Medical Internship in Kenya

Are you a student considering a career in the medical field? Or perhaps you’re a medical student looking for practical experience? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this is the internship for you.

You’ll learn directly from experienced local doctors and nurses, and you’ll have a supervising doctor to shadow. You’ll gain a valuable insight into the healthcare challenges people face everyday in Kenya. This will add a lot of value to your CV, and give you interesting points to talk about in interviews and essays. The outreach work will also help demonstrate your commitment to healthcare and helping those in need.

There are no requirements to join. All you need is a strong interest in medicine and a willingness to learn. There are a number of different placement options you can choose from, so that you can pursue your area of interest. Depending on how long you stay, you may also be able to rotate through many different hospital departments.

Our medical internship in Kenya is available year-round. Our start and end dates are entirely flexible, so you can choose a time which suits you. We encourage you to stay longer, so you can learn more and get involved in multiple outreaches.

Once you’ve enjoyed breakfast with your host family, it’s time to head to work. You’ll travel to your placement via a minibus, which will pick you up and drop you off at your host family each day.

A typical day on this internship runs from 8am – 4pm, Monday to Friday. Your exact working hours will be worked out between you and your supervisor on a weekly basis. There is also the option to work night shifts, upon agreement with your supervisor and our Medical Coordinator.

Your exact daily activities will vary according to the placement you choose, as well as your level of experience. Medical students and graduates will be able to take part in more practical work.

In general, you will spend time observing the local medical staff on their rounds. It’s a great way to see what a day in the life of a doctor looks like, especially in a limited-resource setting. If they are not too busy, doctors will often take the time to explain procedures or cases with you.

You may also find yourself assisting where needed on tasks such as taking blood pressure or giving oral vaccinations. On days where there are medical outreaches you will also be given more hands-on work. This may involve taking vital signs or dressing wounds.

At the end of the working day, it’s time to immerse yourself in local life. You can spend time getting to know your host family over a delicious Kenyan-style barbecue, or join in on our regular social events. These are a great way to make friends with your fellow interns and Projects Abroad staff!

There are two main aims to this project: to provide you with an educational internship, and to provide basic healthcare services in disadvantaged communities.

Many of the interns who join us are looking for practical work experience to supplement their studies and CV. On this internship, you will learn from doctors and nurses and gain new skills. We encourage a cross-cultural exchange of knowledge, where interns and staff can share experiences with one another.

There is also an altruistic dimension to this internship. Many Kenyans do not have access to healthcare services, due to financial constraints or a lack of services in the area. Projects Abroad organise regular medical outreaches in the local community. These provide disadvantaged people with basic medical treatment that they would otherwise not receive. This treatment can include wound dressing, HIV testing, deworming, and more.

We have identified several key goals for our medical work in Kenya:

• Promote the exchange of medical knowledge
• Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
• Improve access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups
• Improve hygiene standards
• Reduce the number of cases of malaria

In 2016, we treated more than 3,700 patients thanks to the help of people like you. Join us on a Medicine Internship in Kenya and broaden your medical expertise while making a positive impact in a disadvantaged community.

This internship consists of a mixture of observational and practical activities, which makes for a fantastic learning experience. You can get involved in:

If you choose to work in the teaching hospital, there are a number of departments you can rotate through:

• General medicine
• Dentistry
• Surgery
• Maternity
• Paediatrics
• Palliative care
• Laboratory
• Pharmacy

You can also choose to work at a government health centre, a maternity and children’s hospital, or a palliative care centre instead. Palliative care centres are institutions which provide specialised care for people with terminal illnesses.