Medical Student
1-month internship in Ethiopia
While studying medicine, I wanted to go beyond technical training and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a doctor — not only focusing on science, but also on people, communities, and real-world challenges.
The opportunity came through the Wolisso Project, a program I discovered thanks to SISM. It’s a collaboration with Doctors with Africa – CUAMM, an NGO that has been working since 1950 to improve access to healthcare in some of the most underserved areas of Africa. The project offers medical students and recent graduates the chance to complete a one-month clinical internship at one of CUAMM’s partner hospitals.
I joined the program after graduation and spent a month at the hospital in Wolisso, a small town about 100 km from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was a deeply immersive experience during which I was exposed to the realities of working in a resource-limited setting, where every clinical decision carries extra weight and where language and cultural differences constantly shape how care is delivered. I quickly learned that illness isn’t just about symptoms or test results — it’s also about stories, families, beliefs, and context.
What stayed with me most was the incredible sense of community. Patients and families cared for one another, sharing food, space, and support with a natural generosity that’s often missing in our own hospitals. One moment that captured this spirit was the coffee ceremony: a daily ritual where, when possible, the entire team takes a break together. Doctors, nurses, staff gathers, not just for a drink, but to reconnect as people. It reminded me that human connection is at the heart of good medicine.
The experience gave me a much broader view of what health really means. It’s not just the absence of disease, but a complex state of social, emotional, environmental, and relational well-being. It also led me to Internal Medicine, a field focused on caring for complex patients with a holistic, patient-centered approach.
If you’re considering this kind of opportunity, I’d encourage you to go for it. You don’t need to be extraordinary, just open, curious, and willing to step outside your comfort zone. A CUAMM internship isn’t just a line on your CV, it’s a powerful, perspective-shifting experience that will stay with you throughout your medical career.