How Non-Traditional Students Benefit from Global Health Internships

The path to a healthcare career isn’t always a straight line. Some students take a more winding route—balancing work, raising families, switching careers, or serving in the military before stepping into the world of medicine. These are non-traditional students: adult learners, community college attendees, veterans, and career changers who bring a wealth of life experience but may face unique hurdles as they pursue education and professional development.

One increasingly popular and impactful way these students gain practical experience is through global health internships. These programs allow participants to explore healthcare delivery in real-world, often underserved, international settings. Beyond resume-building, they offer cultural immersion, professional networking, and personal growth—key elements that help non-traditional students bridge gaps and thrive in their next chapter.

One organization at the forefront of this movement is International Medical Aid (IMA). With programs spanning East Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, IMA offers global health internships tailored to students of all ages and backgrounds. From flexible timelines to rich clinical exposure, IMA makes these transformative experiences accessible and meaningful.

Learning beyond the classroom walls

7 Benefits of Global Health Internships for Non-Traditional Students

1. Bridging the Experience Gap for Career Changers

Gaining hands-on clinical experience can be daunting for those pivoting into healthcare after spending years (or even decades) in other industries. Traditional academic programs may require prior medical exposure, which many career changers simply don’t have.

Global Health Internships with IMA are a game-changer. Interns are placed in hospitals and clinics in underserved areas where they shadow local physicians, observe patient care, and assist with public health outreach. These immersive experiences help career changers build a solid foundation, showcase commitment to their new path, and strengthen their healthcare resumes.

Instead of relying solely on theory or outdated coursework, career changers can return to the classroom or apply to graduate programs with recent, relevant, and practical fieldwork—something admissions committees and employers highly value.

2. Enhancing Cultural Competence and Global Awareness

In today’s interconnected world, healthcare providers must be prepared to serve diverse populations. Cultural competence—understanding, respecting, and effectively interacting with people of different cultures—is essential to providing equitable care.

IMA’s Global Health Placements in East Africa, South America, and the Caribbean give interns the chance to work alongside professionals in vastly different clinical environments. They witness firsthand how culture, geography, and socioeconomic status influence healthcare access and outcomes.

These experiences challenge assumptions, broaden perspectives, and equip students with the empathy and awareness needed to serve multicultural communities at home or abroad. For non-traditional students, who may already bring a broader worldview, this training deepens their ability to connect across cultural lines.

3. Flexible Opportunities for Adult Learners and Working Professionals

Unlike traditional undergraduates, many non-traditional students are balancing jobs, families, or other obligations while studying. Time is limited, and opportunities need to fit into real-life schedules.

Understanding this, IMA offers Healthcare and Pre-Med Internships with flexible start dates and durations, making it easier for adult learners and working professionals to participate. Whether you can commit to two weeks or three months, there’s a program that meets you where you are.

This flexibility means you can pursue meaningful experience without pressing pause on your other responsibilities. It also empowers students who may have felt excluded from global programs due to rigid schedules, allowing them to finally participate in hands-on international learning.

4. Building a Professional Network in Global Health

Building connections that last beyond the internship

Networking can feel like a missing piece for non-traditional students entering healthcare later in life. You may not have classmates with strong connections or access to professors with industry links. That’s where global internships come in.

IMA programs are structured with mentorship at their core. Interns are paired with experienced professionals who provide ongoing guidance, feedback, and support. Additionally, working alongside local and international peers creates a space for collaborative learning and new connections.

These relationships often extend beyond the program, leading to letters of recommendation, references for grad school, or future job leads. This kind of support system is invaluable for those starting fresh in healthcare.

Take your first step by learning more about IMA’s global health internships.

5. Gaining Exposure to Diverse Healthcare Systems

Not all healthcare systems function like the one you're used to. Gaining exposure to different public health approaches, medical infrastructures, and resource limitations is incredibly eye-opening.

IMA’s programs offer placements in regions facing unique challenges, such as limited equipment, high patient loads, or tropical disease outbreaks. Interns learn how providers innovate and adapt in resource-constrained environments.

This type of clinical exposure builds adaptability and creative problem-solving skills—qualities increasingly in demand in today’s complex, evolving healthcare systems. For non-traditional students, learning in real-world contexts adds depth to their training and sets them apart from peers with only domestic experience.

6. Strengthening Medical School Applications

Turning international experience into academic advantage

Admissions committees aren’t just looking for GPA and test scores. They want motivated, well-rounded applicants who are committed to serving others. And for aspiring healthcare professionals, especially those who didn’t follow the traditional path, global health internships can be the key to standing out.

Completing an internship with IMA, in particular, signals initiative and genuine passion for the field. Their healthcare and pre-med programs align with the AAMC Core Competencies, from service orientation and cultural sensitivity to teamwork and ethical responsibility.

Nontraditional students often bring maturity and drive. Pairing these qualities with practical international experience is a powerful combination for medical or nursing school applications.

Find out how you can get clinical experience before med school.

7. Personal Growth and Confidence Building

Stepping into a hospital in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language fluently and everything is unfamiliar? That takes guts. But it's also where transformation happens.

Many non-traditional students join IMA programs, unsure of how they’ll manage. They may question whether it’s too late to start over, too different from their peers, or too inexperienced. Yet time and again, interns return with renewed purpose and confidence.

Living and learning in a completely different context forces you to adapt, solve problems, and trust your abilities. You become more resilient, not just as a future healthcare professional but also as a person.

What It’s Like to Go On an IMA Program

Going on an IMA program means stepping into real-world healthcare settings and gaining global perspectives. Discover from a past IMA intern how a global health placement can be a journey of personal and professional growth.

International Medical Aid Alumni - Maggie Cornelius

“The biggest benefit of traveling abroad is the chance to immerse yourself in a completely different culture, gaining new perspectives… I developed valuable skills, such as adaptability and communication, which are crucial for many aspects of life, especially in my future healthcare career.”

Plus, check out what a typical day in the life of an IMA intern is like.

Stories you'll tell for years to come

Empower Your Future Through Global Health

Global Health Internships with IMA are more than résumé boosters—they’re life-changing experiences, especially for non-traditional students.

Whether you’re a military veteran exploring a new mission in medicine, a parent returning to school, or someone swapping spreadsheets for stethoscopes, you can gain the essential hands-on experience, cultural insight, and personal growth to succeed.

Non-traditional doesn’t mean non-competitive. In fact, it often means more compassionate, more determined, and more ready to serve.

This article is sponsored by International Medical Aid. IMA is a not-for-profit organization that offers medical programs for students in places like East Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, with an ethics-based approach to care. They offer summer, fall, and winter programs.