Suitcases to Sutures: Checking into LI’s Advanced Medical & Public Health Internship

The second week of Leadership Initiatives’ Medical & Public Health Program has just begun!

Interns came from every corner of the country to Washington, D.C., dragging suitcases and carrying a mix of nervous energy and high expectations as they stepped onto campus for Day 1. Some had flown across time zones while others had endured long road trips, but all 190 of these aspiring medical and public health professionals shared the exact same destination. 

The first day was a whirlwind of checking into dorms, collecting keys, and happily meeting their new roommates, program directors, and conversing with the program doctors from Leadership Initiatives’ partner hospital, New Life, who flew from Bauchi State, Nigeria.

What started as a crowd of strangers quickly began to shift during orientation as interns met their team leads, found their small groups, and realized they were no longer navigating their pre-med journeys alone. By the time they’ll head out for an evening exploration through the historic streets of Georgetown, we’re confident the initial quiet jitters will completely melt away, replaced by the excited chatter of a newly unified medical cohort ready to take on the intensive week ahead.

We are greatly honored to welcome this group of aspiring health professionals to campus for what will undoubtedly be an unforgettable journey. Over the next week, these future leaders will deep-dive into the complex realities of healthcare by engaging in exciting lectures from an incredible lineup of experts—including a neuroscientist, multiple emergency medical experts, a public speaking coach, our wonderful partner physicians, Dr. Aminu, Dr. Aisha, and Dr. Zainab, and many more!

Beyond the classroom, interns will immediately put their knowledge into practice during hands-on interactive sessions, understanding vital medical skills like suturing, plaster casting, venipuncture, and dissection, all while making lifelong bonds with their peers.

We are very excited to see how much these interns grow throughout the week. Thankfully, the week isn’t just filled with lectures–interns will have the amazing opportunity to master essential clinical skills, and make bonds with peers that will last a lifetime—and we have no doubt it is going to be an absolutely unforgettable journey.