At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- Join us on a medical internship in Jamaica and get the work experience you need to get a good knowledge in medicine. You will shadow doctors in a large hospital, and make up your known.
- Be prepared to learn a lot, and ask if there are any questions! What you see in Jamicia may be different to what you see at home. The experience will give you a deeper insight into the medicins world.
- You live and work in Mandeville, where you will have a unparalleled learning experience surrounded by the beauty of the tropical Caribbean.
Details
- Observe doctors on their rounds
- Spend time in several hospital departments
- Participate in outreach work
- Health education campaigns
- Medical seminars
Includes/Excludes
Food and accommodation
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
Itinerary
Our medical internship is perfect for any student with an interest in medicine. Medical work experience in Jamaica will boost your CV, and your university or job application. Your experience will also be invaluable in interviews, so talk about what you learned and the challenges you faced.
Our medical placements in Jamaica give you an insight into how different departments work and the day-to-day operations of a hospital. Part of your experience will also include seeing how conditions like Chikungunya and Zika are diagnosed and treated.
You’ll also give back to the community through outreach work. You’ll help provide basic medical care where it’s needed most, and share knowledge about about preventing and managing diseases.
You can join the medicine internship in Jamaica at any time throughout the year, and stay for as little as two weeks. We encourage you to stay for a longer period to get as much as possible from the experience.
Please note that you have to be 18 years or older to join this project.
Medical interns are placed at either a regional hospital or a health centre in the town of Mandeville. Your placement depends on your level of experience. If you have no previous experience, or are in your first or second year of medical studies, you work at the health centre. If you are in your third year of medical studies and upward, you will work at the regional hospital.
The two placements provide slightly different working environments. At the hospital, you can spend time in:
- General medicine
- Paediatrics
- Gynaecology
- Obstetrics
- General surgery
- Accident and emergency
The health centre specialises in:
- Wellness
- Psychiatry
- Family planning
- Child and maternal health
- HIV/STI
Please be aware that if you are only in Jamaica for a short time, this may limit the number of departments you can spend time in. Contact us directly for more information about this.
You’ll work at a hospital or health centre in Jamaica. At both placements, there are plenty of opportunities for medical interns. Here are the tasks you can expect to do:
- Shadow doctors as they diagnose and treat patients at a large hospital
- Spend time in several hospital departments, including surgery, gynaecology, and paediatrics
- Provide basic medical treatment during outreaches in disadvantaged communities
- Give health talks in communities and schools and focus on topics like nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and personal hygiene
- Participate in medical seminars
Mornings are the busiest at hospitals and health centres in Jamaica. This is when you will be most active in watching and learning from doctors and nurses.
You will arrive at your placement between 8am and 8:30am, and your work day will end at about 3pm. There is the option to work until 5:00pm, but this is up to you.
During your work hours, you can follow doctors during their ward rounds. You’ll sit in on consultations and listen as doctors diagnose patients and prescribe treatment. You’ll also shadow nurses as they administer medication and provide patient care.
Your afternoons will be less busy, which will give you time to prepare for health talks and campaigns or explore the town.
On some days, you’ll break away from your normal schedule to take part in community outreaches.
Mandeville
You’ll live and work in the university town of Mandeville.
Mandeville has a small town feel. It’s a four hour drive from the popular beach town, Montego Bay, and a similar distance from the nation’s capital, Kingston.
Your medical placement in Jamaica depends on your level of experience. If you have no previous experience or are in your first or second year of studies, you work at a health centre. Students in third year or higher are placed in a hospital, where you will rotate through more wards and departments.
The regional hospital is one of the major hospitals in the area, but does struggle with limited resources.
Both placements are within walking distance from the Projects Abroad office, and are easy to get to by taxi from your host family.
During your free time, you can discover majestic waterfalls on hikes or relax on idyllic beaches. Some memorable places to visit include Portland, Ocho Rios, Negril, YS Falls, and Treasure Beach.
Food and accommodation
You’ll stay with a host family in Mandeville. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Jamaica and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your programme fee includes three meals a day.
Free Time and Leisure Activities
When you think of the tropical Caribbean, Jamaica is one of the first countries that comes to mind. With its white-sand beaches and vibrant culture, this island nation has a lot to offer. It’s an amazing location to volunteer in, and explore during your free time.
The local cuisine is definitely worth trying, with tasty dishes like Jamaican patties and jerk chicken. You can enjoy these at seaside restaurants and then head down to the sea for a cooling swim in the ocean.
With a rich culture and friendly locals, exploring markets and museums is a must-do. Visiting the famous Bob Marley Museum in Kingston makes for an enlightening weekend trip. While you’re there, you can also tour Fort Charles and the National Heroes Park.
There will be other volunteers working on different projects in Jamaica while you’re there. This means you can choose to explore independently or connect with other volunteers and travel as a group.
