Medical Internship for Teenagers in Sri Lanka

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Medical Internship for Teenagers in Sri Lanka

Spend your summer learning directly from doctors and doing health checks during medical outreaches

Destination

Sri Lanka

Age

15-18 y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

During school holidays

Accommodation

Homestay

Service Hours

Shadowing Hours

What’s included

Meals

All breakfast, lunch, and dinners, and always fresh drinking water.

Excursions, Socials & Fun

Excursions to famous sights and cultural exploration throughout the programme.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

24/7 Support

Full supervision from arrival to departure, and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

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Starting at €2,445 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments
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Trip Overview

Benefit from clinical observation

Gain valuable insights into Sri Lankan healthcare by observing medical professionals in a hospital setting, improving your own medical knowledge.

Community health outreach

Organise medical camps, providing basic healthcare services and first-aid training to disadvantaged communities that lack easy access to healthcare.

Practical learning opportunities

Observe local experts and participate in medical seminars, learn to measure vital signs, and contribute to a community health education programme.

Experience Sri Lankan living

Delve into Sri Lankan history and culture through visits to Galle fort, Unawatuna Peace Temple, a traditional spice garden, and a tea factory.

Unforgettable memories with friends

Forge lifelong friendships with fellow volunteers while sharing cultural experiences, social activities, and leaping out of your comfort zone.

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What you need to know

Overview

Are you an ambitious high school student hoping to start a career in medicine one day?
Would you like to gain some practical experience to see if medicine is right for you?
Do you dream of travelling and making new friends from all over the globe?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, this project is definitely for you! You’ll learn about medicine from experienced doctors and help disadvantaged communities through outreach work. This will help add valuable medical experience to your CV and demonstrate your commitment to helping others.

This medical internship in Sri Lanka is designed by our staff exclusively for teenagers. All activities will take place in groups, follow a set itinerary, and you will be fully supervised throughout. This means you can relax, learn, and have fun throughout your trip without worrying about logistics, meals, and other details.

Aims & Impact

The aim of this project is to offer you the opportunity to gain medical experience in a different economic and cultural context.

You will spend time learning directly from doctors and nurses and gain insight into the healthcare challenges people in Sri Lanka face. This will add valuable work experience to your CV, and give you solid talking points in interviews and applications. The outreach work you do will also demonstrate your dedication to helping those in need.

While Sri Lanka does provide free healthcare services to all its citizens, these can sometimes be limited or inconsistent. You’ll work alongside medical staff to provide important basic medical services in disadvantaged, rural areas.

Activities

During your time as a medical intern in Sri Lanka, you will have many opportunities to learn, help, and explore.

You will:

Observe doctors and nurses as they work with patients who suffer from a range of conditions
Help doctors and nurses perform basic health checks on medical outreaches
Attend workshops on medical practices in Sri Lanka
Expand your horizons by exploring a new country and learning about its culture (all during your school break!)

Your work will mainly focus on the following:

Shadow doctors and nurses as they work

As a teenage intern in Sri Lanka, your role is strictly to observe. This means that you’ll shadow doctors and nurses on their rounds and learn by watching as they conduct patient consultations, work on diagnoses and deliver treatments.

You can expect to rotate through various hospital settings, including:

Emergency Treatment Unit
Neurosurgery ward and operating theatre observation
Palliative care unit
Occupational Therapy department
Hemodialysis centre

To maximise your experience, you will:

Compile a daily journal of cases observed
Request and review individual case histories
Research unfamiliar medical terms and conditions encountered on the wards
Discuss cases and clinical observations with your assigned supervisor

You will also gain a unique perspective on the country’s healthcare system by visiting a hospital specialising in traditional Ayurvedic medicine.

Attend workshops on medical practices in Sri Lanka

Get hands-on training in fundamental medical skills, including blood pressure and vital sign monitoring.

Help with medical outreach programmes

You will also get some more practical work experience during your medical internship in Sri Lanka. Join doctors and nurses at a two-day medical outreach at a community centre. You’ll assist with basic health checks. This could involve measuring blood pressure and weighing people.

All of your work during the outreach will be supervised.

Expand your horizons

Finally, as you live and work in Sri Lanka with other teenagers, you will enjoy a range of new experiences. This will include the medical work you’ll be involved in, as well as a range of cultural activities in the evenings.

Over one weekend, you will visit the Udawalawe National Park, where you can observe elephants and other species in their natural habitat during a safari, followed by a hike to Little Adam’s Peak, where you’ll enjoy panoramic views.

Sri Lanka is the third largest tea exporter, so the following day, you’ll get the chance to tour a tea plantation and factory before visiting Nine Arch Bridge, a popular photo spot.

You’ll live with a host family, which means you will be able to immerse yourself in the Sri Lankan way of life and eat authentic local food.

Map & Location

Ayubowan! That’s “may you live long” in Sinhala, the language of Sri Lanka, a beautiful island nation in the Indian Ocean. Experience a culture and tradition dating back thousands of years and try the exotic flavours of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Did you know Sri Lanka is thought to have world’s oldest wildlife sanctuary? While exploring, you’ll find ancient cities with distinct architectural styles, vast tea plantations in mist-covered hills, and the warm hospitality of its people.

Colombo

Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, sits on the west coast of the island where history, culture, and modern life intertwine. This city of over 750,000 residents experiences a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round.

With a mix of architectural styles, Buddhist temples, cultivated parks, and winding canals, the city is varied and interesting to explore. You’ll find floating markets, beautiful waterfronts, and incredible people as you do!

Galle

Coastal, historic, and well-connected, Galle is an idyllic city in the south of Sri Lanka. Most famous for the incredibly well preserved 17th-century fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is home to 100,000 people and has a warm, tropical climate.

Within fort walls, you’ll find narrow streets with colonial-era buildings, cosy cafes, shops, restaurants, and stunning views of the Indian Ocean. You may even see signs of the strong global trade Galle has conducted through history.

Food & Accommodation

Experience the warmth of Sri Lankan hospitality and settle into your home away from home. We provide everything you need for a comfortable and enriching stay, including a cosy bed, three delicious meals a day filled with local flavors, and access to clean drinking water.

You’ll be welcomed into the home of a carefully vetted Sri Lankan family, offering a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture. We’ll take care of your daily transport to and from your placement, making your experience even smoother.

Your host family home will be a safe and comfortable space, and if you share a room, it will be with someone of the same gender and similar age. This allows you to connect with fellow travellers, share your experiences, and create lasting memories.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Sri Lanka Arrival Procedures page.