InternshipDesk

I was part of the summer of 2011 India immersion program. It was an exciting program because although InternshipDesk has a lot of experience with sending interns to China, India was kind of a brand new venture and to be part of the first group was a really exciting experience.

It was the summer of my sophomore year and it was one of the first times I have really gotten to travel by myself. I really didn't know anyone else in the group so naturally I was a little nervous going to a country across the world with a group of other interns that I have never met before. But one thing that InternshipDesk did that really erased all those feelings was that first weekend trip to the Himalayas that we all took as a group. Business and professionalism set aside, when we were trekking the Himalayas together we instantly became a family. I got to know each and every one of the other interns on a personal level and it gave me a small community in India that I grew to trust.

I worked for Medsave, a TPA that handled healthcare and medical insurance. After gaining a little info about the company, they had me going out to enrollment camps to help setup and actually get some hands on work in the enrollment process of the RSBY healthcare program designed to give healthcare to the millions of people living below the poverty line. The experience was unbelievable and really helped to put everything I learned in the States in a different perspective, especially as a sophomore in college.

Other than just the work aspect, there were plenty of cultural experiences that helped make this one of the most unforgettable summers of my life. We had weekly business talks with leaders of a wide variety of different industries, one even including one of the leaders of the World Bank! There were also trips to Agra, Jaipur, and Amritsar to see places like the Golden Temple, the Taj Mahal and handicraft emporiums that really helped submerge me in an Indian culture that I never thought would be so beautiful.

Some tips I would have for anyone going on this trip are:

1) Definitely be aware of what you are eating and drinking! Always eat fruits that you have to peel yourself, always drink bottled water, and make sure the food you are eating is hot and fresh (Aka not been sitting out for a while). Although it might take some time for your stomach to get used to the food, the combination of herbs and spices used in making some of the dahls and currys are absolutely delicious! Chicken Korma and Paneer have become two of my favorite foods.

2) Make the most of your off weekends. You are going to have weekends that you have free, definitely take the time to travel around the beautiful country. Not only because every region has an entirely different vibe to it, but because riding the train across India is a whole experience in itself, not to mention incredibly affordable! Just make sure to plan a week ahead or so in order to get everything organized. The staff is really good at helping you set trips up.

3) Soak in the culture. India is a country so rich in culture that once you finally leave your comfort zone enough to see it, it truly is amazing. Go out to a park, play a pickup game of soccer or basketball or their favorite – cricket. Go to a local coffee shop on open mic night. Listen to walk people have to say, it’s incredible how friendly the natives are. They love to hear your stories as well as share theirs (while practicing their English). The majority of them want nothing more than to show you how “brotherly” they are (and maybe take a picture with you).

The internship program was very well designed an the support from the India host team was incredible, they made you feel very comfortable and taken care of. I personally learned a lot from the scheduled professional talks and the hosts since they provided us with an opportunity to get to know the Indian culture in depth and from within.

Further I think the trips we took while in India were incredibly enriching, like going to the Golden Temple in Amritsar or down the Ganga at Varanasi on a little boat.

The program was amazing from start to end. A few days after arriving in India, we spoke with critical members of the program. The program was very well organized. We had a schedule for the entire program and everything went according to plan. Obviously there are language barriers when traveling to other countries. For someone to complain about a language program is ridicules. We work 30-40 hours a week and we are housed with natives who love to share their culture. In fact, my coworkers attempted to teach me two languages and I had to stop them. The only difficulties that I noticed was with adjusting to food. The program is designed to make assimilating easy. There were very few complaints from my end. I enjoyed the trips to the Taj Mahal, as well as going to the Himalayas in the first week of the trip. The housing location was well accommodating. The elephant ride was unbelievable. The work experience was critical to my professional development. Having to produce real time results imitated a real working environment. Having the ability to see a real work day is amazing.

The culture series was a fantastic component of my internship and one that really enhanced the overall Indian experience. It exposed the interns to the local language, art and culture. I was able to communicate with taxi drivers and order food because I knew basic Hindi. I was reminded that I am not the most flexible person when the team organized a Yoga session. We discovered the secrets of the Indian Kitchen and it was interesting to learn about Tandoor. - an Indian style oven used for baking flatbreads and cooking certain meat dishes. We got to express our artistic side at the Henna session. A Henna artist explained the process of applying Henna and the tradition of doing so.

My favorite part of the language and culture series was when we visited the 'Indian Handicraft Emporium' - It houses one of the best pieces of Indian Handicraft items, varying from ivory, wood and silk. It helped us appreciate Indian Art and it was a great place to buy souvenirs for family and friends.

This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to travel or study abroad while they are young. Personally, never having a chance to leave my home country, I became worried when would I have time to travel and see all the wonders the world has to offer. Luckily I found out about this amazing program and never looked back; I had the opportunity to not only work on my career but also to see the world while I am young and my mind is still open to new things. It was amazing and I am so glad I did this program. If anyone is unsure about choosing or accepting a program like this let me reassure them by saying this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you do not want to pass up.