Better safe than sorry – My second nursing internship with travel4med in Sri Lanka

I found out about Travel4Med through a fellow student. I was one of the first students to go abroad with the organization, so naturally I had a few questions and uncertainties at the beginning. However, these were quickly dispelled in a personal conversation via Teams. The open and honest communication gave me a good feeling and significantly reinforced my decision to do the internship with Travel4Med in Sri Lanka.

I deliberately chose to do a nursing internship abroad because it was the perfect opportunity for me to combine my mandatory nursing internship with my love of travel and broaden my horizons at the same time. I wanted to gain new perspectives, get to know everyday life in a clinic in a different cultural context, experience how medicine is practiced under different conditions, and develop both professionally and personally.

Travel4Med took care of the entire organization—from arranging the hospital appointment to finding local accommodation. The process was straightforward, and I felt well looked after from the very beginning. The support with the visa application was particularly helpful, as were the answers to my questions about vaccinations and the very practical packing list provided by Travel4Med, which made my preparations much easier. Thanks to the personal communication in advance, I had great confidence in the planning, which was absolutely confirmed on site.

I was immediately impressed by our accommodation: it was located in a quiet, pleasant residential area, away from busy roads—perfect for unwinding after a day at the clinic. The house was beautiful, with a pool in the garden. The staff on site were incredibly friendly. Our personal chef, affectionately known as "Chef Uncle," was especially sweet and took wonderful care of us. We were greeted with a fresh smoothie, which made us feel welcome right away.

Everyday life at the hospital was very varied. We changed wards every week so that we could gain insights into different specialist areas such as internal medicine, surgery, urology, and pediatrics. We
alternated between spending one day on the ward and the next in the operating theater, which made it particularly exciting and gave us a comprehensive impression of everyday life at the hospital.

Another particularly positive aspect was that individual requests were taken into account: if someone had 

Travel4Med made sure that, in addition to the daily routine at the clinic, there was enough time for leisure and exploration—and we made the most of it.

We went surfing, went on several hikes, including through the rainforest, and took part in a safari where we even got to see a herd of elephants with their babies. Some of our group were even lucky enough to see a leopard in the wild. On the weekends, we would sometimes go out as a group to party in really good clubs in the area or have pool parties at our accommodation.

A special cultural highlight was attending a cricket match—the atmosphere in the stadium was incredibly exciting, and it was fascinating to see how important this sport is in Sri Lanka. Another very special experience was a joint effort to release baby turtles—a touching moment that I will never forget.

Both the clinic staff and other interns on site were open, friendly, and helpful. All of my fellow interns were also from Germany, which made it easier to understand each other right away and do things together. We quickly formed a great community—whether at our accommodation, at the clinic, or in our free time. Real friendships developed during this time, and I am still in contact with some of them today.

The combination of clinical work and group excursions made this an unforgettable experience for me. I would definitely recommend an internship through Travel4Med—especially if you are looking for new perspectives and a good time with like-minded people, and are seeking an internship that combines professional insights with intercultural exchange.