Pre Med Internships
The aim of international health internships is to assist medical interns to obtain overseas work experience and to also contribute as volunteers to health and development initiatives abroad. On average, internship programs use the statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), to identify health concerns and problems of specific countries and continents. Statistics gathered by the WHO indicates that the African continent is currently facing numerous and severe health concerns.
South Africa is considered to be among one of Africa’s most advanced countries. It has seen many successes that range from political to economical, as well as medical. The world will never forget the victory that placed Africa and particularly South Africa on the map after Dr Chris Barnard performed the world's first successful human-to-human heart transplant on 3 December 1967. The success of this operation put the African continent in the spotlight and highlighted the potential role we can play in the global medical field.
Decades after the medical triumph and glory of Dr Chris Barnard, South Africa faces various health care concerns. With a population of over 48,282,000 people the country’s top ten causes of death are:
* HIV/Aids,
* Cerebrovascular disease
* Ischaemic heart disease
* Lower respiratory infections
* Violence
* Tuberculosis
* Diarrhoeal diseases
* Road traffic accidents
* Diabetes mellitus
* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
It has become apparent that South Africa faces a severe long-term threat to its economy and its society because of the plight of the HI virus and Aids. The region has the highest HIV/AIDS infection levels in the entire world. According to the UN Joint Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); three-quarters of all African individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 who are HIV-positive are women. It has also been noted that HIV infection is highest among women and girls who have taken on nearly all the responsibilities of caring for the sick and orphaned, in addition to their regular obligations to provide food for their households. . These shocking statistics have lead to the initiation of numerous awareness campaigns throughout the country, among which is a campaign that is dedicated to helping young African women to counter the disease.
The rise in HIV and Aids-related diseases has led to the creation of a number of niche healthcare professions that focus on dealing with HIV/Aids- related matters. This emphasis and determination has resulted in yet another medical milestone for South Africa, when clinical tests of the first HIV vaccine developed in Africa were conducted in the United States in late November of 2008. Only a few developing countries have managed to successfully develop an HIV vaccine and see it through to human clinical trials. As a result, South Africa has witnessed a surge of individuals that have been granted health internships. These pre med internships welcome all aspiring medical professionals into the country to participate in the development and search of the elusive cure.
Apart from the medical war on HIV/Aids, there are several other healthcare sectors that an intern with a health internship to South Africa could get involved in. VA Corps are affiliated with a number of medical institutions and will be able to place you in an internship that will best suit your unique skill set and requirements. Enquire today - South Africa is an ideal destination for a health internship. There is a lot to be done and we need your help.
VACorps Testimonials
Read what past participants have to say about our program.
|
Kelly StoneGenre of Internship:Law Dates of Participation: June 2011 - August 2011 |
|
"I boarded a plane in mid-May having just finished my second year of law school. I left a great job and a set career path because I wasn’t happy. And ... read more
|
|
|
Jennifer ReynoldsGenre of Internship:Occupational Therapy Dates of Participation: August 2011 - November 2011 |
|
"There’s no easy way to sum up my experiences here. Everything I’ve done, everyone I’ve met and all the places I’ve been have been amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for ... read more |
|
|
Claire BrightonGenre of Internship:Law Dates of Participation: November 2009 - February 2010 |
|
"On the 19th of November 2009, fresh out of law exams, I boarded a plane bound for Cape Town, South Africa, in the pursuit of sunshine, adventure and ... read more |
|
|
Whitney TaylorGenre of Internship:Media and Gender Dates of Participation: May 2011 - August 2011 |
|
When I first thought about interning in South Africa, so many what-ifs ran through my mind. I knew everything would be different than what I was used to back home. ... read more |
|
|
Jeremy HintonGenre of Internship:Physical Therapy Dates of Participation: August 2011 - October 2011 |
|
''I tried my best to prepare for my two months in Cape Town. I Google-Mapped South Africa and spotted out a few of the big cities, I wikipedia’ed Cape Town ... read more |
|
|
Franca del SignoreGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: October 2009 - March 2010 |
|
"In the process of changing my career path, and having decided an internship was the best way to achieve this goal, I set out on a search for ... read more |
|
|
Luke ClearyGenre of Internship:Advertising Dates of Participation: June 2008 - August 2008 |
|
"Chances are, if you’ve made your way to the testimonials page of this website you’re already on the cusp of the adventure of a lifetime. Go for it. ... read more |
|
|
Alisha GibsonGenre of Internship:Medical Dates of Participation: March 2011 - May 2011 |
|
“My internship placement was, as I would say, banging!! It was the best ever! I got to experience my dream job of delivering babies right before my eyes. ... read more |
|
|
Juliane HundtGenre of Internship:Refugee Work Dates of Participation: April 2009 - June 2009 |
|
“VACorps was not the first internship program I participated in; however, the experience was one-of-a-kind. The organization was one of the few international placement agencies offering positions with a refugee ... read more |
|
|
Justin BeanGenre of Internship:Sustainable Energy Dates of Participation: June 2010 - August 2010 |
|
“Why do you want to go all the way to South Africa to do an internship?” Someone asked me before I departed for Cape Town. The ... read more |
|
|
Josh DilkGenre of Internship:Human Rights Law Dates of Participation: September 2009 - February 2010 |
|
Cape Town, South Africa was a natural destination for me when the recent economic recession postponed when I would begin working at my Firm. Having recently graduated from ... read more |
|
|
Gerald ThamGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: May 2010 - July 2010 |
|
"I'd like to thank the whole VACorps team for making this adventure-of-a-lifetime not only possible, but even more spectacular and meaningful than my wildest expectations! It's an even ... read more |
|
|
Elsa PetersonGenre of Internship:Social Work Dates of Participation: January 2009 - January 2009 |
|
“When I decided I wanted to travel and live abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, I had no idea that my life ... read more |
|
|
Michelle Pinter-PetrilloGenre of Internship:Urban Agriculture Dates of Participation: January 2011 - April 2011 |
|
“During my sophomore year while looking at options for studying abroad I quickly realized that I did not want to study at a university. Instead of spending my time in ... read more |
|
|
Tim LaRoccoGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: January 2009 - April 2009 |
|
“When the opportunity to participate in a professional internship in Africa presented itself to me, I had a feeling it ... read more |
|
|
Zach LoftonGenre of Internship:NGO Development Dates of Participation: March 2010 - July 2010 |
|
"My ten weeks in Cape Town, South Africa were invaluable! It was easily one of the greatest experiences of my life. Volunteer Adventure Corps provided me with an ... read more |
|
|
Giulia NotariGenre of Internship:Gender Advocacy Dates of Participation: July 2011 - September 2011 |
|
" VAC's passion for Cape Town and South Africa is contagious. I am leaving Observatory very sad and nostalgic because thanks to VAC I have had an amazing experience and ... read more |
|
|
Anna DowlingGenre of Internship:Medical Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
|
Spending four months of my life in South Africa has been a life-changing experience that has transformed and enriched me as a person. Working at Heideveld Day Clinic offered me ... read more |
|
|
Kelly SmithGenre of Internship:Social Work Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
|
In my language there is a saying “Ndiwelimilambo enamagama” ( I have crossed famous rivers). It means that one has traveled a great distance, that one has had wide experience ... read more |
|
|
Matt RussellGenre of Internship:IT/Software Development Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
|
From the first day I arrived in Cape Town, feeling like a naïve tourist at the airport to the final hours I spent trying to squeeze in one last hike, ... read more |
|
