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HOSPITAL-BASED MEDICAL INTERNSHIP

Quick Facts

Limuru, Kenya

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Every Monday

4 - 12 weeks

Impact: Healthcare

from $2,240 – $4,560
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HOSPITAL-BASED MEDICAL INTERNSHIP

For those who are studying or qualified in a medical or healthcare field, this customized internship will provide you with unparalleled access to a range of hospitals or clinics in the rural region of Limuru, Kenya. With exposure to departments such as obstetrics, gynaecology, ICU, HIV/AIDS counselling and care, emergency, radiology/imaging, critical care, orthopaedics, oncology, general wards, anaesthesiology, and even operation theatres, you’ll gain knowledge and expertise from the doctors and nurses you work alongside daily. 

Project Highlights

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Customize your internship placement, ensuring you get exposure to hospital or clinic departments that are relevant to your studies or skills
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Expand upon your current medical knowledge through practical experience
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Work alongside qualified doctors and nurses who are available to answer your questions and involve you in their daily workload
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Learn about a healthcare system with very different practices, resources, and conditions from that of your home country
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Choose to also be involved in community outreach, facilitating health workshops, and home-based care in rural Kenyan villages
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Gain experience in how to treat prevalent illnesses and diseases within Kenya, including malaria, dengue fever, cholera, malnutrition, and tuberculosis
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Be guided and mentored by healthcare professionals
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Live in the peaceful highlands of Kenya, within the safe and quiet Brackenhurst estate in the small tea town of Limuru

The Destination

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Limuru is a town located on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley about 35 kilometers, by road, northwest of Nairobi, the capital, and the largest city in Kenya. It is fairly small with a population of only about 5000 people. Limuru is widely known in Kenya as a tea-producing and -processing zone. The tea plantations established around Limuru from 1903 onwards were the foundation of Kenya’s largest export industry, which produces some of the world’s highest quality tea.

Venture out of town and you will find the great Maasai Mara and some of Africa’s best beaches. Over weekends, you can explore these sublime landscapes, get up close to Africa’s iconic wildlife, and meet Maasai warriors. You can also visit the rock that inspired Pride Rock in The Lion King.

You will stay in our volunteer cottages at Brackenhurst estate; a conference and retreat center nestled between the forests and tea fields of Kenya’s highlands. It is roughly 1 hour from the Great Rift Valley and Nairobi, giving you easy access to explore nearby areas on the weekends. The lush green surroundings offer the perfect space to relax and reflect upon your daily experiences. The estate has running trails and a tennis, volleyball, and basketball court for you to enjoy. It also has its own restaurant and a café that hosts a farmer’s market every Wednesday, live music shows on certain Sundays, and festivals throughout the year.
Three meals are provided each weekday and the food is a mixture of International and Kenyan cuisine. Breakfast includes tea, coffee, cereals, toast, jam and peanut butter as well as eggs, sausages and pancakes served in rotation. Lunch is usually taken on project and a hot meal is cooked freshly in the evening. We can cater for most dietary requirements, but please let us know before your arrival. During the weekends, you are free to use the kitchen to prepare your own meals, or eat at the restaurant and café within Brackenhurst estate, where they serve up excellent wood-fired pizzas amongst other favourites!
WiFi is available at the Brackenhurst estate and you are welcome to buy a local sim card if you wish.
The wet season begins in November and goes on until May, but there are a couple of dry months in January and February. Days are often overcast, with showers in the afternoon, and chilly mornings with temperatures that hover around 13°C (55°F). The dry season is from June to October. You'll enjoy warm weather during the day, although there may be a shower or two at times and cold weather at night. Limuru has a temperature of between 10–28 °C (75 °F) year-round.

Project Impact Areas

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PATIENT CARE IN HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

You will work alongside Kenyan doctors and nurses at a hospital or clinic, which is assigned prior to your arrival and based on your field of study, existing skills, and overall interests. You may choose to spend your time in multiple departments or select one specific area of interest. Your options include obstetrics, gynaecology, ICU, HIV/AIDS counselling and care, emergency, radiology/imaging, critical care, orthopaedics, oncology, general wards, anaesthesiology, and operation theatres. Accompanying medical professionals from Monday to Friday, you will be exposed to a wide range of public health issues found within Sub-Saharan Africa and gain first-hand experience in patient care, treatment, and preventative medicine.

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MENTORSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

While working alongside local doctors and nurses as you complete your daily tasks, you will be guided and instructed where needed. This ensures that you feel confident in your placement and secure in knowing that you are advancing your skills and experience level in your chosen field(s). In addition to this, you will have weekly check-ins with an assigned doctor throughout your internship, ensuring you get quality mentorship that will provide additional context to the tasks you have been assigned, and an opportunity to chat through any concerns or queries.

If you wish to do the internship as part of your course work, please submit the requirements and placement hours in advance so we can tailor the internship to suit your needs.

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OPTIONAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH

If you are interested in expanding your medical skills outside of a hospital or clinic environment, let us know. Interns are able to join the wider African Impact team and medical volunteers in the rural communities surrounding Limuru, facilitating health-based workshops, as well as participating in home-based care. Many chronically ill or elderly patients are unable to make it to the local hospital or clinic, so this type of outreach is extremely important for their welfare. Through this community outreach, you will get a unique opportunity to immerse yourself within rural Kenyan life, as well as work with a wide range of cultures and demographics.

Recent Reviews

“Living in Africa has changed my perspective in so many ways. I am so appreciative of the opportunities I have back home. Kenyans have also taught me that material things don’t make you happy, it’s the love and support of your community that make you happy. Some highlights of the time I spent in Kenya was working with the children at the school and getting to assist in maternity at Tigoni hospital; I would recommend African Impact to anyone.”

Morgan Harbick, USA
Medical Internship in Kenya

“The nurses and doctors at the hospital are always willing to answer any questions you have and to include you in any procedure, including observation of caesarian sections and administration of vaccinations. I have learnt so much about the health care system in Kenya, as well as the easy-going culture amongst the Kenyan people. The African Impact team here are so accommodating and are lovely people. I hope to visit again soon!”

Alex W, Australia
Medical Internship in Kenya

Other Activities

Nairobi is a big, bustling, and exciting city you need to experience at least once during your time in Kenya. A visit to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, a rescue center for orphaned elephants, is a favourite activity amongst volunteers. It is open for 1 hour a day where visitors can watch baby elephants get bottle-fed and take a mud bath. The Giraffe Center is also a must-do. Within Nairobi itself, there are all the other things you would expect from a major city – restaurants, bars and shops.
Kenya is arguably the best place in the world to see wildlife, so a trip here would not be complete without a visit to the world-renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve. If you volunteer between July to October, you’ll also get the chance to witness the Great Migration, where over 1.5 million wildebeest cross from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya – something not to be missed. However, regardless of when you visit, you will get a chance to see all the members of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino), which are found in the Maasai Mara Reserve. Your weekends are free, so it’s the perfect opportunity to go on a safari trip of a lifetime.
Gatamaiyu Forest is an hour from Brackenhurst and it has a spectacular 3-hour hiking trail that takes you through wild tropical rainforests in search of waterfalls.
Are you more of a beach bum than a safari lover? Or perhaps you would like to combine the safari and the beach? Kenya’s beautiful coast is certainly a hidden treasure and hotspot for surfing, snorkelling, deep-sea fishing, and other water sports. Diani Beach is a favourite among visitors and volunteers. And with a fantastic train journey available from Nairobi to Mombasa, it’s a great way to explore the coast and enjoy the tropical sunshine and warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean before you go home.

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Once you have submitted your application, a Destination Specialist will be in-touch to discuss the project with you.

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Project Fee Includes

  • Accommodation at our volunteer cottages at Brackenhurst estate
  • 3 delicious meals a day cooked by chefs from the local community (Monday to Friday only)
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off by the African Impact team
  • Experienced international and local staff members who are there to support you 24/7
  • Orientation program, including a security briefing and introduction to Kenya
  • Full training and mentoring within your chosen field, including weekly check-ins with a qualified doctor
  • Transport to and from your internship placement

Project Fee Excludes

  • Flights
  • Medical or travel insurance
  • Visa-related fees
  • Weekend trips or tours, or any other non-placement activity
  • All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, snacks, drinks, and clothing
  • Laundry
  • Mandatory contribution of US$25 that is donated to the African Impact Sustainability Fund
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