Orthopedic Medicine Internships: Intern abroad in Valencia, Spain

Internship details

Orthopedic Medicine interns gain first hand experience in assisting local professionals to address spinal, joint, muscle and bone injuries, fractures and deformities. Come prepared to learn about techniques and best practice for providing quality care, testing and treatment plans.

This is an in-country internship that includes accommodation and meals.

Internship placements related to Orthopedic Medicine cater to the wider Spanish community, including a range of ages and health conditions. In all aspects of the internship activities, interns must prioritize the goal of improving the health of patients, while adhering to the standards and regulations of the internship placement. Interns should not expect to be directly “hands on” with patients, and should cooperate with their supervisor, according to the needs of the placement and its patients/clients.

Primarily, the focus within this field is on managing and treating bone and joint pain alongside seasoned professionals, who aim to preserve and restore the function of skeletal systems. While your role as an intern can vary, based on your level of experience and study, tasks and responsibilities will primarily involve assisting, observing, and shadowing across a range of daily situations, including patient care, consultations and treatments, evaluation and examinations, treatment establishment and follow ups.

Interns may also have scope to assist with projects related to the design and improvement of various processes, assist with ongoing research, teaching projects, and gain insight into the use of services like wheelchairs, prosthetic devices and orthotics.

Spanish language proficiency is not a requirement to join. However, interns should expect that a language barrier can still be encountered to a certain extent. Interns should be prepared for the very natural and normal frustration of not always understanding what is being said around them. Come prepared and willing to surmount a language barrier (and ask for help when needed), as opposed to being intimidated by it.

This internship includes five complimentary Spanish language lessons, which must be scheduled within the first two weeks of the internship. These should be considered mandatory for anyone who is not already a fluent Spanish speaker. Any additional Spanish language lessons must be coordinated and paid for separately. We encourage all interns to take advantage of the opportunity to learn some Spanish skills during their program (or develop their existing vocabulary).

In all cases, interns should expect that the first week of your experience will focus on settling in and gaining some introductory knowledge, as you will not “hit the ground running”. Rather, you should start with learning about the placement to gain an understanding of what you can build upon, develop, learn, and contribute. Ensure that you ask questions and provide feedback during the introductory period, so that your supervisor understands how you’re progressing. This will help them to better understand important details, such as how quickly you learn, what you find challenging, what you find interesting, etc.

Understand and expect that individual internship experiences vary, as the specific placement that you’re assigned will depend on review of your resume and your current level of studies and experience. Therefore, if you’re at a more introductory level, you should reasonably expect a more introductory internship. Likewise, if you’re interning for a shorter duration, you will have a different experience from someone who is interning for a longer duration. Placement preferences are considered but always subject to availability.

Typical Schedule

• Monday to Friday - some clinics are open from 8.30am - 8pm. Interns may have scope to opt for a daytime or afternoon/evening schedule.

What are the career benefits of interning abroad as a Orthopedic Medicine Intern?