At a glance
Join our Midwifery internship in Peru and gain international experience working in maternity wards. You’ll learn by shadowing highly skilled midwives and doctors in a large hospital or health centre. This will give you a deeper insight into the challenges women giving birth face in developing countries. It will give your CV an extra edge, which could help your future career.
There’s a lot to see and learn about in the maternity unit. You’ll observe prenatal consultancies, births, caesarean sections, and post-natal care. Doctors and midwives will explain how different conditions are diagnosed and treated, and we encourage you to ask questions and take notes.
You’ll live and work in Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and stay with a local host family. At weekends you can make the most of your internship and use your free time to explore places like Machu Picchu.
Start Dates:
Completely flexible dates
See DatesMinimum Duration:
Two Weeks
Age:
18 or over
You need to speak intermediate Spanish.
Is the Midwifery internship in Peru right for me?
Are you considering studying midwifery? Do you want to gain practical experience to boost your CV? This internship will help you stand out in an application or interview.
Doing a Midwifery internship in Peru will give you a global perspective on midwifery practices. You'll learn a great deal about the challenges faced by women giving birth in developing countries
You don’t need previous experience or qualifications to join, as your role is observational. However, you must be able to speak an intermediate level of Spanish. Spanish is necessary to be able to communicate with medical staff and patients, who don’t always speak English.
This internship runs throughout the year and you can join at any time.
What will I do on this internship?
You’ll work at a hospital or health centre, and spend most of your observing and learning. These are some of the main activities you will focus on for your internship:
- Observe professional midwives at work in a hospital or health centre
- Shadow medical staff during pre-natal consultancies and post-natal care
- Provide basic healthcare and info to underprivileged communities on outreaches
Your internship work will focus on these main areas:
Observe professional midwives at work in a hospital or health centre
Your role on this internship is observational. You’ll witness how midwives deliver babies naturally and with doctors via caesarean sections. If you have the relevant training and experience, you can also assist during births.
You could also have a bigger role in providing care and support to women in labour. This is only with the permission of the supervising midwife or doctor.
Shadow medical staff during pre-natal consultancies and post-natal care
You can observe doctors and midwives during their consultations with pregnant women. There is a lot to learn about effective communication when assessing and treating these patients. You can also play an important role in providing support and care to woman after birth. Local staff could ask you to assist with their postnatal treatments. You could also help provide important information and advice to new mothers on how to care for their babies.
Provide basic healthcare and info to underprivileged communities on outreaches
Outreach work takes place separately from your normal hospital work. We arrange outreaches twice a month. You’ll visit underprivileged communities with a supervisor. During outreaches, you’ll do basic health checks and share educational information. You’ll also raise awareness of disease and preventative measures, so the communities you visit can work on preventing the spread of disease. Outreach work will give you invaluable midwifery work experience in Peru.
Where will I work in Peru?
Cusco
You'll be based in Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cusco was once the capital of the ancient Incan Empire. You'll see countless reminders of this as you walk through the city today. Cusco is found near the Urubamba Valley, defined by lush green landscapes of the Andes Mountain Range where llamas roam freely.
You’ll work at busy hospitals and health centres. You’ll spend a lot of your time in maternity wards at these facilities, where you’ll observe midwives and doctors. The maternity units at these placements are generally well-equipped, and the local staff are highly skilled.
At some placements there are large numbers of patients. Many of them are from underprivileged communities. Here, there will always be something to see and do.
What will a typical day be like?
You will work from Mondays to Fridays, from 8am to 1pm. It can also be arranged for you to work during afternoon and evening shifts, if you’d like to.
At your midwifery placement in Peru, your day-to-day responsibilities will depend on your level of experience. More hands-on work is strictly at the discretion of local medical staff. Each day, you may:
- Assess, monitor, and care for women in labour
- Observe or assist with births
- Provide antenatal care and advice to pregnant women
- Provide postnatal care and advice to new mothers
- Maintain records of treatments to identify areas for improvement
In the evenings you will return to your host family, with whom you can share delicious home cooked meals. You can tell your family and fellow interns or volunteers about the interesting activities of your day.
Your afternoons and weekends will be free for you to explore. Cusco is a fascinating city with many exciting things to do. You can shop at colourful markets, taste delicious local cuisine, and learn to salsa dance. During your weekends, you can take a trip to some world famous sites, like the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, or the Aguas Calientes hot springs.
Aims and Impact of the Midwifery Internship in Peru
The main aim of this project is to give you the opportunity to build your knowledge and experience of midwifery. For those who are considering a career in midwifery, this internship is a great stepping stone into your studies, or pursuing postgraduate qualifications.
This internship also has another goal. Peru faces high rates of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. People living in more rural, disadvantaged areas don’t always know how to prevent these illnesses. They also don’t have easy access to basic healthcare services.
Through our outreach programmes, we are working to bring basic medical care to these communities. We also aim to raise awareness about some of the more pressing health issues facing the country. We need the help of interns like you to do this.
We have committed to four long-term, sustainable goals, as outlined in our Medical Management Plan:
- Encourage an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of medical knowledge
- Improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients
- Improve access to basic healthcare to disadvantaged groups
- Improve hygiene standards
Join us on this internship to help us achieve these goals, while gaining invaluable midwifery work experience in Peru.
Volunteering for professionals
This project is also perfect for qualified professionals. With your skills backing up our ongoing efforts, we can make an even bigger difference together. We'll match you to the placement where your skills are needed most.
This means you can share your training and and knowledge with others. You can work hand-in-hand with our partner organisations and local communities to support sustainable development.
If you have relevant skills or qualifications, read more about how you can make use of them with Projects Abroad.
Management plans
We set out the aims and objectives of our projects in documents called Management Plans. We use them to properly plan the work you’ll do. They also help us measure and evaluate our achievements and impact each year.
Ultimately, our Management Plans help us make our projects better. This in turn means you get to be part of something that makes a real impact where it’s needed. Read more about our Management Plans.
Measuring our impact
Our projects work towards clear long-term goals, with specific annual objectives. Every volunteer and intern we send to these projects helps us work towards these goals, no matter how long they spend on our projects.
Every year we take a step back and look at how much progress we've made towards these goals. We put together a Global Impact Report, which documents our achievements. Find out more about the impact our global community of volunteers, interns and staff make, and read the latest report.
Food and accommodation
You'll stay with a host family in Cusco. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Peru and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your programme fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Leisure activities and free time
Peru is a vibrant country with a mix of activities for every kind of volunteer. Whether you’re into arts, culture, history, or nature, there’s sure to be something for you!
One of the biggest attractions of Peru is the Inca history. There are awe-inspiring archaeological sites like Coricancha, Tambomachay, and of course, Machu Picchu.
Over a weekend, you can take a trip to the village of Pisac, where you can browse bright, eye-catching textile markets. Don’t miss out on seeing the llamas and alpacas too!
There are also lively restaurants, the perfect place to spend an evening relaxing and enjoying local cuisine, like ceviche.
We run a variety of projects in Peru so you’ll likely meet many other volunteers on your trip. It’s the perfect opportunity to connect and travel as a group. However, you’re welcome to travel independently if you prefer.
Safety and staff support
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
This placement is fully researched, safety audited, and risk assessed in accordance with the British Standard BS8848 for the Adventure Travel Sector.
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