Medical Internships in the Philippines

Are you planning to pursue a medical career? Looking to gain work experience in a professional medical setting? Then this is the internship for you.

Use the experience to boost your CV and increase your practical medical knowledge. We encourage you to ask questions and take notes. You may learn something that can’t be found in any textbook back home!

Let us know if you are interested in working in a specific department. We can tailor the programme to your requirements and interests.

No experience is needed to join this project. Interns without experience will shadow staff at a Rural Health Unit. Interns with a year or more of medical school experience can choose between interning at the Rural Health Unit or District Hospital.

English is one of the official languages of the Philippines, so there isn’t much of a language barrier. The medical staff will be on hand to translate for you if a patient can’t speak English. Our own medical supervisor is also on hand at the hospital, should you need to speak to someone from Projects Abroad.

Your working hours are decided on a weekly basis. Most interns work from Monday to Friday and have the weekends free. You also have the option to work night shifts. Typical working hours are from 8am – 12pm and then 1pm – 4pm. This internship has one of the longest shifts of all our medical programmes. It’s a great opportunity to get as much experience as possible.

On any given day, you’ll enjoy breakfast with your host family before travelling to your work placement. Your daily tasks will vary according to the placement you choose. It will mainly be observational work, learning from the staff you are shadowing. Depending on your experience, you may be given more practical work. This is at the discretion of local medical staff.

You have a medical supervisor for the duration of your placement. They oversee your work, assign you tasks, and assist with any issues you might have.

On top of your hospital rotation, you’ll work together with our Public Health interns on a number of activities. These include medical outreach camps and educational workshops. You will learn new skills such as newborn screening and vital check training. You’ll also work on outreach campaigns focusing on issues such as Dengue eradication.

Once you’re done for the day, take the chance to explore your surroundings. Go out for dinner with your fellow interns, spend time getting to know your host family, or take part in our regular social events. Join local staff and interns for karaoke nights, dance classes, and more.

The aim of this project is to provide our interns with a solid educational experience, learning about healthcare practice in a developing country.

You will also work to benefit the local community by supporting the work of medical staff during outreaches. Many Filipinos die from entirely preventable diseases resulting from poor hygiene, diet, or lifestyle. In addition, those with financial constraints often cannot access the treatment they need.

The country is also burdened by infectious diseases due to poor hygiene standards and a lack of proper sanitation. Through awareness campaigns in the local community, we work to improve hygiene standards. Our Building Project is also helping to tackle this issue by constructing toilets.

One of the most common health issues in the Philippines is Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. This tropical disease is spread by mosquitoes. Part of your outreach work will involve preventing the spread of disease by destroying mosquito breeding grounds. You’ll also get involved in raising awareness among the population about prevention methods and the importance of treatment.

In order to improve the overall standard of health and wellbeing amongst the local population, we aim to:

• Promote awareness of non-communicable diseases
• Improve the quality of treatment for those with disabilities
• Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients

By targeting these areas of need at your placement, you will contribute towards long-term change, while also gaining valuable medical work experience in the Philippines.

You’ll work in a hospital and use your time to learn as much as possible from the doctors. Here are some of the tasks you can expect to do at your medical placement in the Philippines:

• Observe and assist doctors in a district hospital
• Help out with a wide range of different cases at the City Health Office
• Work at a Rural Health Unit which provides care to impoverished communities
• Take part in medical outreach and health education programmes