I’d like the internship to include . . .

1. Orientation to Nepal politics, cultures, and systems.
2. Introduction to the public health issues in the region
3. Development of monitoring and evaluation plans for public health projects in the region, involving field-based data collection, data analysis, write-up, and presentation.
4. Community outreach activities, including education campaigns, help with a local clean water development project, and working in a monastery.
5. Final presentations to community partners, including local health care providers.

I hope to learn . . .

1. The historical, socioeconomic, cultural, environmental, political, and health aspects of life in Nepal.
2. Cultural practices and traditional beliefs and their relationship to health issues in communities including health seeking behaviors in the communities of interest.
3. The organization of health care services in Nepal with specific focus on the ecosystem.
4. Health issues and health seeking behaviors in communities of interest.
5. How the local environment impacts community health.
6. Assessing and analyzing health issues and reporting findings and recommendations to key stakeholders and communities of interest.
7. Theory and practice of monitoring and evaluation plans for health projects and programs.

Below is an example of a successfully completed custom internship placement:

Kathryn approached IGS about doing marine research on the East Coast of the United States. While we had nothing on the books for that topic/location, we conducted original research on the possible options and made it happen.

“Dear IGS Staff . . .The SCDNR staff were really nice and supportive, from day one they made me feel like I was really part of their research team as a valuable member. The lab and research facilities were top notch and it was really cool to have the college right there. I was also able to go out in the field electrofishing and trammel net fishing. This was really cool because these techniques of fishing can only be done with a special permit and for research purposes exclusively. It was the first time in my life I really got to handle live fish and the boating staff was so knowledgeable they could tell me anything about any of the marine life we saw. The house I stayed at was cute and comfortable. The host was so nice and really helped me in getting acclimated by showing me all the best places to eat, shop, and go to the beach, as well as give me a taste of all of the fascinating history that the area holds. I worked hard, had fun, and made great contacts; what more could you want?”