Medicine Internships in India

My experience with Child Family Health International (CFHI) was nothing short of life-changing. As a Ugandan medical officer with a strong interest in global health, I joined CFHI’s Global Health in India program to deepen my understanding of healthcare systems in a diverse cultural context. The CFHI team, led by Mrs. Hema Pandey, provided unparalleled support throughout the application and travel processes, making me feel welcomed and prepared. The program featured enlightening visits to organizations such as Sulabh International, where I learned about groundbreaking sanitation initiatives, and CanSupport, which focuses on holistic care for cancer patients, among others. Observerships at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital and Landou Community Hospital were particularly impactful to me, as I gained valuable insights into India's clinical care and public health practices. Additionally, the cultural experiences, including visits to the Taj Mahal and other iconic sites, as well as partaking in Diwali, enriched my appreciation for India’s heritage. CFHI’s dedication to cultural sensitivity and global collaboration in medicine is truly commendable. I returned home inspired and equipped with knowledge that will inform my advocacy for equitable healthcare in Uganda and beyond. I highly recommend CFHI to anyone seeking to broaden their horizons and make a meaningful difference in global health. Thank you, CFHI, for this incredible journey!

Taking part in a nursing internship in India was a truly enriching experience, even through observation alone. It gave me the chance to better understand the Indian healthcare system, explore cultural differences in daily practices, and reflect on my own lifestyle and habits. Being immersed in such a different environment was both humbling and eye-opening. I learned to look at healthcare through a new lens and gained a deeper appreciation for cultural diversity in medical practice. I would definitely recommend this internship to anyone seeking more than just technical knowledge. It’s a story worth living, sharing, and growing from. RealStep also played a key role in making this possible by ensuring everything ran smoothly and supporting me throughout the journey.

I completed a nursing internship in Sri Lanka, where I was responsible for preparing treatments, taking blood samples, setting up IV lines, and doing wound dressings, among other tasks. This experience gave me a completely different perspective on patient care and helped me realize just how advanced the French healthcare system is. It was not only professionally enriching, but also a deeply personal eye-opener. I would absolutely recommend this internship. For me, it was a true life lesson. RealStep supported us throughout the entire experience, offering full guidance from start to finish

I took part in the Nursing Project in Cambodia, where I had the chance to observe medical practices and perform technical procedures such as blood draws and blood gas analyses. This experience was incredibly enriching, I learned new ways to carry out clinical tasks and discovered a completely different culture by living with a welcoming Cambodian host family. I would highly recommend this mission to anyone curious about healthcare in a different part of the world. RealStep provided excellent support from beginning to end, which made the experience even more rewarding.

Spending a month in New Delhi through CFHI’s Global Health Program was truly one of the most transformative experiences of my medical and public health journey. The program offered a rare blend of clinical exposure, public health education, and cultural immersion allowing me to grow both professionally and personally. Through rotations with major hospitals and nonprofit organizations, I saw firsthand how healthcare is delivered in resource-limited settings with innovation, empathy, and deep community involvement. I was especially moved by the home-based palliative care model, where patients and families are cared for with dignity and compassion. I also engaged with programs addressing infectious diseases, substance use, and sanitation gaining a more nuanced understanding of social determinants of health and systems-level interventions. Equally impactful were the cultural experiences that gave me insight into the rich history and diversity of India. In Delhi, I explored landmarks like Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, and the Lotus and Akshardham Temples. On weekends, I traveled to Jaipur to see the Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal, visited the majestic Taj Mahal in Agra, experienced spiritual serenity at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and found peace in Rishikesh with yoga and a traditional aarti ceremony on the Ganges River. This program helped me become a more reflective, culturally sensitive future physician. It challenged me to think beyond clinical care and consider how public health, community context, and culture intersect in healing. I highly recommend CFHI to anyone passionate about global health, equity, and personal growth. The lessons and memories from India will stay with me for a lifetime.

On a human level, this medical internship with an NGO was just incredible. Discovering a new culture and a new way of providing care is also very enriching. It forces us to set aside our lifestyle and habits in order to open ourselves up to others—and that is priceless! Taking care of children, monks, and visiting patients in their homes. It’s amazing to find yourself right in the middle of people’s lives—exactly what we were looking for. Regarding the trip itself… Everything. Honestly, we have a hard time naming anything negative! Thailand is a country where it’s extremely easy to adapt and live. The Thai people are welcoming and helpful. We definitely want to go back.

My role involved working closely with nurses to provide patient support. This involved accompanying them through various medical procedures, including blood draws, infusions, and electrocardiograms (ECGs). In addition, I was also responsible for administering certain treatments, ensuring that patients received appropriate care and support throughout their medical journey. I spent 10 unique weeks in Nepal. I am extremely grateful to have been able to complete my first internship of my third-year nursing studies in a hospital in Kathmandu. This internship taught me a lot both professionally and personally. It was a unique experience in my career, an opportunity I am grateful to have had. Meeting such remarkable and touching people was very enriching. Furthermore, discovering breathtaking landscapes and experiencing unforgettable moments contributed to making this experience truly special for me.

This trip came at a time in my life when I deeply needed it. From a personal point of view, this trip made me grow. Finding yourself on the other side of the world in a country you don't know, people you don't know, a completely new language, and customs, can only make you grow. Responsibility, maturity, ambition. That's what this trip brought me. From a professional point of view, as a nursing student, this trip allowed me to measure how lucky we are in France to have access to care and the quality of care that it is despite these flaws. Adaptability and compassion are what Sri Lankan hospitals allowed me to adopt. If there is one thing this trip brought me, it is the fact of wanting to leave as soon as possible!!!

During this internship, I was mainly observing, but I was able to discover a new culture and a way of providing care different from what I was used to. It helped to expand my cultural awareness as it was a healthcare system that was completely different than back at home. For future nursing students who would like to do their internship in Tanzania, it would be a good idea to ask them about their expectations and skills in order to direct them to an establishment best fit for them. Overall, I recommend this project and RealStep as it was a good cultural learning experience.

In my internship, I gained the knowledge of culture, health care system, health differences, learning about their lifestyle habits, and the different medical practices in India. I recommend this project to anyone looking to go into the medical field because it is a unique and special way to grow and discover medical knowledge.

Throughout my internship, I observed and assisted doctors. I gained some valuable knowledge, such as awareness of different practices and systems of care abroad. knowledge. I recommend this program, but it is important that you are motivated and ask questions if you have any. They are more than willing to help but move quickly if you seem to understand everything. I recommed RealStep as they took care of everything and helped me with any questions I had through this process.

The nursing internship project was an enriching experience on many levels. On a personal level, it allowed me to develop my ability to manage stress and emergencies, as well as to improve my communication and empathy skills by interacting with patients and their families. Professionally, this internship offered me the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge I learned in school and develop my technical skills in a real healthcare environment. In addition, I was able to observe and learn best practices from my nursing colleagues, which enriched my professional background. Academically, this internship complemented my academic training by providing me with concrete and practical experience, which reinforced my overall understanding of the nursing profession. Overall, this internship was a crucial step in my training journey, allowing me to progress personally and professionally.

During my internship, we provided nursing care such as administering oral IV and SC medications, preparing IV drips and treatments, changing dressings, and taking vital signs. On a personal level, I learned a lot about different approaches to patients within the country's culture. Being immersed in a new culture, I was welcomed with open arms. I was able to expand my cultural awareness and human values through various delicate and complex situations. On a professional level, I discovered new techniques different from those I was familiar with as well as terms of relationships with patients and their families. The role of family in care is much more pronounced and important than back at home, which I found enriching. I would 100% recommend this assignment to anyone ready to discover a new approach to medicine and healthcare. This project opened my eyes to many things and helped me to improve my healthcare skills, both practically and culturally. Also, RealStep is an organization I would recommend. From the beginning, the team was very responsive and able to answer any questions I had. The team always answered quickly, even to the slightest concern or question. I would definitely do this project again.