Why a Medical Internship is the Perfect Summer Opportunity for Pre-Med Students

Summer is a time to kick back and relax with friends for many, but if you want to get ahead in your career goals and gain real-world experience beyond college, a medical internship may be on the cards. By interning abroad, you’ll get to shadow doctors, discover different healthcare systems, and learn a lot about yourself. 

A medical internship can help you stand out from the rest of your pre-med peers as you go into another year of studies or apply for dream residency spots. There are plenty of reasons why an internship is the perfect summer opportunity for you, which we’ll explore today. 

The Opportunity to Shadow Incredible Medical Professionals

A medical internship gives you the opportunity to spend your summer working in a hospital or clinic staffed by some of the best medical professionals in your chosen country. Whether you’re passionate about nursing or medical studies, experienced professionals will mentor and supervise your time abroad. 

Pre-med students spend lots of time reading about practices and procedures from books, but there’s nothing like getting to witness these things up close and personal. You’ll be able to see how staff respond to real-life challenges and devise innovative solutions for their patients. 

Depending on your chosen elective, you’ll get to soak up the wisdom of knowledgeable professionals you’re working with. For example, if you choose to participate in a Physiotherapy internship, you’ll be invited to: 

• Observe and assist with therapies for musculoskeletal, neurological, paediatric and sports-related cases. 
• Rotate between different departments to get a good idea of other specialities, helping solidify whether physiotherapy is the one you’re most passionate about. 
• Assist with community outreach programs to educate others about the importance of physiotherapy practices. This type of experience is invaluable to pre-med students who have yet to gain hands-on exposure during their studies.  

Open Doors and Network Around the World

In the medical profession, diversity is essential. Hospitals are becoming more collaborative, and knowing doctors from different countries can open many doors in the future. The best way to understand a range of conditions and healthcare practices is to head overseas and see how they’re dealt with by other healthcare professionals. 

A medical internship is an excellent way to observe different conditions and treatments, and experience first-hand how doctors, nurses and surgeons adapt to obstacles while having limited resources. You can use this to boost your confidence, adaptability and resourcefulness. 

By applying for an internship abroad, whether that be in Greece, India or somewhere else in the world, you’ll be able to encounter conditions that you may not get a chance to see in your home country. This experience and skill make you stand out to potential employers and professors.

Learn Vital Skills to Apply to Your Future Career

No matter whether you’re shadowing doctors or assisting with practical tasks around the hospital, you’ll return home from your medical internship with plenty of new skills that can be applied to your future career. 

A pre-med student can’t pick up too many new skills, so any experience that can provide extra learning opportunities should be grabbed with both hands! You’ll be able to learn a variety of new and unique skills, depending on the elective you choose. General skills you may be able to pick up and practice are:

• Checking and measuring vital signs
• Dressing wounds
• Bedside manner
• Measuring blood pressure
• Taking samples

These are fundamental skills essential for any pre-med student hoping to excel in the medical profession. Depending on your skillset and education level, you may even be trusted with more complex procedures as your internship progresses.

Stand Out from the Crowd

The medical profession is notoriously challenging to enter and even more difficult to excel in. New research suggests that around 40% of pre-med students are accepted into medical school, making it a competitive field that requires you to present yourself at your best at all times. 

Many pre-med students fall into the trap of spending too much time crafting their perfect letter of motivation or application form. However, the best way to stand out is to complete a medical internship (bonus points if it’s abroad in a unique healthcare setting!). 

By heading overseas for your internship, you’ll showcase your willingness to step outside of your comfort zone and dedicate yourself to learning as much as you can about global healthcare systems. Not many pre-med students will be able to display the resilience and adaptability it takes to complete an internship abroad. 

Grow and Develop Personally

While medical internships are excellent at advancing careers and giving you real-world experience that will enhance professional development, they’re also amazing spaces for personal growth. Many interns use their time abroad to work towards becoming the best version of themselves, learning about their values, capabilities and feelings. 

Discover your strengths and weaknesses, and learn how you’d cope in difficult situations with a medical internship abroad. Having to adapt quickly to new challenges and overcoming them effectively can be a wonderfully introspective experience. 

Time outside of the hospital can also help with your personal development. You may find yourself returning home with a greater understanding and empathy. These are useful qualities for medical professionals, both in their personal and work lives, so you’ll benefit even if you decide that med school isn’t right for you.

Immerse Yourself in a New Culture

Travelling abroad is the best way to immerse yourself in a new culture and language, and internships overseas offer much more insight into this than simply going on holiday. During your time working abroad, you can improve your language skills and experience a new way of living as you stay with a host family or in a dedicated intern house. 

With Med Trips, we want to make sure that you have the most authentic experience possible. We’ll take care of accommodation to ensure safe and comfortable boarding, meals to encourage you to try local food, and optional excursions to showcase all your chosen country has to offer. 

During your internship hours, you’ll get first-hand experience working with patients whose first language isn’t English. A basic understanding of other languages is highly valuable in the medical profession, even in English-speaking hospitals. 

Ready to Plan Your Medical Internship Abroad? 

There are plenty of reasons why a medical internship is the perfect plan to fill your summer this year. Med Trips is here to help you with every step of the way, from planning which country and elective you want to focus on to in-country support for extra safety and confidence. Help yourself stand out in your future endeavours with Med Trips.

There’s no time like the present, so check out our pre medical elective placements abroad and find the right opportunity for you today!