Incredible, life changing experience interning in Medellin! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The benefits of working abroad outside of the United States added an extra challenge to the internship, and the internship provided was very in depth. I was offered a prominent role in my department and given many opportunities to expand my own learning and contribute in a meaningful way.

On-site administration of your program

Whenever needed, The Intern Group was there for me and my fellow interns with whatever we needed. They also checked in to make sure that the internship was meeting my expectations and was constantly checking to make sure I was having a good experience. They were also there for several of my fellow interns in moments of medical crisis, even at odd hours in the morning.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

A good apartment in the nicest, wealthiest, and safest part of town. While Poblado was not my favorite place in Medellin, it was convenient and close to local services and my place of work, so anything I needed was often close. Never did I feel in danger and in general, it was easy to get to any other part of the city from my location.

While food was not provided, we had easy access to local markets and grocery stores where the quality of the food was always good. Access to local and international cuisines was always easy, and The Intern Group was always there to educate us on the various local cuisine and events always had local snacks.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

My co-workers were incredibly welcoming and inviting, and they really made me feel at home and part of the local culture by telling me places to go and thing to do. The Intern Group also provided a lot of help with a detailed cultural calendar of local events and activities which students could participate in. There often multiple events per week at local events and cultural activities which helped students learn and integrate faster and easier.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

While I never experienced any health care emergencies or issues, at one time my roommate had a negative reaction to something and needed the doctor called very early in the morning. The Intern Group responded immediately and were there to assist him in his medical emergency.

Students were housed in the safest part of the city, and never did I feel in any danger. However, in a city like Medellin a student does have to be more aware of their surroundings and keep track of where they are and those around them. So long as you remain pragmatic and cautious, you can still enjoy everything the city has to offer at it's fullest and never have any issues.

This program was exactly what I was looking for and more. When I began my search for international programs, I wanted to find something in Latin America that was more than just classes and something that would allow me to gain experience in my field and gain a line on my resume. The internship experience accomplished all this, and I was able to expand my knowledge in the field tremendously. My internship with The Intern Group gave me a lot of responsibility and demonstrated a lot of trust in my abilities, which many internships that my friends have done in my home city did not provide. The Intern Group sought out the best possible internships for their students, and then provided them with an amazing support while working and living in Medellin. My time at the Intern Group has probably been the most significant thing I have done in my University career.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Perhaps I spent more than I needed, but generally speaking I was spending around $200 a week. But this often included travel, meals out with co-workers and friends, etc.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

I used Spanish every single day in the office, and even though it is not a required part of the program I found it very useful.

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• Apartment

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• International Students
• Host Family

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• Other

• My internship
• The relationships I developed with local friends
• The cultural events I was able to experience through both my workplace and through The Intern Group

• Perhaps a little more information on the workplace before you start, though that was easily learned through independent research

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer