CSIH International Internships

CSIH international internships and young professional placements relate to a wide range of health issues (e.g. infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, health technology, primary health care, health economics, research, policy development and implementation, teaching and awareness), as well as the determinants of health (e.g. social support networks, education, employment and working conditions). See Interns’ experiences and reports. More often than not, CSIH international internships draw on the strength the Society has in addressing deficiencies in the ability of local governments and non-governmental organizations to provide proper health care, monitor the health of their populations, and manage their health care systems. CSIH believes that strengthening the capacity of societies to improve the health of their populations is making an incalculable contribution to the sustainable development of those societies and working for the good health of all is vital for sustainable, equitable international development.

CSIH has conditional approval for 20 CIDA-sponsored internships 2010-2011, in support of Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) in East Africa and the Caribbean. Please write to internship@csih.org to receive details or check this site regularly. Please note that these internships will be under the Youth Employment Strategy and restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents 30 years of age or younger, who are unemployed or underemployed, not in receipt of unemployment benefits and not currently enrolled at university or college. Please see the Eligibility section.

CSIH is also now operating a program to assist young health professionals and students able to subsidize their own overseas experience. See Global Citizens for Global Health. GCGH internships may be used for university or college credit with the agreement of the participant’s educational institution. Internships supported by the government are usually intended for graduates seeking to enter the workforce and are not open to students currently enrolled in college or university, whether or not they are free to travel and undertake additional responsibilities for their host agencies.

CSIH young professional interns Jody Boffa and Alam Khan (centre) under a banner promoting the CSIH Public Health Strengthening in Guyana project at an event to mark World TB day in Guyana. CSIH interns have made outstanding contributions to CSIH projects in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
 

"My experience as an intern with CSIH has proven invaluable for my career and for my own personal development. As a Research Associate with the Public Health Strengthening in Guyana project, I was able to develop my skills in epidemiology and international health, and make lasting friends and contacts. To work on... the TB adherence study was tremendous preparation for my current position as the Research Manager at the University of Alberta’s TB Program Evaluation & Research Unit....To this day I look back on my internship in Guyana as a turning point in my life. It confirmed my interest in the field of research and gave me the opportunity to reflect on my future career goals. I am grateful for both the opportunity and the great people at CSIH with whom I continue to maintain a relationship.”

Jody Boffa, 4 March 2008