What You’ll Actually Do in Pre-PA Internships Abroad | Clinical Guide

If you’re planning to apply to PA school, you already know how important clinical experience is. But what if you want more than just shadowing at your local clinic? That’s where pre-physician assistant internships abroad come in — giving you immersive, patient-centered exposure in real hospital settings.

In this guide, we break down exactly what pre-PA students do during international internships, especially in programs like Go Elective’s placements in East Africa. You’ll learn what to expect day-to-day, how these experiences align with PA school requirements, and why global clinical exposure can make your application stand out.

> Explore Go-Electives Pre-PA and PA Internships Abroad

Why pre-PA internships abroad are valuable

Physician assistant programs are highly competitive, and most require a combination of:

Direct patient care experience (PCE)
Healthcare-related experience (HCE)
Clinical hours
Demonstrated understanding of healthcare systems and team-based care

An internship abroad through a program like Go Elective can help fulfill these requirements while offering benefits you might not get at home:

Broader exposure to conditions like malaria, TB, and maternal health

Deeper understanding of healthcare challenges in low-resource settings
Stronger narratives for your CASPA application and interviews
Cultural competence and adaptability — key traits for modern PAs

What you’ll actually do during a pre-PA internship abroad

We encourage our interns to be proactive in seeking learning opportunities and to cultivate strong relationships with their mentors, as this helps build trust and leads to being entrusted with greater responsibilities.

#1. Rotating across departments

Go Elective interns rotate through several departments based on their interests and duration of stay.

Core departments:

Emergency Medicine: Triage, trauma, and urgent care
Pediatrics: Diagnosing and managing childhood diseases
Obstetrics & Gynecology: Antenatal care, deliveries, and postnatal management
Surgery: Observing C-sections, appendectomies, orthopedic interventions
Internal Medicine: Managing chronic and infectious diseases

These rotations give you well-rounded exposure and a clearer idea of your future specialty interests.

#2. Working with/Shadowing licensed medical professionals

You’ll be placed in a public hospital, where you’ll work alongside clinicians — including doctors, clinical officers (similar to PAs), nurses, and lab staff.

Activities include:

Observing ward rounds in pediatrics, internal medicine, OB/GYN, and surgery
Sitting in on outpatient consultations and triage
Learning how differential diagnoses are formed with limited resources
Seeing how team-based care operates in real time

Shadowing offers direct insight into the collaborative, fast-paced decision-making process that defines the PA role.

#3. Learning basic clinical skills (under supervision)

Depending on your experience and comfort level, you may practice or assist with:

Taking vitals
Preparing sterile fields or dressing wounds
Observing lab procedures and test processing
Participating in health education or outreach events

Note: No intern is ever expected to perform procedures or provide care independently. All learning is closely supervised to ensure ethical standards and patient safety.

Sample day in the life of a pre-PA intern

7:30 AM – Depart for the hospital with Go Elective driver
8:00 AM – Join morning handover and rounds in Internal Medicine
10:30 AM – Observe outpatient consultations with a clinical officer
1:00 PM – Break and lunch
2:00 PM – Rotate into Maternity Ward for delivery observations
4:30 PM – Return to residence, debrief with program coordinator
Evening – Journal reflection, group discussion, or cultural activity (Swahili class, local cooking lesson)

How this experience supports your PA school application

Most PA programs expect 500–2,000+ hours of PCE or HCE, and they value experience that:

Shows commitment to underserved populations
Demonstrates maturity, teamwork, and adaptability
Offers depth beyond shadowing — including patient interaction, communication, and clinical judgment

A pre-PA internship abroad can be logged as:

Healthcare-related experience (HCE)
Shadowing (if observational)
Leadership/volunteer/community experience (if you assist in health outreach)

For best results:

Track your hours daily (department, role, mentor, reflections)
Use your experience in your CASPA personal statement and secondary essays
Ask for a letter of recommendation from your supervising clinician if applicable

Why Go Elective is ideal for pre-PA students

Go Elective’s pre-physician assistant internships are designed to meet the specific needs of PA applicants:

Placements in high-volume hospitals in Kenya and Tanzania
Rotations that mirror the generalist medical model of PA education
Daily supervision from local clinicians and dedicated program coordinators
Small group sizes (4–8 students) for better access and mentorship
Airport pickup, meals, housing, and licensing support included
Cultural excursions and optional safari add-ons for well-rounded learning

Interns can join for as little as 2 weeks or stay up to 8+ weeks, depending on goals and school requirements.

Final thoughts

Pre-PA internships abroad are more than just travel — they’re a powerful way to deepen your understanding of healthcare, gain meaningful experience, and clarify your career path. If you’re serious about becoming a physician assistant, early exposure to team-based care in real hospital settings will shape how you learn, how you lead, and how you serve.

Programs like Go Elective offer safe, structured, and ethically guided placements that help you build clinical confidence while making a real difference.

> Apply Here or contact us via hello@goelective.com