- Sitemap:
- Projects Abroad /
- Intern in South America /
- Medicine /
- Bolivia /
International Medical Internships in Bolivia
Bolivia is a great place to intern abroad on a medical internship in South America. Interns on our Medicine & Healthcare internship work at various Centros de Salud – public health clinics that are open to everyone living in Cochabamba regardless of their ability to pay. Since the facilities are basic, the clinics mostly attend to minor emergencies, accidents and routine visits. There isn’t enough funding to maintain the facilities in complete working order or provide the hospital with sufficient staff or materials. As an intern you will be able to observe many types of health issues while working in facilities that are very different to what you’re used to back home.
At the Centros de Salud, you have the opportunity to intern in a variety of departments; possible options include nursing, pediatrics, gynecology, admissions and pharmacy work. You can also get involved in the local community by assisting in vaccination programs and dental health campaigns that the clinics organize throughout the year.
The Burns Unit in the Hospital of Cochabamba treats children from 0 to 15 years old. Around 200 patients pass through their doors each year. With fifteen beds - three in the intensive care unit - and quite basic medical facilities, you'll find there is a lot to take in.
The doctors often have to reuse bandages and the intensive care unit lacks respirators and monitoring equipment, though the staff remains extremely dedicated. Currently, our supervisor is the senior resident doctor and other members of staff include a nurse and her assistant, three interns, two physical therapists and an anesthetist.
Aside from your observational work at the clinic, your assistance may be needed with basic duties such as making beds, bathing and lifting the children onto beds and into wheelchairs. Equally important are the basic medical tasks such as bandaging, taking blood pressure, and dressing wounds. The doctor may also need help in the surgery room, passing equipment and monitoring patients. This international medical internship is ideal for people who are already qualified or currently studying medicine or nursing. If you do not have any previous experience or qualifications, your role will be limited to that of an observational intern.
The Burns Unit can only take interns who are able to commit to working with them for three months or more. The Centros de Salud are happy to have interns from a month onwards.
Interns on the Medicine & Healthcare internship will need intermediate Spanish in order to communicate directly with the majority of doctors and patients. However, we can arrange a translator for interns who do not have sufficient Spanish language skills. Many interns who lack confidence in their Spanish normally take a Language course or join a Teaching or Care project before beginning their Medicine & Healthcare internship. This gives you the opportunity to improve your language skills before starting the medical part of your internship.
Physical Therapy Internships in Bolivia
Physical Therapy interns are needed to work at various centers for disabled children. The centers help children through a variety of sessions including physical therapy, hydrotherapy, psychology, and speech therapy and interns with skills in these other areas would also be very welcome. Interns also get involved in identifying and working with children from local orphanages who need to receive physical therapy or other treatments. As with all our Medicine & Healthcare projects, your exact role will depend on your level of experience and knowledge.
Occasionally we also send Physical Therapy interns to work at the Burns Unit. There is more need here for qualified and experienced physical therapists. Working at the Burns Unit can be shocking and volunteers need to be well prepared. Situations where patients are badly burned and treatment is painful and uncomfortable can be very hard to witness. However, by helping here you will start to understand the problems faced in Bolivia, and your presence and assistance will make a difference to both the patients and the staff.
Nursing Internships in Bolivia
If you are a trained nurse, nursing student, on a gap year, career break or vacation period and interested in gaining some experience in the field, you could intern abroad with us in Bolivia. Our Nursing interns work with the Centros de Salud around Cochabamba and its outskirts. Interns can also get involved in some of our very rewarding community outreach programs.
Dentistry Internships in Bolivia
Whether you are planning to study dentistry, a trained professional looking to gain some international experience, or somewhere in-between, Projects Abroad Dentistry placements in Bolivia offer a great opportunity to both help and learn at a project that is literally one of a kind.
Dentistry interns work at a Centro de Salud, which offers dental programs to the public. Interns are assigned to a specific Centro and will work as a dental assistant alongside the qualified local dentists. You will have the opportunity to observe and help out with a huge variety of dental procedures, from fillings to root canals and tooth extractions, and may even have the opportunity to observe complex orthodontic surgeries. The public health system in Bolivia offers dental care and education to children and adults of all ages.
The Centros de Salud are open from 8am - 12 noon and 2pm - 6pm. Interns usually work either the morning or afternoon shift, but depending on your energy, you could also choose to work a full day.
Occupational Therapy Internships in Bolivia
As a training or qualified Occupational Therapy intern, you’ll be placed in an institution for people who are mentally and physically disabled. While residents have access to the necessary physical therapy care, there’s limited number of staff who don’t have enough time to spend one-on-one with individuals. Physical facilities in these care institutions are often ill suited for those with disabilities and are in dire need of a skilled redesign. By coming into the home, you can use your knowledge of occupational therapy to assess and treat the wide variety of physical and psychiatric conditions. You may be able to help patients find purposeful activities they can participate in as well as promote an independent lifestyle.
Depending on your interest, you could also choose to spend some time at a center for older patients who have diseases such as dementia. Here your skills could be put into action by training patients to compensate for cognitive decline or teaching their caregivers in coping-behaviors and supervision. The one-on-one attention you are able to give them could make a vital difference to their condition.
Intermediate Spanish is recommended for this placement to allow interns to communicate with both staff and their patients.
International Medical Electives in Bolivia
You can do an Elective in Bolivia in Medicine, Physical therapy, Nursing, or Midwifery.
If you are currently enrolled in medical school and choose to do your elective in Bolivia, you will most likely be working in a hospital or health center in Cochabamba. You will have a supervisor who will coordinate your internship and act as interpreter in departments where the standard of English is not so high. They will be eager to test out your medical knowledge as well as give you the benefit of their training and experience.
Outside of the hospital you will live with a local host family that is near your work. Cochabamba is a lively and entertaining city and there are always a number of other Projects Abroad volunteers and interns around for you to explore it with.