A Medicine & Health Care Internship with Avella Sights will help you get the real-world clinical experience you need to excel in a medical career.

This is what you can expect from one of our medical internships:  

  • Work in professional medical environments like hospitals and clinics
  • Shadow experienced doctors and nurses
  • Get a deeper understanding of global health care issues
  • Learn essential medical skills, like measuring blood pressure and blood sugar
  • Help deliver basic health care services during community outreaches

You can choose from a range of specialties for your internship program, such as:

Our medical trips in Uganda are flexible and safe. Programs can be adjusted to your level of experience, making them ideal for undergraduates and pre-meds aiming for Medical School, as well as medical students. We also have programs for high school students interested in medicine.

 

How do I get a Medical Internship in Uganda?

Our medical internships are open to people aged 16 and over. To enter a program, all you need to do is check that you meet the requirements, and fill in the application form. Our Project Experts are here to assist if you need help finding the medical project that best meets your needs and goals.

You may be asking yourself if an internship program with Avella Sights is the right move for you. If you tick one or more of these boxes, then the answer is yes!

  • You want to participate in a doctor shadowing program
  • You want to join a short term, but valuable medical program
  • You want to add pre-med clinical experience to your resume
  • You want an internship experience in a hospital environment
  • You want to take part in an ethical medical volunteer program where you can help people
  • You have medical experience under your belt, and want to do something different to further your career

Having this kind of global health care experience will strengthen your resume and give you great discussion points in interviews and essays. It can also help you decide if you want to pursue a medical degree.

Not 100% convinced this is for you? Here are other options that may interest you:

  • Medical Practicums for students already studying medicine
  • Veterinary Medicine for those interested in working with animals
  • Social Work for anyone interested in working with people

Why do Medical Internships matter?

Gaining medical work experience abroad will bring you closer to a future working in your chosen field. We’re proud to support future talent who’ll bring vital skills to communities in need.

What will I gain from a Medical Internship?

Our medical internship opportunities give you skills that prepare you for your next stage of education and career, especially for pre medical students. 

Here are some of the benefits that our previous interns talk about:

  • Global competencies like teamwork, communication, leadership, resilience, organizing, planning, and time management
  • More in-depth medical work experience than you might get in your home country. Concerned about how much you can benefit from your project if you don’t have previous medical experience? Read our blog about volunteering in Uganda without experience  
  • The ability to work and empathize with people of different cultures and backgrounds, helping to develop a global mindset
  • Confidence from stepping out of your comfort zone

All of the above will enhance your resume and your personal development.

What Summer Medical Internships are available for pre-med students?

We can organize medical volunteering opportunities and summer medical internships for pre-meds for as short as one week, accommodating even the busiest student. So even if you only have limited time over the summer, you can travel throughout June, July, and August. We’re entirely flexible, and you can choose when to start and end your trip.  

Whether you’re a pre-med looking for summer programs abroad, or someone interested in giving back as a medical volunteer, we have something for you! For example, practice your suturing skills at our Medicine Internship in Northern Uganda. Or, learn to treat and dress chronic wounds at a leprosy camp through our Public Health Internship in Eastern Uganda.

Practicums for Medical Students

What is a medical practicum?

A medical practicum gives you real-world, clinical experience in a busy hospital, clinic, or during a community healthcare outreach. In your day-to-day work, you’ll see illnesses and conditions first-hand that you’ve only encountered in textbooks before. 

As an example, you can gain practicum experience through programs like: 

  • Work a night shift with an ambulance team. 
  • Examine an x-ray with a doctor and walk through possible diagnoses at a community hospital.

How long is a practicum?

This is entirely up to you! Our placements run year-round, and you can join whenever your schedule allows. Our flexibility lets us accommodate you and whatever requirements your college puts forward. We’re able to help you find the best placement that fulfills your practicum hours, while also serving the needs of communities.

How are our Medicine & Healthcare Internships different?

At Avella Sights, our first aim is to benefit the communities we work in. You can be assured that your medical internship is ethical, well supported, and part of a better future. Here are just a few elements of our work that set it apart from other internships:

We record our work in a secure database

We created the Avella Impact Database so we can track the positive impact our medical projects have. This is a secure and anonymous database that we use to identify specific areas of need. It allows us to use data to shape community outreaches and health awareness projects. We can also monitor individuals we see often, report our results, and collect data for research. All of this work is guided by our Management Plans.

Real work with trained professionals

On our medical internships, you’ll work alongside real healthcare professionals. You can observe them in their everyday work, ask questions, and hear more about their experiences. You’re likely to get more insights into the front line of medical care than in your home country.

A tailored approach

We’re often able to tailor your internship to suit your interests. You can work in more than one department or focus on one particular area, and experience outreach work in the local community.

Our Medicine & Healthcare Policy

We take the safety of our volunteers, interns, and the people they work with very seriously. That’s why we’ve put in place a comprehensive Medical Ethics Policy.

The amount of hands-on experience can vary between destinations, and we ensure that you learn essential skills wherever you go. Due to these ethical standards, we cannot allow our interns to be directly involved in surgery; however, certain destinations may have more opportunities to view surgery than others. If you’re interested in performing certain tasks or observing specific procedures, please reach out to our Project Experts to discuss your options!