Global Surgical Expedition (GSE) – Program Coordination Internship 

Global Surgical Expedition is a 501c3 NGO founded in 2012 with the vision to help improve access to surgical care and build surgical infrastructure in underserved regions. Our global mission involves 4 pillars focused on improving surgical care worldwide: providing surgeries and surgical infrastructure, education, research, and advocacy. Our surgical and health care teams presently perform short-term surgical trips, providing care across Central America and Africa. Our education effort centers on our goal to foster the next generation of global surgery leaders by organizing international training experiences as well as developing formal classroom curricula and training programs for students and medical residents. We also perform global research to understand better ways to reach patients and provide surgery that makes an impact. Our advocacy efforts include public awareness campaigns as well as larger advocacy activities aimed at policy change regarding global surgery. 

GSE is a growing organization and the work you do will be critical to our success and have a significant impact to many around the world in need. You will work directly with GSE’s leadership team to accomplish a wide array of responsibilities and be involved in activities across program development and communications. 

Internship Overview
This internship is designed as a structured educational experience for students interested in global health, nonprofit management, and program coordination. The internship provides hands-on exposure to nonprofit operations and global surgery initiatives while prioritizing the intern’s learning and professional development.

This is an unpaid internship. GSE will work with the selected candidate to support academic credit where applicable.

Educational Objectives
Interns will gain experience in:

• Global health education program coordination and logistics
• Nonprofit communications and stakeholder engagement
• Grant writing and fundraising strategy
• Cross-cultural considerations in healthcare delivery
• Organizational operations within a mission-driven nonprofit

Interns will receive mentorship from GSE leadership and opportunities for reflection, feedback, and skill development.

Learning Responsibilities & Activities
Under supervision, interns may:

Program Coordination (Learning-Focused)

• Observe and assist in planning processes for surgical programs and educational initiatives
• Help compile and develop informational resources for health care providers, including cultural education, travel policies, vaccination schedule, etc.
• Support documentation and organization of program resources and reports
• Work collaboratively with GSE’s Director of Education & Growth to develop and organize health care educational programs for students.
• Participate in grant research efforts
• Assist in preparing materials for meetings, including board meetings, for educational exposure
• Learn about inventory tracking and logistics related to medical equipment

Communications (Learning-Focused)

• Assist in drafting sample communications such as newsletters, social media content, or press materials and develop and execute on an overall plan and strategy to maintain a robust year-round calendar that engages multiple audiences from donors to patients to partners.
• Observe and contribute ideas to marketing and outreach strategies
• Support development of educational or promotional materials (e.g., reports, presentations, digital content)

Professional Development

• Participate in regular check-ins and mentorship sessions
• Engage in structured reflection on learning goals and outcomes
• Gain exposure to nonprofit leadership, strategy, and decision-making processes

Important Internship Guidelines (FLSA Alignment)

• This internship is primarily for the benefit of the intern and emphasizes training over productivity
• Interns do not replace or displace paid employees and work under close supervision
• GSE derives no immediate advantage from intern activities; tasks are educational in nature
• There is no expectation of wages for time spent in the internship
• Participation in this internship does not guarantee future employment

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in global health, global surgery, or nonprofit work
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint) is helpful
• Experience with content creation and video editing is a plus
• Interest in learning new tools and systems

Application Instructions
Interested students should submit a resume and cover letter to: info@globalsurgicalexpedition.org