PERU INTERNSHIP
CAREER EXPLORATION IN MEDICINE & HEALTH
With Focus On Foundations Of Global Health In Rural Villages
Explore traditional and modern approaches to medicine in rural Peru. Visit Quechua villages to support mobile clinics, learn about natural remedies and contribute to public health projects that have real impact.
Internship Overview
On this program, you’ll step into the world of global health in Peru’s Sacred Valley, where modern medicine meets centuries-old healing traditions. During this immersive internship, you’ll support mobile clinics in rural Quechua villages, observe how traditional remedies are used alongside modern healthcare and contribute to community-driven public health initiatives.
Along the way, you’ll connect with local medical professionals and traditional healers, engage with Andean communities and deepen your understanding of rural healthcare and career pathways in the health sciences.
Outside the clinic, your adventure unfolds across the breathtaking landscapes of the Andes. You’ll trek the scenic Lares Trail, experience life in a Quechua homestay, and take in the awe-inspiring ruins of Machu Picchu. Round out your journey with adventure activities like rafting and kayaking through mountain rivers.
On GLA’s Peru Internship: Career Exploration in Medicine & Health with Focus on Foundations of Global Health in Rural Villages you will:
- Support mobile health clinics in rural Quechua villages while learning about prevalent public health challenges and how care is delivered in remote communities
- Explore the role of traditional Andean medicine in rural healthcare systems
- Spend a night with a Quechua host family and experience daily life, food and customs firsthand
- Get immersed in Peruvian Andean culture through art, music and culinary workshops and hands-on community projects
- Embark on a two-day expedition to Machu Picchu and camp among snow-capped mountains
- Earn a total of 62 internship hours focused on medicine and public health
Internship Menu
PERU INTERNSHIP
CAREER EXPLORATION IN MEDICINE & HEALTH
Sample Itinerary
Let’s take a sneak peek at what your program experience might look like this summer! Please note that the order of activities may differ for each program session. The details provided here represent a general outline of what you can anticipate, though community service projects and activities are subject to change based on the needs of our local community partners, cultural celebrations and traditions, weather conditions and the specific requirements of the student group.
Day 1: Arrival
Welcome to Peru! Arrive in Cuzco, settle into your Home Base, meet your group and explore the city on a walking tour before enjoying your first Peruvian dinner.
Day 2: Orientation, Cuzco Exploration & Intro To Peruvian Health
Today is our first full day in Peru! Start with an orientation to review goals, learning objectives, and internship expectations, then break into Mentor groups for icebreakers and activities. In the afternoon, take a Reality Tour of health and education sites across rural and urban Cuzco to explore disparities in access to services. End the day with dinner and a stroll through the historic Plaza de Armas, enjoying the city’s Incan and colonial landmarks.
Day 3: Community Tour & Andean Ceremony
Today, we’ll drive to our Home Base in the Sacred Valley. After settling in, we will visit the nearby ruins that tower over our town to receive an introduction to the Inca civilization! In the evening, participate in a traditional Andean ceremony to pay tribute to Mother Earth and create intentions for your time here in Peru!
Day 4: Project Workshop & Community Connection
Start the day with a project workshop to learn about the community development initiatives you’ll support, their goals and impact. Meet local community members to build relationships, exchange stories and gain insight into the perspectives guiding the work ahead.
Day 5: Maras Salt Mines, Kayaking & First Aid and CPR Training
Today, we’ll visit the pre-hispanic Maras Salt Mines to marvel at the Incan engineering that has stood the test of time. Following this, we’ll venture to Piuray Lagoon for a kayaking adventure, exploring the source of Cuzco’s water. In the afternoon, we’ll deepen our understanding of medical care by being trained by medical professionals and getting certified in First Aid and CPR!
Days 6–9: Shadowing Medical Clinics, Textiles & Skills Development
Shadow doctors providing pro-bono care in remote Andean communities, explore Incan backstrap weaving traditions and participate in internship workshops, guest lectures and group reflections to deepen your understanding of public health in Peru.
Days 10–11: Quechua Homestay & Whitewater Rafting
Experience authentic Andean life with a Quechua homestay, cooking and sharing stories with local families, followed by an exhilarating whitewater rafting adventure before returning to base.
Days 12–13: Shadowing Clinics, Group Activities & Peruvian Dance
Continue shadowing doctors and practicing medical Spanish, while evenings feature cultural activities like traditional Peruvian dance and project workshops enriched by guest speakers on community and public health.
Days 14–15: Environmental Health & Community Wellness
Collaborate with the Quechua community of Ampay on reforestation, medicinal plant projects and a seed bank while learning about nature-based solutions for holistic well-being. Afternoons are for team-building, reflection and preparing for your upcoming visit to the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu.
Days 16–17: Lares Trek
Begin the trek in Lares, hiking through farming communities and alpine meadows, camping under the stars and continuing to the Sacred Valley before taking a train to Aguas Calientes to prepare for Machu Picchu.
Day 18: Machu Picchu
Explore the Lost City of the Incas with a guided tour, visit the local artisanal market and return by train to Ollantaytambo and your Home Base.
Day 19: Cooking Class & San Pedro Market In Cuzco
Travel to Cuzco for a hands-on cooking class featuring traditional Peruvian dishes, followed by a visit to the San Pedro market to sample local flavors.
Day 20: Final Day & Farewell Dinner
Reflect on your three-week journey through presentations, leadership activities and group discussions and celebrate with a farewell dinner honoring your experiences, growth and lasting connections.
Day 21: Departures
Before we know it, our Peruvian adventure has come to an end. Head to the airport today with memories that will last a lifetime! Staff will assist students with their check-in and accompany them until they have safely departed for their gates. ¡Buen Viaje!
Program Map
PERU INTERNSHIP
CAREER EXPLORATION IN MEDICINE & HEALTH
Program Details
Dates & Tuition
2027 Session Dates
July 17 – August 06, 2027
What's Included in Tuition
In-country transportation
Lodging
3 meals per day
Professional full-time staff and experts
24/7 parent support hotline during program
Secondary medical and evacuation insurance
Cultural activities, lectures and excursions
Pre-departure materials and support
Educational materials
to hold your spot on-program.
Program at a Glance
Program Location: Peru
Program Type(s): Career Exploration: Internship, Service Learning, Outdoor Adventure
Every GLA Program is Backed by our 5-Point Safety System™
GLA HOME BASE:
SAFE & SECURE LODGING
CARING SUPERVISION &
EXPERT LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
SAFE
TRANSPORTATION
HEALTHY FOOD
& PURE WATER
24/7 SUPPORT &
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Local Partner Spotlight
MAKADAYA IMPACT CENTER & THE BALI INSTITUTE
Our partner for this internship is Makadaya Impact Center and the Bali Institute. It is a physical and virtual space providing a strategic network and learning lab to empower a community of changemakers in Indonesia who develop sustainable solutions towards challenges in their communities. As an Entrepreneurs Support Organization, they focus on social changemakers enabling their access to capital for social and environmental innovation.
The Program Experience
Career Exploration
Gain real-world experience at the intersection of business, innovation, and sustainability through an immersive internship program designed specifically for high school students. Partnering directly with the Makadaya Impact Centre, you’ll collaborate with local startups to analyze how mission-driven business models solve pressing social and economic gaps in Indonesia. Throughout the program, you’ll dive deep into core executive skills including strategic planning, operations, financial literacy and eco-friendly scaling while interviewing founder experts directly about their entrepreneurial journeys. You’ll put your learning into practice by building a fully realized business proposal targeting a local community need and pitching it directly to impact leaders and stakeholders.
Unlike typical high school summer programs that focus purely on classroom lectures or passive site visits, this program gives you direct access to real startup founders, active business operations and executive pitch sessions. Direct internships in social entrepreneurship are exceptionally rare for high schoolers. This hands-on consulting experience provides a powerful portfolio piece, a compelling talking point for college application essays and clear guidance on whether Business, Economics or Sustainability is the right fit for your university studies.
Adventure
With its pounding surf, emerald rice terraces and vibrant artistic culture, Bali offers non-stop outdoor thrill across ocean, river and jungle environments. Journey to Amed, a peaceful fishing village tucked away from typical tourist crowds, where you will board a traditional outrigger boat at sunrise to explore quiet coastal waters and snorkel over vibrant coral reefs teeming with colorful tropical marine life.
Near your Home Base, hit the waves with guidance from local instructors, experiencing firsthand why Bali is celebrated worldwide as a top surfing destination. Your adventure continues as you venture deep into Bali’s lush rainforests on high-energy hiking trails, before gearing up for an exhilarating whitewater rafting expedition through winding river gorges framed by dramatic jungle canyons and cascading waterfalls.
Country Spotlight
Immerse yourself in the artistic heritage, spiritual traditions and serene tropical atmosphere of Bali.
Lodging: Experience authentic Balinese hospitality with a primary Home Base set in Ubud, the island’s renowned cultural hub, alongside a coastal excursion to Amed. Accommodations range from authentic family-run compounds to serene beach bungalows, featuring comfortable, gender-segregated student rooms with Western-style toilets and showers.
Meals: Enjoy healthy, flavor-packed meals highlighting Balinese staples like fresh rice, noodles, chicken, fish, tofu, seasonal vegetables and tropical fruits prepared fresh daily at Home Base (vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dietary options are fully accommodated).
PERU INTERNSHIP
CAREER EXPLORATION IN MEDICINE & HEALTH
Internship Details
Everything you need to know about the travel internship.
High school students who participate in this GLA travel internship in Bali will develop essential leadership and career skills, while working on initiatives centered around the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development worldwide.
This is an experiential career development internship with sociological underpinnings into a specific theme and concentration in a field of interest. Interns will gain experience working in-person with a social enterprise or nonprofit host organization from around the world.
Throughout the course of your session you will complete 62 total internship hours:
- Contact Hours: 52
- Self-Study Hours: 10
- Service Hours: 36
The outcomes of this internship are related to five main learning objectives:
- Gain insights into your personal goals and professional growth areas, along with a deeper understanding of Bali and fields related to Business & Sustainability within the context of social enterprises.
- Expand your knowledge of recent trends, terminology and case studies to strengthen your understanding of business acumen.
- Learn to recognize and express diverse perspectives within broader social and cultural contexts.
- Develop critical analysis skills by evaluating quantitative and qualitative data to form well-informed opinions.
- Observe and thoughtfully assess real places and situations where impacts and results can be interpreted and applied within context.
The 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development serves as the framework for discussions and the self-study coursework for our student interns here in Bali. During this travel internship, you will focus on three SDGs, including:
- SDG 08: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 10: Reduce Inequalities
- SDG 13: Climate Action
Explore topics related to building the case for creating Impact hubs as a community resource to stimulate the local economy
Complete a core curriculum with your peers and through the guidance of your internship supervisor. Build your personal competitive edge, as part of a cohort of student interns working in partnership with our global nonprofit partner in Bali. Create a portfolio from completed project work to enhance your college application or future career resume.
By completing this travel internship you will earn:
- CliftonStrengths Assessment & Debrief
- Personal Mission Statement Updated
- Resume or LinkedIn Resume
- Letter of Recommendation completed by your Internship Supervisor & Internship Director
- Certificate of Completion (62 hours)
- Certificate of Service Hours (variable per internship)
- Professional Headshots for Resume or CV
- Portfolio of Evidence/Internship Log Book (if needed)
- Recommendations via Common App
Global Leadership Adventures can also provide any supporting documentation and serve as an organization of record, should you want to earn college credits for your internship.
Global Leadership Adventures is proud to partner with Hartwick College, a private liberal arts institution based in Oneonta, New York, to offer official U.S. undergraduate college credit for students who successfully complete the Career Exploration Travel Internship program.
Through this partnership, eligible students (16+) may enroll in the optional college credit add-on and earn 3 semester credits upon successful completion of the internship coursework. Upon successful completion of the internship requirements, students will receive:
- Official enrollment with Hartwick College
- Faculty evaluation and grading
- Issuance of an official college transcript
The deadline for college credit registration is May 31, 2027. Students must enroll in the college credit add-on by this date in order to be formally registered with Hartwick College.
- Accreditation: Fully accredited U.S. undergraduate credit.
- Optional Enrollment: The college credit add-on is 100% optional.
- Tuition Fee: The additional fee to earn up to three semester credits is $500.00.
- Click here to learn more.
PERU INTERNSHIP
CAREER EXPLORATION IN MEDICINE & HEALTH
Photo Gallery
PERU INTERNSHIP
CAREER EXPLORATION IN MEDICINE & HEALTH
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