Zanzibar Internships

This opportunity helped me with my cultural competency knowledge.

It has opened my eyes to how lucky we are to have the NHS in the UK. It has also made me realise how lucky we are to have all of the caring and compassion nurses in the UK who want to help, care and treat people.

I enjoyed the hospital environment. I got to see, learn and experience a lot. The doctors were very welcoming and I got to do a lot more than I thought.

I most enjoyed the lifelong friendships I’ve made along the way. The networking is so so important for my personal and professional development.

I learned so much throughout my four week internship in Zanzibar. I got the opportunity to shadow different departments of the hospital and to witness the day to day problems that the doctors worked through. It was a great learning experience, and I will forever remember the doctors, nurses, patients, and other interns that I met along the way!

This internship significantly contributed to my personal development by enhancing my cultural competence. What I enjoyed most was the unique opportunity to immerse myself in a different culture and observe the intersection between traditional beliefs and contemporary mental health practices. Witnessing firsthand how local practitioners integrate cultural norms with psychological interventions was both fascinating and enlightening. I learned to appreciate the importance of context and tradition in mental health treatment, which broadened my perspective and empathy towards diverse patient backgrounds. Professionally, the experience honed my communication skills, especially in navigating language barriers and understanding non-verbal cues, which are crucial in any therapeutic setting.