Community Healthcare Internship in Peru

Live and work in the outskirts of the Peruvian Amazon and gain valuable experience at a local health center offering medical support and assistance. This is an ideal program for a medical or nursing student to learn and give back whilst experiencing this incredible natural beauty of this remote corner of Peru.

This conservation-focused organization’s overall goal is to produce a long-lasting change in the way local communities interact with the rainforest. They work towards this through a range of programs including youth empowerment, education, and promoting tourism in the region. Their intention is to reduce poverty by providing new job opportunities, thus diminishing the reliance on environmentally harmful activities and financially incentivising sustainable practices in the area. As part of this work, they provide medical support to the healthcare system in Puerto Inca, a remote province of the Huánuco region which struggles with poor infrastructure, overcrowding, and limited resources.

Your role as an intern to help provide this medical support. There are a range of departments in need of help so the exact nature of your work will be determined by your training and qualifications. In all cases though, you can expect packed days dealing with the chaotic demands of healthcare provision in a rural, underdeveloped area. This could be administering vaccinations, suturing wounds, conducting physical examinations, or any number of other things.

This is a conservation-focused NGO based on the outskirts of the Peruvian Amazon working to protect the rainforest through youth empowerment and community development. They have a series of goals aimed to reduce poverty and drive sustainable development in the local region including improving education for children for the area, teaching English skills, and creating infrastructure for tourism. They believe that by building skills and creating new job opportunities, they can curtail activities that harm the rainforest and incentivize its conservation.

What you’ll pay (2023 rates)

8 weeks USD 2,601
12 weeks USD 3,259
16 weeks USD 3,918
20 weeks USD 4,576
26 weeks USD 5,564

What you are paying for:

• Careful matchmaking. It takes time to find the right internship for each person, and we take this process very seriously.
• Initial interview with one of our team to gauge your skills, interests, and desired learning outcomes.
• Shared accommodation in one of the huts in Puerto Inca with access to basic amenities, cooking facilities, and WIFI
• Breakfast & lunch during working days. You will need to cook your own food during evening time and weekends
• Transfer from/to the airport of Pucallpa or bus station (ride from Pucallpa to Puerto
  Inca takes 3 hours approximately)
• Assistance with your visa arrangement & other preparations
• An orientation program with your supervisor
• Supervision and support during your internship
• Regular check-ins and feedback from your supervisor
• Spanish classes (4 hours per week). Extra classes can be booked at an additional fee
• Activities: five trips to different spots in the rainforest including camping trip as well as fruit picking and an artisanal making chocolate workshop
• Access to workshops with a focus on career development
• Troubleshooting if needed
• A reference letter at the end of your internship

Excludes:

• Flights
• Visa, medical and travel insurance costs for the duration of your placement – must include cover for repatriation
• Daily transport to the clinic. It’s a 10-15 minute walk, but if you don’t want to walk, you can take a tuk tuk
• Meals during weekends and evenings
• Drinks, snacks, and items of personal nature (f.e. curios, gifts, clothing)
• Costs for additional excursions or activities