International Medical Aid - IMA

International Medical Aid - IMA International Medical Aid provides students and institutions community-based global health education. What if the necessary medicine isn't available?

Founded by Johns Hopkins alumni, International Medical Aid works with pre-health students across multiple disciplines, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, mental health and physical therapy, to provide experiences that will further your preparation for medical school and graduate healthcare programs. IMA partners with leading academic institutions in the United States, Canada, and Europe to fa

cilitate study abroad trips and internship opportunities. Our healthcare internship programs provide pre-health students hands-on experience through intensive clinical shadowing, service learning, didactic experiences, and expert admissions support. Combined, these elements build the foundation that medical and related healthcare programs are looking for in applicants. International Medical Aid works with underserved communities in East Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. We bring healthcare where it otherwise might not go, improving lives and providing valuable shadowing experiences to pre-health students. We focus our efforts in areas where there is the greatest need. Our programs impact the lives of everyone involved--patients, providers and students. Early exposure to these settings is critical for students who might not otherwise consider providing medicine to rural communities. Plus, opportunities like this are once-in-a-lifetime and will provide content for your medical school essays and a competitive edge for some of the best medical programs in the country. You'll also form lifelong friendships and connections that can prove vital to your long-term success in the medical field. IMA also partners with local communities and professionals to develop grass-roots initiatives that are led by individuals in the community. Through local engagement, IMA helps improve the quality of the healthcare that is provided to specific regions. Our Global Health Lecture Series helps pre-med students understand the differences that run throughout the healthcare system and affect how treatments are delivered to patients. Our Clinical Simulation Sessions teach interns basic healthcare through simulated experiences. Interns practice suturing, drawing blood, managing airways, and injecting medications on mannequins. Normally, this kind of experience doesn't come until much later during a medical student's education. Finally, our Community Outreach Program educates and gives resources to members of the community, allowing individuals to take better control of their health. This includes field medical clinics and hygiene education sessions that cover topics like hand and oral hygiene. Providing medicine to remote areas and underserved communities has allowed IMA, our doctors, and our pre-health students to make an impact in the lives of individuals who need medical treatment or who need to improve their health through simple measures. You'll have first-hand experiences with conditions that most doctors don't get to treat in remote areas. You'll work in settings where instruments need to be sterilized before surgery. Having experience in the developing world will prepare you for a career in medicine like nothing else. Getting into medical school is a difficult and complex process. You're competing with other highly qualified candidates who have the same dreams you do. Displaying your passion for science through working with IMA will prove just how much you love medicine. While EMTs, nurse's aids and ER techs gain valuable experience that will help them in medical school, IMA interns get more. Remote medicine stretches you and allows you to grow in ways you wouldn't otherwise experience. What if a clinic runs out of a life-saving medicine before treatment has been completed? What if the right tests can't be run to confirm a suspected diagnosis? These are issues that medical doctors face on a daily basis. Your unique experiences will put you in a very small group of applicants that stand out to medical schools and other graduate healthcare programs. Our alumni have been accepted to programs at Harvard University, Stanford University, UCSF, and the Mayo Clinic. So, are you looking for a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime experience shadowing doctors in remote areas of the world? Consider going on an internship with International Medical Aid.

Before educational disparities become visible in academic performance, they are often reflected in patterns of attendanc...
06/14/2026

Before educational disparities become visible in academic performance, they are often reflected in patterns of attendance and participation. For many girls, menstrual health challenges can contribute to missed school days that may seem insignificant in isolation, but when they occur month after month, they can gradually affect learning experiences, classroom engagement, and overall educational continuity. Understanding these connections is an important step toward creating environments where girls can participate in school with confidence and consistency.

Recognizing the importance of these conversations, we recently conducted a Women’s Health Education Session at Hassan Joho Girls Senior School, located at our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya. The session explored the relationship between menstrual health management and school attendance, encouraging discussion around the practical barriers girls may face and the role that knowledge, support, and access to resources can play in helping them remain actively engaged in their learning.

While conversations around menstrual health often focus on access to menstrual products, the challenges can be far more complex. Limited access to accurate information, uncertainty about what constitutes a normal menstrual experience, can all influence how girls navigate their periods within the school environment. During the session, students engaged openly with questions that reflected a genuine desire for greater understanding, highlighting the value of creating spaces where health-related concerns can be discussed.

These discussions served as a reminder that educational outcomes are often shaped by factors that extend beyond the classroom. When girls are equipped with accurate knowledge, practical support, and the confidence to manage their health, they are better positioned to participate fully in their education. As schools and communities continue working toward greater educational equity, menstrual health remains an important part of the conversation—not only as a health issue, but as one that can influence a girl’s ability to learn, engage, and thrive.

In many underserved communities, conversations around health are shaped by the realities of everyday life. In areas such...
06/09/2026

In many underserved communities, conversations around health are shaped by the realities of everyday life. In areas such as Mikindani, limited sanitation resources and waste disposal challenges can contribute to children’s exposure to preventable illnesses, particularly in shared environments like schools, where students spend a significant part of their day. While these are broader community challenges faced by many growing areas, practical health education remains one meaningful way to promote awareness and encourage healthier daily habits among younger generations.

As part of our ongoing commitment to preventive health education and community engagement, IMA recently conducted a Hygiene Education Session at Mikindani Comprehensive School, located near our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya.

The session focused on practical hygiene learning, helping students better understand how simple daily routines can support personal well-being, classroom health, and disease prevention within their immediate environments.

Through demonstrations, open discussions, and interactive participation, students explored everyday hygiene practices, including proper handwashing, oral hygiene, and maintaining cleanliness within shared spaces. Many students actively contributed to conversations about how hygiene habits practiced at school can also influence health outcomes at home and within the wider community, creating a learning experience that was practical, engaging, and relatable.

The students’ curiosity and willingness to participate created an encouraging environment for both the students and IMA interns involved.

As we continue our work in underserved communities, initiatives such as these remain an important part of supporting preventive health education and encouraging practical habits that can positively influence school and community environments over time.

Recently, at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—International Medical Aid proudly recognized the dedication,...
06/08/2026

Recently, at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—International Medical Aid proudly recognized the dedication, professionalism, and commitment of our Summer 2026 May Cohort as they completed their IMA programs.

During their time in Cusco, the cohort participated in meaningful global health experiences that combined clinical shadowing, health education, cultural immersion, and community engagement. Through these opportunities, they gained valuable insight into Peru’s healthcare system while continuing to develop the knowledge, perspective, and professionalism essential to their future careers in healthcare.

At the conclusion of their programs, the May Cohort received Certificates of Completion in recognition of their participation, growth, and contributions throughout their internship experience.

We are grateful for the enthusiasm, compassion, and commitment this cohort brought to the program, and we are proud to have been part of their learning journey. We wish them continued success as they move forward in their academic and professional paths.

Recently, at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—interns from our May cohorts conducted an oral hygiene and h...
06/07/2026

Recently, at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—interns from our May cohorts conducted an oral hygiene and handwashing education session at Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre School, reinforcing IMA’s commitment to preventive health education and meaningful community engagement among school-aged children.

Health education remains a fundamental component of promoting long-term well-being. Through partnerships with local communiaties, IMA strives to equip children with the knowledge and practical skills needed to adopt healthy habits that can positively impact their lives for years to come.

During this campaign, our interns worked closely with students through interactive demonstrations, educational activities, and hands-on learning focused on proper toothbrushing techniques and effective handwashing practices. These dynamic engagements encourage active participation while making health education both accessible and enjoyable for children.

As we continue our outreach efforts, IMA remains dedicated to empowering communities through education, prevention, and health promotion initiatives.

Our Community Medical Clinics are guided by a long-term approach to healthcare delivery—one that prioritizes continuity,...
06/05/2026

Our Community Medical Clinics are guided by a long-term approach to healthcare delivery—one that prioritizes continuity, accessibility, and a deeper understanding of how health shapes everyday life. Rather than standalone interventions, each engagement forms part of an ongoing commitment to strengthening access to care in ways that are both practical and meaningful.

Recently, IMA conducted a Community Medical Clinic at Longo Primary School in Mtongwe, located near our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya. As communities continue to grow beyond central healthcare hubs, outreach remains essential not only for delivering services, but also for understanding the evolving needs that shape care on the ground.

What often stands out in these settings is that healthcare is not only about diagnosis or treatment. It is also about how people live within the realities of their health—how they learn, participate in their communities, and navigate different stages of life.

During this clinic, a clear pattern emerged across generations. While needs may differ, the underlying themes remain the same: dignity, confidence, and continuity in daily life.

For breast cancer survivors, this was reflected in the provision of breast prostheses as part of continued support beyond treatment. Their journeys speak to the ongoing process of adjustment and rebuilding, where identity and confidence evolve alongside physical recovery.

For young girls, it was reflected in the provision of sanitary towels as part of IMA’s continued focus on menstrual health, supporting their ability to remain in school and participate fully in daily life without disruption.

Across both experiences, what stood out was not the difference in context, but the shared need for care that preserves dignity and supports continuity in how health is lived, not just treated.

Each IMA outreach activity contributes to a broader effort to strengthen community-centered care that is responsive, sustained, and rooted in lived experience. In every clinic, our focus remains on expanding access while staying attentive to the quieter dimensions of healthcare that shape long-term well-being.

We celebrate our early May Cohort, the first Summer 2026 group to successfully complete their healthcare internship at o...
06/04/2026

We celebrate our early May Cohort, the first Summer 2026 group to successfully complete their healthcare internship at our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya.

They arrived with curiosity and left with perspectives shaped by real clinical spaces. From the beginning, they were immersed in environments where learning was not theoretical, but lived through patients, conversations, and the rhythm of care as it unfolded in real time.

Much of their journey took place at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, where they rotated through busy outpatient departments, wards, and specialized units. In these spaces, they experienced the realities of public healthcare—fast-paced, unpredictable, and deeply reliant on teamwork, communication, and shared responsibility to keep care moving.

Over time, something shifted. What first felt like observation became understanding. What once felt overwhelming became meaningful. Healthcare became less about isolated moments and more about the quiet systems and human connections that hold it all together.

To our early May Cohort: congratulations. You leave not only with experience in clinical settings, but with a perspective shaped by being part of them. We are proud of your journey here and even more excited for the paths you are now stepping into.

As we continue recognizing Menstrual Hygiene Management Month, our outreach efforts remain centered on understanding how...
06/02/2026

As we continue recognizing Menstrual Hygiene Management Month, our outreach efforts remain centered on understanding how menstrual health challenges present differently across communities and settings.

In recent weeks, we highlighted some of the barriers faced in rural communities, where limited access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities, healthcare resources, and menstrual health education continues to affect the well-being, dignity, and school attendance of young girls.

This week, our team at our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya—visited Mekatilili wa Menza Girls Senior School, located within an urban setting, to further explore the realities surrounding menstrual health management in a different context. While urban communities may have greater access to healthcare services and menstrual products, many students still face significant challenges, including affordability, inconsistent access to products, stigma, misinformation, limited menstrual health education, and the need for more supportive spaces where these conversations can take place openly.

These engagements help us better understand the diverse and evolving needs of the communities we work with while strengthening community-centered approaches to health education and advocacy. Through continued dialogue, education sessions, and partnerships with local schools and community stakeholders, IMA remains committed to supporting safer, more informed, and more supportive environments for girls and young women.

This year’s theme, “Together for a ,” is an important reminder that menstrual health equity requires collective action across all communities. Whether in rural or urban settings, creating period-friendly environments means ensuring that girls and young women have access not only to menstrual products, but also to education, dignity, support, and safe spaces to thrive without shame or limitation.

Through sustained community partnerships and open conversations, we remain committed to advancing menstrual health awareness and helping build healthier, more supportive futures for the communities we serve.

Recently, at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—IMA interns had the opportunity to experience a breathtaking...
06/01/2026

Recently, at our flagship site in South America—Cusco, Peru—IMA interns had the opportunity to experience a breathtaking hike through the mountains surrounding the city. As part of the activity, interns visited Inkilltambo, an Inca-era archaeological site nestled among the mountains and local flora.

Throughout the journey, interns connected with Peru’s natural landscape while walking alongside streams, learning about medicinal herbs traditionally used in the region, and taking in the fresh air and peaceful scenery of the Andean countryside.

Beyond the adventure itself, the experience offered interns a meaningful opportunity to step away from the pace of the city and the demands of their hospital rotations, allowing them to reflect, recharge, and reconnect with nature while deepening their appreciation for Peru’s rich history, culture, and environment.

Conversations surrounding boys’ mental health are too often shaped by silence, stigma, and expectations that discourage ...
05/30/2026

Conversations surrounding boys’ mental health are too often shaped by silence, stigma, and expectations that discourage emotional openness from an early age. In many school environments, young men are encouraged to appear resilient and self-reliant, while discussions surrounding stress, emotional well-being, and mental health challenges remain limited or overlooked.

Recently, at our flagship site in East Africa—Mombasa, Kenya—IMA interns participated in a Mental Health Awareness Clinic at Tononoka Boys Senior School. During the session, interns engaged students in meaningful conversations about emotional health, stress management, self-awareness, and the importance of building supportive environments where young men feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment.

Throughout the clinic, students reflected on the pressures that can accompany adolescence, including academic expectations, peer relationships, and societal perceptions surrounding masculinity and emotional expression. The session encouraged students to recognize that emotions such as stress, anxiety, frustration, and sadness are a normal part of life, and that acknowledging these experiences is an important part of maintaining overall well-being.

Creating spaces where young men can speak openly about mental health is essential to strengthening emotional literacy, peer support, and long-term well-being within school communities. Through continued outreach initiatives like this, IMA remains committed to supporting health education, encouraging meaningful dialogue, and helping students better understand the social, emotional, and human dimensions of care.

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