logo
  • Internships
    • Program Overview
    • Program Dates & Program Fees
    • Program Safety and Security
    • Healthcare Internships in Peru
    • Medicine | Pre-Medicine
    • Physician Assistant | Pre-PA
    • Dentistry | Pre-Dentistry
    • Nursing | Pre-Nursing
    • Nutrition | Dietetics
    • Physical Therapy
    • Mental Health
    • Midwifery
    • Alumni Testimonials
    • GoAbroad Reviews
  • Admissions Consulting
    • Consulting and Advising Services
    • Secondary Essay Prompts Database
    • Average GPA & MCAT for Med Schools
    • Medical School GPA Calculator
    • Medical School Tuition Database
    • Medical School Guides
    • PA School Map
    • MCAT Calculator
  • Global Initiatives
    • Overview
    • Kenya
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Haiti
    • Colombia
    • Ecuador
    • Peru
  • Adventure
    • East Africa
    • South America
    • Caribbean
  • Pre-Health Blog
  • About Us
    • Message From Our Founders
    • Program Safety and Security
    • Ambassador Program
    • Alumni Testimonials
    • Contact Us
Apply Now
Apply Now

Internships Allowed Me to Develop a Deeper Appreciation for Medicine

Ivy Klabunde

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Pre-PA Internship Abroad

Boarding my flight for Kenya, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I would be in a hospital rotating through different specialties and volunteering during the week. I chose to observe a variety of specialties in order to expose myself to a variety of cases within the hospital. I also knew that I would get out of my experience what I put in. I went into this trip with an open mind and willingness to learn. I wanted to take this as an opportunity to motivate me in my academic career moving forward. I knew that I wanted to go to school to become a physician assistant, but I wanted to begin my exposure to medicine in an environment that is completely different from the United States. In doing this, I would allow myself to step out of my comfort zone in order to learn the most about not only medicine in Kenya, but also the way of life there. I could then also realize how fortunate we are in the United States to have access to so many medical supplies and to see how Kenyans adapt to supply and staff shortages.

According to a lecture series that was presented during my orientation day in Kenya, the national poverty line for Kenyans is making less than 2 USD a day and about 40% of Kenyans are below this number. This means that 40% of people living in Kenya can’t afford basic necessities, let alone healthcare. This was a very tough concept to grasp but was very evident in my time at Coast Provincial General Hospital on many different occasions.

I remember one of my first days at the hospital I saw a sign on each ward that showed the services offered to patients and the price. Most services were free, but not all. One of the interns I was with was baffled by the idea that a major surgery only costed the equivalent of 100 USD. To us, that seemed affordable and was surprising. However, the reality of the situation is that many people cannot afford that because it is 50 times more than the poverty line. This leads to patients not receiving surgeries or medications because of the cost.

Another difference in the healthcare systems between Kenya and the United States is the method of payment for services. In the United States, if a surgery is needed or lifesaving medication is required for a patient, they receive the treatment and are billed later. Of course, this leads to a huge burden of debt from medical bills. According to a medical officer that I was observing in Mombasa, if the patient does not have the money up front, they do not receive care at CPGH. This was heartbreaking to witness as patients who had options for continuing care were trapped in a corner due to the price. However, this is the case for so many people who live in this country.

The highlight of my trip was being able to do a few night shifts in the labor ward. My mother is a labor and delivery nurse in the United States, so I had a rough idea of what giving birth involved. However, watching my first delivery on night shift was shocking. Having the ability to watch different moms bring new life into this world every hour or so was an incredibly humbling and invaluable experience. Each time I watched a new birth I was reminded that there is no pain medication offered to the moms here, but the exhaustion of delivery was quickly washed away by the joy of a newborn baby.

During one of my night shifts I talked to a midwife about her career and what she has seen in her years at CPGH. I couldn’t help but mention how many children people have at such young ages in Kenya, especially since there is high population of those in poverty. She told me that Kenyans do their best to not worry about money. They know that they will be able to make ends meet one way or another, but correlating having kids with lack of money never crosses their mind. I found that to be inspirational that they leave material wealth up to a higher power and appreciate everything that they do have.

All of these experiences and many more allowed me to develop a deeper appreciation for medicine and a desire to be able to do more. After doing my rotations, I am elated to continue my education and upon completion of school I want to come back to Kenya. I want to return when I am qualified to do more at the hospitals and when I can make more of an impact on the people who cannot afford medical care.

I would not have been able to experience any of this without International Medical Aid. The program had an amazing staff that was more than willing to help out with any problems that arose, or questions that came up. They also made sure that the interns knew what was expected of them throughout their stay. I learned so much about not only healthcare in Kenya, but also about daily life on that side of the world. I would not trade my experience for anything, and I hope to someday return the favor.

Read More Alumni Testimonials
"Experience Challenged Me To Advocate for Better Healthcare for All"

Judy Birchmier

Morningside College
Read More
"Home Away from Home"

Sarah B.

University of Ottawa
Read More
"Forever Changed My Life and My Perspective on Healthcare"

Isabelle Hammack

San Francisco State University
Read More
"Loved Every Aspect of Working with International Medical Aid"

Jessica Byrne

University of Delaware
Read More
"Coming Back to Kenya with IMA for a Second Time was the Best Decision"

Katie Fairhurst

University of Pittsburgh
Read More
"So Glad That I Took the Leap and Applied for International Medical Aid"

Shana Thomas

Texas Tech University
Read More
"This Internship Gave Me Much More Than I Could Have Ever Asked For"

Alejandra Rivera

Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Read More
"Experience Will Make Me A Better Doctor"

Anna Marduy

União Metropolitana de Ensino e Cultura
Read More
"Kathleen M"

Kathleen M

Cleveland Clinic
Read More
"Last Six Weeks Have Both Exceeded and Challenged My Expectations"

Fiona Huang

University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine
Read More
"Indescribable Experience on Personal and Professional Level"

Cassandra Carey

Niagara University
Read More
"Internship Has Motivated Me Beyond Belief"

Hannah Cantwell

Rhodes College
Read More
"Roots of Change"

Emma Marchese

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Read More
"Blessed with This Opportunity and All Its Teachings"

Cleyling Lassalle

University of South Florida
Read More
"Program Taught Me So Much About Healthcare Delivery"

Andrew

Davidson College
Read More
"Experience in Kenya Strengthened My Resolve to Pursue a Career in Healthcare"

Brenn Manwaring

Brigham Young University
Read More
"Best Experience of My Life"

Chloë Jay

Bellevue College/Redmond Care and Rehabilitation Center
Read More
"Internship Impacted Me in Ways I Never Expected"

Katherine Chen

McMaster University
Read More
"My Experience Will Guide My Future Path"

Corinna M

ISGlobal/Universitat de Barcelona
Read More
"Incredible Experience with International Medical Aid"

Angela

California State University of Fullerton
Read More
"Productive, Engaging, and Humbling Internship Experience"

Patrick M

University of California, Los Angeles
Read More
"Entirely Different and Remarkable Experience"

Carly Wiltshire

Registered Nurse, Convalescent Home of Winnipeg
Read More
"Experience Validated My Desire to Pursue Medicine"

Abinaa Chandrakumar

University of Toronto
Read More
"IMA’s program is the best decision I ever made"

Cassidy Welsh

Memorial University of Newfoundland
Read More
"By Far One of the Greatest Experiences of My Life"

Asia Williams

Prairie View A&M University
Read More
"Learned More Than I Could Have Ever Asked For"

Anna M

NAW Berlin
Read More
"Incredible Experience, Can’t Wait to go Back to Kenya"

Anna Hollas

Stephen F. Austin State University
Read More
"Quality Program with Enriching Opportunities"

Thomas Suh

Saint Louis University
Read More
"My Invaluable Experiences both Inside and Outside the Hospital Reinvigorated my Fantasy to Become a Field Doctor"

Sarah.B

Morningside College
Read More
"Incredibly Eye-Opening and Worthwhile Experience"

KH

Cleveland Clinic
Read More

Take the Next Step

Apply Now Admissions Consulting
logo

Internships

  • Medicine
  • Physician Assistant
  • Dentistry
  • Nursing
  • Nutrition
  • Mental Health
  • Physical Therapy
  • Midwifery

Resources

  • How It Works
  • Program Safety and Security
  • Program Dates & Program Fees
  • Alumni Interviews
  • Alumni Testimonials
  • GoAbroad Reviews
  • Pre-Health Blog

Admissions Consulting

  • Advising Services
  • Med School Guides
  • Average GPA & MCAT
  • Secondary Prompts
  • Med School Tuition
  • PA School Tuition
  • PA School Map
  • GPA Calculator
  • MCAT Calculator

Contact Us

4301 50th St NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20016

General Information

admissions@medicalaid.org

ADMISSIONS CONSULTING

consulting@medicalaid.org

Media Inquiries

marketing@medicalaid.org

Keep in Touch

International Medical Aid (IMA) provides students and institutions community-based global health education and study abroad programs. International Medical Aid, Inc. is a federally registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in the United States. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under law.


Globally Trusted, Alumni Approved


All Rights Reserved © 2025 International Medical Aid
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
Cleantalk Pixel