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The healthcare sector is so vast it can be confusing what you want to do, test drive a few options with an internship
With an estimated employment figure of around 13 million, the healthcare industry is full to bursting with opportunities, but job growth isn’t the only appealing factor! If making a difference is important to you then what could be more hands on than saving lives as part of your day job, it’s not always life or death but your work can ultimately make the biggest difference and will definitely make all of those years of study worthwhile!
People all over the world need care and opportunities within the healthcare industry are vast, so not only can you see the world while you make a difference, you can contribute in as large or a small a way as you like; not everyone has to be a brain surgeon!
It’s well known that to become a fully fledged doctor or surgeon it takes years of training and on-the-job placements, after all we’d be a bit worried if the person in charge of making you better wasn’t quite sure what they were doing! Professional occupations such as; physicians, surgeons, dentists, registered nurses and physical therapists, usually require at least a BA in a specialised field or higher education in a specific health field.
Not all roles, however, need 6 years training. Administration, managerial, supportive and technical roles can require as little as 2 years or no training, but that makes them no less important. Office work and the smallest of hospital based tasks can prove an invaluable contribution to making the system run as smoothly as possible and it’s just as important to get it right. The only hindrance of less training for such positions is that it can mean less experience before starting your chosen profession.
Internships are a great way of gaining on-the-job experience. Unlike normal work experience placements, there will be professionals on hand to give you support but you will be doing the actual job and will have an equal amount of responsibility. It makes sense that once you know the theory like the back of your hand there’s no better way to improve your skills than to get some practical experience.
It also makes sense to give your chosen profession a trial. It’s important to like what you’re doing 80% of the week; an internship will allow you to really experience what its like to work in physiotherapy or as a marketing executive for anything from a few months to a year. It’ll also give you a better idea of whether your chosen elective is definitely what you want to do!
Employers are always looking for that extra edge, proof that you’ve been able to cope with responsibility under extreme pressure and an extra dedication to healthcare that training alone may not be able to give. An internship at home can give you a great chance to put your training into practice but an internship abroad can offer a far more unique experience.
Not only is it a wonderful opportunity to explore another culture it’s a chance to experience a completely different healthcare system. You’ll be working with different methods of treatment, different systems of organisation and an ever varying array of people, perhaps even learning about ancient Chinese or Indian methods of treatment along with the modern ones!
As well as giving a broader insight into the realities of healthcare and everyday life in the developing countries, dealing with new and unpredictable situations can give you a hands-on taster of the work involved in permanent positions. You can exchange ideas and learn a thing or two about practices that might benefit patients back home or even make a few suggestions of your own to help the country you’re working in. All things that will improve your skills and make you really stand out from the crowd when it comes to finding a permanent placement!
Working in an industry as large as healthcare there are almost limitless opportunities and sectors to gain experience in; community health, health education, nursing, nutrition, hospital medicine and working with the elderly handicapped, to name just a few.
Generally internships abroad fall into three categories;
What you’ll be doing does depend on the level of experience you already have; pre-medical students could gain valuable insights watching doctors at work and assisting with procedures in Chile, recently qualified doctors could have their first real taste of responsibility working with patients in South Africa. The world really can be your oyster so it’s up to you what sort of experience you’d like to gain!
Internships can be arranged in a number of ways; through sponsors, your educational authority or you can arrange your own placement through a volunteering website; a couple of good places to look are;www.worktheworld.co.uk
and www.projects-abroad.co.ukFor more information on medical qualifications why not have a look at;www.dh.gov.uk
http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/travel-guides/44-Are-internships-abroad-worth-it-
http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/travel-guides/77-Internships-at-home-versus-overseas-
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Hi,
I'm really intersted in a career in nursing but have recently quit my course at uni (art history) to go travelling. Im bakcpacking round europe in a few weeks (which anyone can feel free to tag along by the way :) )
I'd like to know if yew can be totally un qualified in nursing but have some experience in working with disabilites and care etc. Is it possible to start the internship from scratch and do qualifications as you go along?
thanks :)
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it! San Francisco dermatologist
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