5-Things No One Tells You Before Interning Abroad as a Pre-Med Student

The Unspoken Truths Behind Every Transformational Internship

You've researched the programs, chosen your destination, and even started brushing up on Swahili. But before you pack your stethoscope and boarding pass, there are a few things no one tells you about what it’s really like to intern abroad as a pre-med student.

At Go Elective, we’ve guided hundreds of students through immersive healthcare internships in Kenya and Tanzania. Along the way, we’ve seen what surprises them the most—and what changes them for good.

Here are five honest, experience-based insights to prepare you mentally, emotionally, and professionally for your time abroad.

You’ll Feel Underqualified—And That’s Okay

You won’t be diagnosing patients or scrubbing in for surgery—and that’s not only expected, it’s exactly how it should be.

As a pre-med student, your role is to observe, absorb, and ask questions. You’re there to shadow experienced doctors and learn how healthcare works in a real-world, often under-resourced setting.

At first, you might feel overwhelmed. You may not understand the local clinical workflows or the diseases you encounter (think: malaria, TB, late-stage cancers). That’s part of the growth.

TIP: Keep a notebook. Write down what you see. Then look it up later. You’ll grow faster than you think.

✅ Go Elective ensures every intern is supervised by qualified physicians and never asked to go beyond their training level.

You’ll Learn More About People Than Pathology

Yes, you’ll see fascinating medical cases—but the real education comes from human stories.

You’ll meet:

Mothers who walk miles to get their children vaccinated
Patients who delay care due to cultural stigma or cost
Clinicians doing incredible work with limited resources
Community health workers saving lives outside hospital walls

What you'll realize is this: medicine is as much about listening, empathy, and cultural understanding as it is about lab values or CT scans.

“One of my most powerful moments was holding a patient’s hand while the doctor explained her diagnosis in Swahili. I didn’t understand the words, but I understood the emotion.” — Former Go Elective intern

Culture Shock Is Real—and It’s Not Always About What You Expect

You might be prepared for different foods, slower internet, or crowded public transport. But culture shock also shows up in subtle ways:

The way patients interact with doctors
How pain, mental health, or childbirth are expressed
The pace of life and how time is perceived
The role of religion in medical decisions

You may also find yourself confronting your own biases or discomforts. That’s normal—and part of what makes an international internship so powerful.

TIP: Approach differences with curiosity, not judgment. Ask “Why?” more than “Why don’t they…?”

✅ Go Elective offers cultural orientation, Swahili basics, and support from local staff to help you adjust and thrive.

Your Days Will Be Long—but Incredibly Rewarding

Forget rigid class schedules or set lecture times. In a hospital in Kenya or Tanzania, your day might start at 8 AM in the maternity ward and end at 6 PM after a round in pediatrics.

You’ll likely rotate through departments such as:

Emergency and Trauma
Internal Medicine
Surgery and Orthopedics
OB/GYN
Pediatrics
Community Outreach Clinics, and more.

It’s intense—but also deeply immersive. No simulation lab or shadowing in the U.S. compares to watching doctors triage three patients at once with nothing but clinical skills and creativity.

Pro tip: Build rest into your evenings and take weekends off to explore and reflect. Burnout abroad is real.

This Experience Will Stick With You—for Life

You may sign up to check off clinical hours or add something impressive to your med school app. And yes, it’ll help you do both.

But what you’ll gain goes far beyond a resume boost:

Increased cultural humility and global health awareness
Greater resilience and independence
Stronger commitment to underserved communities
Personal stories that shape your med school essays and interviews
A broader definition of what it means to “heal”

“I came to learn about medicine. I left knowing more about humanity, resourcefulness, and why I want to be a physician.” — Go Elective intern, Tanzania

Bonus: What Can You Do to Make the Most of It?

Before you go:

✅ Learn about common diseases in your destination (malaria, TB, HIV)
✅ Practice journaling and reflection
✅ Bring a curious mindset—not a savior complex
✅ Pack light, but bring essential items like scrubs, closed-toe shoes, hand sanitizer, and a water bottle
✅ Prepare to listen more than you speak

Final Thoughts: Go In Prepared—Come Out Transformed

Interning abroad as a pre-med student is not easy. It challenges your assumptions, tests your patience, and pushes you outside your comfort zone.

But it also deepens your sense of purpose, sharpens your clinical insight, and gives you stories that no textbook ever could.

If you're looking for more than just hours—if you're ready to grow—then interning in Kenya or Tanzania might just be the most important step you take toward medical school.

Ready for a Global Clinical Internship That Changes You?

Join Go Elective for a pre-med internship in East Africa.

✓ Public teaching hospital placements
✓ Supervised clinical shadowing
✓ Cultural orientation and local support
✓ Flexible start dates and safe housing

Apply today and take the leap into healthcare that challenges, educates, and inspires.