillery, and meeting the bosses was a great addition to the program. Dublin attracts so much tourism, I really enjoyed meeting so many different people from all over the world at my work. It felt like a true mix of diversity, which allowed me to learn so many unique things from everyone I encountered. I was also incredibly glad to use my Mandarin skills to help out. On my days off, I had the best time exploring Dublin, traveling around Ireland, and adventuring into other European countries. It was a beautiful journey both professionally and personally!

interned at the a private hospital in the operating room, where I observed the anesthesiologists and surgeons. This experience helped me gain a lot of insight in the healthcare system is like in a different country. I spent two months in Buenos Aires and it was wonderful with weekly events on the weekends coordinated by Brenda and Maru. Thanks to Connect-123 I was able to strengthen education and gain real life experience that will help me with my future profession.

Meeting the people in my flat really changed my experiences. They were so kind. I was lucky with my internship with having people supporting me and also wanting to get to know me. I highly recommend this to someone.

I loved my time in Cape Town. Two months was a great amount of time, although I think staying for two and a half to three months would have allowed me to experience even more than I did. I really appreciated how the VACorps program was structured, it provided plenty of support while still giving us the freedom to explore independently. The two-week orientation was a highlight, and I made friendships that I know will last well beyond my time here. From day one, the VACorps staff made me feel welcomed, comfortable, and supported. My internship with a community-based organization gave me the opportunity to learn by observing experienced professionals and seeing how their work made a difference. One of the biggest lessons I took away was that you don't need to have the biggest role to make a meaningful impact. That realization gave me a new appreciation for teamwork and the importance of every contribution, no matter how small it may seem.

Karen and Kristal at Intern Abroad HQ were wonderful at assisting me and my study abroad counselor throughout the whole process (esp. with the academic credits). Thank you to them! What I enjoyed most about the Public Health internship in Cape Town was being able to work closely and connect with such qualified, educated, and passionate professionals in my field. Being exposed to the work that they do gave me a clearer idea of what I want to do in my own professional career and gave me insight into what it takes to get there. Furthermore, I enjoyed being mentored by my internship supervisor and being able to take charge of my own internship project.

This program gave me the perfect balance of clinical learning and adventure, with the safari being one of the highlights of my trip. It was my first time seeing elephants, lions, giraffes, and so many other incredible animals in the wild, making it an experience that I will always cherish.

One of my favorite parts of this program was seeing how healthcare is delivered in a resource-constrained environments. The hospital rotations exposed me to conditions such as severe malaria that are uncommon in the United States, and I was inspired by how healthcare teams provided excellent patient care despite limited resources. The Global Health seminars helped me better understand how factors such as poverty, access to healthcare, and healthcare infrastructure influence patient outcomes. I also enjoyed exploring Mombasa! I left Kenya with a greater appreciation for global health, new friendships, and lessons that I know will carry with me throughout my medical career.

I learned so much throughout this experience, both in and out of the hospital. The clinical rotations, Global Health seminars, and Swahili classes gave me a better understanding of medicine in a different healthcare system, while exploring Mombasa and meeting students from around the world made the experience even more memorable.

The clinical experience exceeded my expectations. I was able to observe a wide range of procedures, ask questions freely, and learn from physicians in Coast General Hospital. I especially enjoyed my time in the pediatrics department, where I gained valuable insight into caring for children and working alongside a supportive team. Every department offered something different, making each day engaging and educational. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in global health or pursuing a career in medicine.

I came to Cape Town because VACorps offered something I had struggled to find elsewhere: the opportunity to gain meaningful clinical experience over the summer. With school, research, and other commitments during the academic year, it had been difficult to find a short-term placement without prior clinical experience. This program felt like the perfect way to prepare for medical school while learning in a new environment. I expected to spend most of my time observing medical professionals and helping with basic tasks, but the internship went far beyond that. At a community-based healthcare clinic, I gained practical exposure to patient care, clinical procedures, and the day-to-day realities of working in medicine. I was trusted to learn through observation, guided practice, and direct engagement with healthcare professionals. The experience exceeded my expectations and gave me a much clearer understanding of clinical medicine. I am incredibly grateful for the skills I developed, the responsibility I was given, and the opportunity to learn much more than what I expected.

I can't thank Go-Elective enough for providing such an incredible experience in Africa. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to gain meaningful clinical experience in an actual hospital with a really supportive team

My opportunity to intern was one of the best things I've been blessed enough to be a part of. It taught me so much about the world, the field of International Policy, culture, and working with people from other cultures. It contributed so much to how I developed as a person, how I travel, and how I live life, and the whole experience was incredibly eye-opening, both professionally and personally. I am incredibly glad that I decided to take part in this internship, it was one of the most amazing things I've gotten to be a part of.

I think Intern Abroad HQ was a great program because it provided and coordinated all that I needed. It was encouraging to not have to have every bit of my internship figured out and to know everything that was included would be reliable.