Medical Internship in Jamaica

Get medical work experience by shadowing local doctors and participating in community outreach work

Destination

Jamaica

Age

18+ y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Homestay

What’s included

Transportation

To and from the airport, plus everything in between. Daily transport to your placement and back.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

Pre-departure Support

Everything you need to prepare for your trip, including visa advice, cultural awareness training, access to your dedicated pre-departure portal, and more.

Socials & Fun

Regularly organized social events with other participants.

Request info

Starting at €2,495 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments
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Trip Overview

Get international healthcare experience

Champion health and wellbeing in a new cultural context. Get valuable international experience and adapt to healthcare delivery in a different system.

Uncover the world of medicine

Witness the inner workings of healthcare. Watch professionals in action, learning about their roles, responsibilities, and the challenges they face.

Master essential medical techniques

Benefit from the expertise of our medical coordinator and learn valuable new skills through interactive workshops and Q&A sessions.

Live alongside the locals

Stay with a host family in the heart of a Jamaican community, vibing to the rhythm of reggai or dancehall and exploring the scenic town of Mandeville.

Expand your global perspective

Learn about global health issues and cultural diversity while living in a new culture, challenging yourself to grow your confidence and adaptability.

What you need to know

Overview

Our medical internship is perfect for any student with an interest in medicine. Medical work experience in Jamaica will boost your CV, and your university or job application. Your experience will also be invaluable in interviews, so talk about what you learned and the challenges you faced.

Our medical placements in Jamaica give you an insight into how different departments work and the day-to-day operations of a hospital. Part of your experience will also include seeing how conditions like Chikungunya and Zika are diagnosed and treated.

You’ll also give back to the community through outreach work. You’ll help provide basic medical care where it’s needed most, and share knowledge about about preventing and managing diseases.

You can join the medicine internship in Jamaica at any time throughout the year. We encourage you to stay for a longer period to get as much as possible from the experience.

A Day in the Life

Mornings are the busiest at hospitals and health centres in Jamaica. This is when you will be most active in watching and learning from doctors and nurses.

You will arrive at your placement between 8am and 8:30am, and your work day will end at about 3pm. There is the option to work until 5:00pm, but this is up to you.

During your work hours, you can follow doctors during their ward rounds. You’ll sit in on consultations and listen as doctors diagnose patients and prescribe treatment. You’ll also shadow nurses as they administer medication and provide patient care.

Your afternoons will be less busy, which will give you time to prepare for health talks and campaigns or explore the town.

On some days, you’ll break away from your normal schedule to take part in community outreaches.

Aims & Impact

The main aim of this Medicine Project is to help you expand your medical knowledge and give you a deeper insight into a developing country’s healthcare practices.

Jamaica faces serious social and economical challenges. There are high levels of poverty and many communities have limited access to basic healthcare. You will see first-hand how doctors treat high numbers of patients with limited medical resources.

You’ll also be part of our efforts in Jamaica to improve healthcare in disadvantaged areas. You’ll participate in outreaches and do health checks or give educational talks. The work you do will help us promote the importance of health living and prevent disease.

In Jamaica, we’re working towards five long-term goals in our Medicine & Healthcare Management Plan:

Improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups
Promote awareness of non-communicable diseases
Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge
Reduce the number of cases of HIV/AIDS, Chikungunya, and Zika

Join us and gain medical work experience in Jamaica, while helping us achieve these long-term goals.

Activities

You’ll work at a hospital or health centre in Jamaica. At both placements, there are plenty of opportunities for medical interns. Here are the tasks you can expect to do:

Shadow doctors as they diagnose and treat patients at a large hospital
Spend time in several hospital departments, including surgery, gynaecology, and paediatrics
Provide basic medical treatment during outreaches in disadvantaged communities
Give health talks in communities and schools and focus on topics like nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and personal hygiene
Participate in medical seminars

Your work will focus on the following areas:

Observe doctors on their rounds

On your first day, you’ll put on your white coat and start exploring the world of medicine! You’ll shadow doctors on their rounds, watch what they do, and you can ask questions. We encourage you to make notes so you remember everything you experience and learn.

Spend time in several hospital departments

This internship gives you the opportunity to experience the work in several hospital departments. If you’re placed at the hospital, you’ll shadow doctors working in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, accident and emergency, and more.

If you’re placed at the health centre, you’ll get to spend time in clinics specialising in family planning, wellness, psychiatry, and more.

Spending time in different departments will broaden your medical knowledge and diversify your learning experience.

Participate in outreach work

In Jamaica, we also organise outreach days. These outreaches are an opportunity to get practical experience and give back to communities where healthcare is difficult to access. You’ll take time out from your regular schedule and join other interns. You’ll work under supervision, and do tasks like measuring blood pressure levels.

Health education campaigns

Health education is an important focus of our medical internship in Jamaica. You’ll help run interactive lessons on good nutrition, the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and personal and oral hygiene. You can also talk about other topics that are relevant to local people. We recommend discussing these topics with your supervisor first.

Medical seminars

Throughout the year, medical seminars are organised by the hospitals. These cover different medical-related topics, and serve as a wonderful opportunity to learn. Attending seminars will add to your learning experience while abroad.

Medical Departments

Medical interns are placed at either a regional hospital or a health centre in the town of Mandeville. Your placement depends on your level of experience. If you have no previous experience, or are in your first or second year of medical studies, you work at the health centre. If you are in your third year of medical studies and upward, you will work at the regional hospital.

The two placements provide slightly different working environments. At the hospital, you can spend time in:

General medicine
Paediatrics
Gynaecology
Obstetrics
General surgery
Accident and emergency

The health centre specialises in:

Wellness
Psychiatry
Family planning
Child and maternal health
HIV/STI

Please be aware that if you are only in Jamaica for a short time, this may limit the number of departments you can spend time in. Contact us directly for more information about this.

Map & Location

Feel the rhythm of Jamaica, an incredible Caribbean nation renowned for reggae music, the laid-back “irie” lifestyle, and breathtaking scenery. Beyond the famous beaches, find beauty in the mountains and historic plantations all over the island.

Jamaica is also known for its coffee production and unique English-based Patois, which is distinct enough to be considered an entirely separate language. You’ll be welcomed with open arms in Jamaica and encouraged to enjoy the culture to the fullest!

Mandeville

Mandeville, nestled in the hills of central Jamaica, offers a blend of laid-back charm and rich culture. This town of around 50,000 people enjoys a cooler climate than the coastal areas and has a long history, evident in its colonial-era architecture and busy town square.

The town provides easy access to nature trails, waterfalls, and coffee plantations. You will also experience the lively atmosphere of the local markets and enjoy the friendly hospitality of the Jamaican people.

Food & Accommodation

You’ll have everything you need for an incredible experience in Jamaica, starting with a welcoming host family. They will be carefully vetted and will provide you with a comfortable bed, three meals a day, and fresh drinking water. Our team will also handle your daily transport to and from your placement.

Your home away from home will be safe, secure, and clean. It is the perfect place to experience Jamaican culture first hand, giving you the chance to live and speak with local people, enjoy traditional home-cooked meals, and see the sights of Mandeville.

During your stay, you may share a room with another volunteer. If this is the case, they will be of the same gender and a similar age, giving you the chance to make friends, share stories, and have a once-in-a-lifetime journey together.

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 Jamaica Arrival Procedures page.