ELI Abroad | Medical and Dental Internships in Thailand

This summer I participated in a 4 week medical internship in Chiang Mai Thailand. I want to go to medical school after I graduate college and this program was exactly what I was looking for!! Every week we visited a different department. I went to the operating room, the emergency room, orthopedics, and neonatal (half a week) and ICU (half a week). This internship made me very excited about a career in medicine and helped me figure out what aspects of medicine interest me the most. The doctors and residents were really nice and always eager to explain what we were seeing. It was really interesting being in Thailand because we were able to learn about some diseases that they do not have in the USA such as dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and tuberculosis (we didn't actually see the tb patients because we had to keep our distance but the doctors taught us a lot about it). Some of the most interesting cases I saw in the OR were c sections, a total knee replacement, emergency brain surgery (from a motorbike accident), open heart surgery, a skin graft, a bone graft (on the spine), eye surgery, and so many others! I highly recommend this program to anyone who is serious about pursuing a career in medicine. I learned so much!!!

But besides the actual internship, Thai people are so wonderful and kind and Chiang Mai is the best city to live in! You can walk most places but you can also get a cab for 60 cents or so to anywhere in the city!! It's such a great place to live and if youre interested in the night life there are some cool bars and night clubs that people go to frequently. Also, thai food is the best!!! (Meals are like 1-5$ usually so its super cheap and actually some of the best food I've ever eaten). At least once a week we would go to the pad Thai restaurant by our house and get a plate of delicious pad Thai for less than a dollar. Also they have really cool markets all over the city where you can find really neat things and great souvenirs.

the guest house we live in is really good quality (wifi, tv in the rooms,nice kitchen and living room). And it's in the perfect location. Also, The people I met during my program were awesome and we had so much fun together!! I miss this summer so much and want to go back! I highly recommend this program, but I think you should go for a minimum of 4 weeks. Two weeks is too short for the medical internship and doesn't give you time to see very much. The people who signed up for the two week program all extended to four weeks because it was so great!
This was the best summer of my life!! I love this program and highly recommend. You will not regret it!!