Doctors Without Borders offer incredible opportunities for soon-to-be doctors and medicine students who want to grow their skillset and knowledge and gain real-world practical experience that they can apply to their life’s work. However, many people apply to work with Doctors Without Borders and do not make the cut, whether they be ineligible or there is simply a limited take-in for applicants. An alternative to this would be International Medical Aid, one of the most highly praised and recognized organizations with reach across the world. International Medical Aid offers health care services to communities across the globe who live in poor conditions and require external help. This organization has many different opportunities available for pre-med and pre-pa students and has been operating since 2012. These opportunities are set in locations such as Kenya, Tanzania, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uganda and the Dominican Republic.
Their work is involved in many medical sectors, including pre-medicine, pre-nursing, pre-dentistry, physical therapy, dietetics, midwifery, public health, and mental health.
An ethical and responsible model
International Medical Aid offers an ethical and responsible model that presents excellent opportunities for pre-med and pre-pa students who wish to broaden their horizons. It is a not-for-profit organization based in the United States of America and has support from organizations based throughout the country. It aims to provide these opportunities to hopeful students who want to make a difference in the world while not break the bank over it. International Medical Aid’s overall goal is to help take marginalized communities and put them in touch with students who will make a difference in their lives while gaining important skills and experience in a real-world application of medical knowledge. Through these opportunities, you would gain significant experience and expertise, which could help you further your medical career while gaining an insight into how the world works and how your work could impact others in need. All options which are offered are done so in an ethical and socially responsible way.
Health placements in a structured format
International Medical Aid has a structured format as to where it sends its students. The skills you can bring are carefully considered, and you are matched to a location in which your skill set would be most needed and used correctly. You will have the right amount of control over where you want to volunteer. You can sleep well knowing that your placement is carefully considered and handled in a structured way which has worked well for many different placements in the past. There are professional physician mentors on board with experience in this who will be able to help you through this process, and you will always know your place within the organization.
You will have a good amount of knowledge about the location you are being sent to before you even get there, so you can understand your responsibilities and what is expected of you beforehand. You will not be surprised when you get there, as you will understand your role in preparation.
What opportunities are available with International Medical Aid?
Medicine/Pre-med internships
If you are a pre-med student, there are many different opportunities for you within International Medical Aid. There are hundreds of different opportunities set across the world, allowing medical students to help communities in need of dire help. As a not-for-profit organization, International Medical Aid works with several (hundreds!) of different private hospitals that want their students to apply their skillset and knowledge in different ways. Not only this, but it allows the students to gain new perspectives of the world and see how many other communities live.
A pre-med student will be able to experience different forms of training in these locations, including first responder training with first aid techniques based on the student’s location. A well-rounded and holistic experience is what is intended for pre-med students in these locations, such as how to apply their first responder and first aid techniques to these marginalized communities. Over time, you will become more and more experienced with what you are doing, and medical activities will become routine to you. Completing your medical activities in a local hospital is the traditional pathway in which many pre-med students will take; however, doing this in a location and environment that is vastly foreign to yours can help you gain new perspectives and apply your skillset in legitimate scenarios. When completing internships with International Medical Aid, you will have the organization’s full support 24/7, both in the country and based in the US. Once your internship is over, you will also have medical school admissions support to help display your skillset and the experiences you had in another location. This can help you get into medical school with no issues, show great initiative, and put you ahead of the curve. Furthermore, you will enjoy cooked meals by a chef, gated communities for safety, basic accident, and travel insurance.
To sum it up
This was a look at International Medical Aid and what it can offer pre-med and pre-pa students. If you are looking for opportunities across the world for your next medical internship, then look no further than International Medical Aid.
