Dental Internships: Intern abroad in Arusha, Tanzania

Internship details

Dental interns in Tanzania gain practical understanding of dentistry by shadowing and assisting local professionals as they provide treatment and promote dental hygiene in small to large healthcare facilities. Interns learn from experienced dentists dealing with a wide range of complaints, building their knowledge in different aspects of dental work.

This is an in-country internship, with accommodation and meals provided.

Since many communities in Tanzania do not have access to dental health services, larger healthcare facilities provide dentistry services and raise awareness about oral hygiene best practices. As a dental intern, you’ll help the professionals in these facilities and learn from experienced local dentists as they go about their day-to-day routines.

Interns shadow and assist a local dentist in their daily tasks. This includes providing treatments for a wide range of complaints and conditions, from basic oral hygiene to more complex orthodontic treatments. You can also help to promote good oral healthcare practices such as regular brushing and flossing. As many people in Tanzania may experience malnutrition or lack basic resources, it is common to see dental complaints in advanced stages.

It is important to understand that the timing of treatments can be irregular. This means that there will be days which are very busy, but also slower days at the clinic when the patient workload is lighter. Interns should be adaptable, proactive and willing to help where it’s needed in these times.

Dental interns are expected to enhance their cultural intelligence by understanding that many healthcare facilities in Tanzania are different to what you may be used to at home. There can be a general lack of adequate medication, as well as under-staffed facilities. Culture shock can be more pronounced and difficult in medical settings, especially when, due to limited funding and resources, patients face conditions that would be considered rare or unacceptable in other parts of the world.

The ability to develop cross-cultural competence is essential in all healthcare professions. Dental interns are encouraged to maintain a high level of professionalism, focus and compassion. You’ll be encouraged to consider your supervisor and in-country coordinator as valuable and knowledgeable resources and mentors. They’re in the best position to provide guidance and local context into the needs and challenges of the local community, and will be happy to support your learning experience throughout this internship abroad.

It is important to note that the internship placements grouped as “Medical” require interns to make a Ministry of Health contribution. This supports the operation of placements and covers supervision for interns on medical-related placements. This contribution is not included in the internship program fee; it must be made directly, in-country, under the direction and guidance of the Program Coordinator in Arusha. Interns will not be permitted to commence their placement until this has been covered. The amount of the Ministry of Health contribution varies, as it is not the same for every clinic/hospital. However, to cover the contribution sufficiently, we ask interns to budget up to US$75 per week.

In all cases, interns should expect that the first week of your experience will focus on settling in and gaining some introductory knowledge, as you will not “hit the ground running”. Rather, you should start with learning about the placement to gain an understanding of what you can build upon, develop, learn, and contribute. Ensure that you ask questions and provide feedback during the introductory period, so that your supervisor understands how you’re progressing. This will help them to better understand important details, such as how quickly you learn, what you find challenging, what you find interesting, etc.

Understand and expect that individual internship experiences vary, as the specific placement that you’re assigned will depend on review of your resume and your current level of studies and experience. Therefore, if you’re at a more introductory level, you should reasonably expect a more introductory internship. Likewise, if you’re interning for a shorter duration, you will have a different experience from someone who is interning for a longer duration. Placement preferences are considered but always subject to availability.

What are the career benefits of interning abroad as a Dentistry Intern?