International Medical Aid - IMA

International Medical Aid - IMA International Medical Aid provides students and institutions community-based global health education. What if the necessary medicine isn't available?

Founded by Johns Hopkins alumni, International Medical Aid works with pre-health students across multiple disciplines, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, mental health and physical therapy, to provide experiences that will further your preparation for medical school and graduate healthcare programs. IMA partners with leading academic institutions in the United States, Canada, and Europe to fa

cilitate study abroad trips and internship opportunities. Our healthcare internship programs provide pre-health students hands-on experience through intensive clinical shadowing, service learning, didactic experiences, and expert admissions support. Combined, these elements build the foundation that medical and related healthcare programs are looking for in applicants. International Medical Aid works with underserved communities in East Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. We bring healthcare where it otherwise might not go, improving lives and providing valuable shadowing experiences to pre-health students. We focus our efforts in areas where there is the greatest need. Our programs impact the lives of everyone involved--patients, providers and students. Early exposure to these settings is critical for students who might not otherwise consider providing medicine to rural communities. Plus, opportunities like this are once-in-a-lifetime and will provide content for your medical school essays and a competitive edge for some of the best medical programs in the country. You'll also form lifelong friendships and connections that can prove vital to your long-term success in the medical field. IMA also partners with local communities and professionals to develop grass-roots initiatives that are led by individuals in the community. Through local engagement, IMA helps improve the quality of the healthcare that is provided to specific regions. Our Global Health Lecture Series helps pre-med students understand the differences that run throughout the healthcare system and affect how treatments are delivered to patients. Our Clinical Simulation Sessions teach interns basic healthcare through simulated experiences. Interns practice suturing, drawing blood, managing airways, and injecting medications on mannequins. Normally, this kind of experience doesn't come until much later during a medical student's education. Finally, our Community Outreach Program educates and gives resources to members of the community, allowing individuals to take better control of their health. This includes field medical clinics and hygiene education sessions that cover topics like hand and oral hygiene. Providing medicine to remote areas and underserved communities has allowed IMA, our doctors, and our pre-health students to make an impact in the lives of individuals who need medical treatment or who need to improve their health through simple measures. You'll have first-hand experiences with conditions that most doctors don't get to treat in remote areas. You'll work in settings where instruments need to be sterilized before surgery. Having experience in the developing world will prepare you for a career in medicine like nothing else. Getting into medical school is a difficult and complex process. You're competing with other highly qualified candidates who have the same dreams you do. Displaying your passion for science through working with IMA will prove just how much you love medicine. While EMTs, nurse's aids and ER techs gain valuable experience that will help them in medical school, IMA interns get more. Remote medicine stretches you and allows you to grow in ways you wouldn't otherwise experience. What if a clinic runs out of a life-saving medicine before treatment has been completed? What if the right tests can't be run to confirm a suspected diagnosis? These are issues that medical doctors face on a daily basis. Your unique experiences will put you in a very small group of applicants that stand out to medical schools and other graduate healthcare programs. Our alumni have been accepted to programs at Harvard University, Stanford University, UCSF, and the Mayo Clinic. So, are you looking for a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime experience shadowing doctors in remote areas of the world? Consider going on an internship with International Medical Aid.

Our Community Medical Clinics are guided by a long-term approach to healthcare delivery—one that prioritizes continuity,...
06/05/2026

Our Community Medical Clinics are guided by a long-term approach to healthcare delivery—one that prioritizes continuity, accessibility, and a deeper understanding of how health shapes everyday life. Rather than standalone interventions, each engagement forms part of an ongoing commitment to strengthening access to care in ways that are both practical and meaningful.

Recently, IMA conducted a Community Medical Clinic at Longo Primary School in Mtongwe, located near our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya. As communities continue to grow beyond central healthcare hubs, outreach remains essential not only for delivering services, but also for understanding the evolving needs that shape care on the ground.

What often stands out in these settings is that healthcare is not only about diagnosis or treatment. It is also about how people live within the realities of their health—how they learn, participate in their communities, and navigate different stages of life.

During this clinic, a clear pattern emerged across generations. While needs may differ, the underlying themes remain the same: dignity, confidence, and continuity in daily life.

For breast cancer survivors, this was reflected in the provision of breast prostheses as part of continued support beyond treatment. Their journeys speak to the ongoing process of adjustment and rebuilding, where identity and confidence evolve alongside physical recovery.

For young girls, it was reflected in the provision of sanitary towels as part of IMA’s continued focus on menstrual health, supporting their ability to remain in school and participate fully in daily life without disruption.

Across both experiences, what stood out was not the difference in context, but the shared need for care that preserves dignity and supports continuity in how health is lived, not just treated.

Each IMA outreach activity contributes to a broader effort to strengthen community-centered care that is responsive, sustained, and rooted in lived experience. In every clinic, our focus remains on expanding access while staying attentive to the quieter dimensions of healthcare that shape long-term well-being.

We celebrate our early May Cohort, the first Summer 2026 group to successfully complete their healthcare internship at o...
06/04/2026

We celebrate our early May Cohort, the first Summer 2026 group to successfully complete their healthcare internship at our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya.

They arrived with curiosity and left with perspectives shaped by real clinical spaces. From the beginning, they were immersed in environments where learning was not theoretical, but lived through patients, conversations, and the rhythm of care as it unfolded in real time.

Much of their journey took place at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, where they rotated through busy outpatient departments, wards, and specialized units. In these spaces, they experienced the realities of public healthcare—fast-paced, unpredictable, and deeply reliant on teamwork, communication, and shared responsibility to keep care moving.

Over time, something shifted. What first felt like observation became understanding. What once felt overwhelming became meaningful. Healthcare became less about isolated moments and more about the quiet systems and human connections that hold it all together.

To our early May Cohort: congratulations. You leave not only with experience in clinical settings, but with a perspective shaped by being part of them. We are proud of your journey here and even more excited for the paths you are now stepping into.

As we continue recognizing Menstrual Hygiene Management Month, our outreach efforts remain centered on understanding how...
06/02/2026

As we continue recognizing Menstrual Hygiene Management Month, our outreach efforts remain centered on understanding how menstrual health challenges present differently across communities and settings.

In recent weeks, we highlighted some of the barriers faced in rural communities, where limited access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities, healthcare resources, and menstrual health education continues to affect the well-being, dignity, and school attendance of young girls.

This week, our team at our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya—visited Mekatilili wa Menza Girls Senior School, located within an urban setting, to further explore the realities surrounding menstrual health management in a different context. While urban communities may have greater access to healthcare services and menstrual products, many students still face significant challenges, including affordability, inconsistent access to products, stigma, misinformation, limited menstrual health education, and the need for more supportive spaces where these conversations can take place openly.

These engagements help us better understand the diverse and evolving needs of the communities we work with while strengthening community-centered approaches to health education and advocacy. Through continued dialogue, education sessions, and partnerships with local schools and community stakeholders, IMA remains committed to supporting safer, more informed, and more supportive environments for girls and young women.

This year’s theme, “Together for a ,” is an important reminder that menstrual health equity requires collective action across all communities. Whether in rural or urban settings, creating period-friendly environments means ensuring that girls and young women have access not only to menstrual products, but also to education, dignity, support, and safe spaces to thrive without shame or limitation.

Through sustained community partnerships and open conversations, we remain committed to advancing menstrual health awareness and helping build healthier, more supportive futures for the communities we serve.

Recently, at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—IMA interns had the opportunity to experience a breathtaking...
06/01/2026

Recently, at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—IMA interns had the opportunity to experience a breathtaking hike through the mountains surrounding the city. As part of the activity, interns visited Inkilltambo, an Inca-era archaeological site nestled among the mountains and local flora.

Throughout the journey, interns connected with Peru’s natural landscape while walking alongside streams, learning about medicinal herbs traditionally used in the region, and taking in the fresh air and peaceful scenery of the Andean countryside.

Beyond the adventure itself, the experience offered interns a meaningful opportunity to step away from the pace of the city and the demands of their hospital rotations, allowing them to reflect, recharge, and reconnect with nature while deepening their appreciation for Peru’s rich history, culture, and environment.

Conversations surrounding boys’ mental health are too often shaped by silence, stigma, and expectations that discourage ...
05/30/2026

Conversations surrounding boys’ mental health are too often shaped by silence, stigma, and expectations that discourage emotional openness from an early age. In many school environments, young men are encouraged to appear resilient and self-reliant, while discussions surrounding stress, emotional well-being, and mental health challenges remain limited or overlooked.

Recently, at our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya—IMA interns participated in a Mental Health Awareness Clinic at Tononoka Boys Senior School. During the session, interns engaged students in meaningful conversations about emotional health, stress management, self-awareness, and the importance of building supportive environments where young men feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment.

Throughout the clinic, students reflected on the pressures that can accompany adolescence, including academic expectations, peer relationships, and societal perceptions surrounding masculinity and emotional expression. The session encouraged students to recognize that emotions such as stress, anxiety, frustration, and sadness are a normal part of life, and that acknowledging these experiences is an important part of maintaining overall well-being.

Creating spaces where young men can speak openly about mental health is essential to strengthening emotional literacy, peer support, and long-term well-being within school communities. Through continued outreach initiatives like this, IMA remains committed to supporting health education, encouraging meaningful dialogue, and helping students better understand the social, emotional, and human dimensions of care.

05/29/2026

Here is another look at our most recent Community Medical Clinic at Casa de la Cultura, located at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru.

IMA interns joined local healthcare professionals as members of the community received free healthcare services across multiple specialties, including general medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, psychology, and dentistry.

Moments like these reflect the heart of IMA’s global health programs: learning, service, and meaningful connection with the communities we are privileged to work alongside.

This past week at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—IMA interns took part in a Community Medical Clinic at ...
05/28/2026

This past week at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—IMA interns took part in a Community Medical Clinic at Casa de la Cultura, where members of the local community received free healthcare services across general medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, psychology, and dentistry.

Working alongside local healthcare professionals, interns had the opportunity to observe patient care in a community-based setting while gaining a deeper understanding of the healthcare needs, challenges, and strengths of the Cusco community. From physician-patient communication to interdisciplinary teamwork, the clinic offered students meaningful exposure to the human side of medicine and the role compassionate care plays in improving access to healthcare.

Experiences like these are central to IMA’s mission: connecting students with immersive global health opportunities that deepen clinical understanding, strengthen cultural awareness, and inspire a lifelong commitment to service.

As our Summer 2026 programs continue in Cusco, Peru, and Mombasa, Kenya, we look forward to sharing more moments from the field as our interns learn, serve, and grow through meaningful global healthcare experiences.

05/27/2026

The last few weeks have marked the beginning of another exciting season as we welcomed interns from around the world to our flagship sites in East Africa and South America. These upcoming cohorts were selected from the largest and most competitive applicant pool IMA has seen to date, reflecting a substantial increase in application volume and growing interest in our global healthcare programs.

From the moment they arrive, participants step into the environments that will shape their experience over the coming weeks, beginning with introductions to the hospitals, clinics, and community spaces that form the foundation of their time in Mombasa, Kenya, and Cusco, Peru. Our goal is to immerse students in global healthcare while fostering a strong sense of community, cultural connection, and purpose from day one.

As they settle into these new settings, interns begin engaging with healthcare teams and local communities, gaining early exposure to the realities of healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings while building meaningful connections along the way.

Each arrival marks the beginning of a transformative journey, one shaped by every rotation, every patient interaction, and every shared learning experience that brings students closer to understanding the practice and purpose of global medicine.

Many of the habits that shape long-term health begin to develop during childhood, often in the everyday environments whe...
05/25/2026

Many of the habits that shape long-term health begin to develop during childhood, often in the everyday environments where students spend the most time. Schools, therefore, play an important role in introducing children to the practical behaviors and routines that support personal and community well-being.

Recently, we conducted a Hygiene Education Session at Kipevu Primary School, located at our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya. Through interactive discussions and demonstrations, students explored foundational hygiene practices, including proper handwashing techniques, oral hygiene, and the importance of maintaining consistent daily hygiene routines.

The session focused on teaching practical skills while helping students better understand why these habits matter. Within shared school environments, small daily routines can influence classroom health, student well-being, attendance, and overall quality of life. Introducing these concepts early helps students build stronger awareness around prevention, responsibility, and healthy living practices that can extend beyond the classroom into their homes and communities. What stood out throughout the session was the students’ level of engagement and curiosity. Their willingness to participate, ask questions, and contribute to discussions created a meaningful learning environment for both students and interns.

Through continued outreach and preventive health education initiatives, we remain committed to supporting healthier school environments and encouraging practical habits that promote long-term well-being in the communities we serve.

Summer 2026 has officially begun at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—where a new cohort of interns is begi...
05/22/2026

Summer 2026 has officially begun at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—where a new cohort of interns is beginning their global healthcare internship experience with International Medical Aid.

Each IMA program begins with a comprehensive orientation designed to help participants transition into both the clinical and cultural dimensions of life abroad. For interns arriving in Cusco, this transition includes adapting to a new healthcare system, language, culture, altitude, and pace of daily life, all while preparing for meaningful clinical and community-based learning experiences.

IMA’s orientation serves as an important foundation for this process. During their first days in Peru, interns are introduced to program structure, clinical expectations, transportation, cultural adjustment, shared living arrangements, safety protocols, and the support systems available to them throughout their stay.

As participants settle into Cusco, these early experiences begin shaping their understanding of the communities and healthcare environments they will engage with during the program. Orientation also provides an opportunity for interns to build connections with one another, ask questions openly, and begin adapting together within a new and unfamiliar setting.

The beginning of every cohort brings a sense of anticipation, curiosity, and possibility. In the weeks ahead, interns will enter clinical environments, immerse themselves in Peruvian culture, and gain experiences that challenge their perspectives while contributing to their personal, academic, and professional growth.

We look forward to sharing more moments from their journey in Cusco throughout the summer.

Applications for our Summer 2026 programs remain open on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply today at medicalaid.org!

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