Reviews

Allen Hu

The month I spent in Cape Town really was the time of my life. The city and the surrounding environment was absolutely beautiful, the food was delicious (also cheap), and the South African people were so kind and friendly! I woke up every day excited to explore the city and learn something new about South Africa's history and culture. In addition, my internship was so eye-opening, because I got to go out into the townships every day and see a different way of life, as well as the challenges of providing healthcare to impoverished areas. That's not something very many people get to do, and I consider myself so lucky to have been able to go to Cape Town for an internship. I'm so grateful for all the people I met and all the experiences I had. If you're having trouble deciding whether or not you should go abroad for an internship with Connect-123, let me just say: take the leap. Just go for it. You absolutely won't regret it. I certainly didn't!

Drew Peth

It’s amazing what can happen in just a short month, and it would not have been possible without Connect-123. This became evident from our very first meeting, and I knew I had made the best decision to spend my summer with them. Their grasp on Cape Town life and connections around the city are unparalleled. We were connected with some of the best doctors and mentors in Cape Town. Rotating through a community day clinic, secondary hospital, pediatric care center, and touring a first tier government hospital, where the first heart transplant took place, as well as a private hospital, we gained well-rounded insight into the healthcare of Cape Town. Connect-123 made sure we not only had an incredible internship experience, but also amazing opportunities to see the beauty of Cape Town. They gave fantastic recommendations, listened to what we wanted to do, and took the stress of planning, scheduling, and arranging accommodation away, allowing us to more fully enjoy ourselves. The staff at Connect-123 go above and beyond to not only ensure you have an excellent experience, but also work to foster a relationship with you. I can honestly say Connect-123 shaped my time in Cape Town, and for that I am forever grateful. My only regret is that I didn’t stay longer! Thanks again for everything!

Cassidy Lawrence

From before we even arrived in Cape Town up until we left for the journey home, the Connect-123 staff was extremely accommodating, supportive, and communicable. I am sure that without the hard working and knowledgeable staff we would not have had even half the experience during our month in Cape Town. They planned many excursions for us, taking a huge burden off us by contacting companies and setting up transportation and meals. In addition, they arranged beneficial experiences based on our professional interests and organized fulfilling community service days throughout our trip. One of the most impressive things about the Connect-123 staff is their genuine passion and care for all their students. They truly wanted us all to have the best trip possible and were always open to feedback on how they could make that happen. I would absolutely recommend Connect-123 to any student looking for a great experience in Cape Town!

Kimberly Cohen

My experience with Connect-123 in Cape Town, South Africa has been one of the most valuable takeaways of my education. I was given the opportunity to split my time between two separate pediatric hospitals; an orthopedic, public hospital and an intermediate, public care facility. This pairing of independent care providers allowed me to get a broad understanding of the healthcare system in South Africa. I learned to be resourceful while still providing compassionate and thoughtful care, which is a mindset I can bring back to my nursing education at home. Connect-123 offered endless support through every step of my experience. They made sure my internship gave me every experience that I asked for. In addition to pairing me with a valuable volunteer opportunity, the Connect-123 office planned weekly or biweekly activities for the interns. We were able to go sand boarding one week and go to a traditional African dinner the next. They gave us information regarding upcoming events in the city and travel trips we could access at a discounted price. Cape Town is the perfect city for an array of activities. The city has mountains, beaches, vineyards, gardens, arenas, museums...all in one place! No length of time would be long enough to cover all that you can do there. I wholeheartedly recommend to consider interning in Cape Town, since there is no experience like it.

Katherine Thomas

My experience with Connect-123 in Cape Town was amazing. I spent the best four months of my life in this city meeting the most wonderful people, eating and drinking at the most fantastic restaurants and bars, exploring countless activities in and outside the city, and learning at two exceptional hospitals. As a nursing student, I was able to gain new nursing skills, shadow during surgeries, participate in ward rounds, help and eventually do my own castings, and learn about a completely different healthcare system than my own. The pediatric patients and other healthcare workers we spent our time with were extremely welcoming, enthusiastic, and dedicated. When we weren’t working, we were taking advantage of the many attractions Cape Town has to offer, with tons of help from Connect-123. The program coordinators helped us with everything from figuring out how to turn on the hot water in our apartment to taking us out on a sunset cruise and sand boarding in the dunes outside Cape Town. I got to know amazing interns from all over the world and made lifelong memories and friendships. Cape Town allowed me to adventure more than I ever have before – we skydived, bungee humped off the highest bungee bridge in the world, traveled along the Garden Route, went on safaris, crawled through caves, hiked mountains, swam in waterfalls, shark cage dove, and paraglided. When our adrenaline wasn’t pumping, we were wine tasting, relaxing at the beach, hanging out on the rooftop pool, swimming with penguins, going to beautiful markets, watching rugby, attending the awesome museums, listening to live music in the gorgeous botanical gardens, and taking in the incredible views. I cannot imagine a more fun and interesting place to intern or a better program than Connect-123 in Cape Town!

Diya Khullar

My stay in Cape Town with Connect-123 was truly priceless. I entered with overwhelming anticipation and left with unimaginable clinical experience, bucket-list attractions checked off my list, and lifelong friends. Being a pre-med student did not pose an issue for me at the hospital as the surgeons and other interns were constantly encouraging questions and eager to teach. Not only did I get the opportunity to shadow cardiothoracics, I also ended up viewing general surgeries and neurosurgeries! The environment truly fosters your interests as long as you pursue them, whether it's spending all day in operating theater, focusing on ward work, or visiting other departments. Furthermore, Connect-123 was always there for me outside of the internship, from when I was sick as a dog to when I needed instructions on how to reset my electric power! Furthermore, the social events that Connect-123 set up for us allowed us to experience the various facets of Cape Town while CONNECTING (pun intended) with other individuals from all around the world! Overall, I highly recommend this experience to anyone who is willing to step outside of his/her comfort zone and seeks growth outside of the typical educational/career path; you will not regret it.

Naledi Makhene

I had an amazing time in Cape Town! My family is South African, so I’ve been to Cape Town before and was unsure if I wanted to go back there or experience a different city for my internship. I’m so happy that I decided to return, because I got to experience Cape Town in a different way. It is such a beautiful city that is rich in culture with lots of things to do. The people and the atmosphere are extremely inviting, which made the transition to living in a new place easier. My internship experience was phenomenal, and I hope to work there again when I earn my Master’s in Public Health. I reminisce on my trip literally almost everyday and I can’t wait to go back! Three months was too short.

Grace Severance

I spent 3 months of the fall semester of my senior year of university working as an intern in a surgical unit at a hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Working with both the surgeons and registrars was a unique experience - I got to observe how the medical staff diagnosed, treated, and cared for patient on a daily basis. My relationship with the physicians was friendly and professional, and they were always helpful in explaining all the medical terminology and diagnostic reasoning to me. I also had opportunities to observe a public clinic an hour from Cape Town and see how healthcare was delivered on a local scale. I can highly recommend Connect-123 for anyone interested in doing an internship in Cape Town. The staff was prompt, professional, and always looking to help the interns in whatever way they could. I was able to learn a lot about South African culture and they, in turn, were interested in learning about American culture. Connect-123 is a dependable organization whose primary goal is to optimize the experiences of its participants. I would recommend this specific internship to any student interested in medicine, pre-PA, and nursing.

Kaleigh Keown

The five weeks I spent in Cape Town, South Africa, were five weeks I will never forget. Although I was over 7,000 miles away from a single person I knew, I felt completely prepared thanks to Connect-123. I began my internship at a hospital in the city and when that experience did not exactly go as planned, Connect-123 was quick to change my setting and give me the most out of my time in Cape Town. I was not only able to experience the South African healthcare culture through my internship, but staying in the city allowed me to absorb as much of the Cape Town atmosphere as possible. During my trip, I experienced hiking, shark cage diving, rugby games, surfing, winery tours, a Robben Island tour, a Langa Township tour, a trip to Boulder’s Beach organized by Connect-123, among many others. I only wish that I would have stayed longer than five weeks!

Isaac Rooney

Cape Town gave me without a doubt, the most educational, eye-opening, and exploration-filled two months of my life. The experience my internship gave me was unlike any I could’ve imagined. Working in a hospital in South Africa exposed me to more than I ever could have been exposed to in the U.S. and has given me both a unique and favorable addition to my resume. Since getting home, I’ve been telling friends that Cape Town is the one place in the world where you can truly do anything. One day you could be hiking table mountain, the next you could be surfing, and the next you could be shark cage diving or visiting Kirstenbosch, the massive botanical garden. Going into my internship in South Africa, I was very unsure, as I’m sure mostly everyone was. Having returned home, I can confidently say I made the best possible choice on where to spend my two month internship. I felt as though Sough Africa wasn’t a place I would get another chance to visit and having taken the opportunity, I couldn’t be happier with my decision.

Samantha Telgkamp

While in class studying to become a child life specialist, I am taught over and over that play is the universal language of childhood. It was not until I immersed myself in a whole new culture across the world, when I realized the truth to this statement. Having the opportunity to work with so many different children, in all sorts of settings, speaking many of the different languages native to South Africa was incredible. Recognizing how play is a language we all can "speak" and understand and its importance to a child is a lesson whose impact goes much further than the classroom. While I sit in class or am talking with my friends, I am always finding myself relating whatever the discussion is to my experience in Cape Town. I miss it so much, and could never thank Connect-123 enough for all you did to make my experience greater than anything I imagined.

Kristine Wright

During my time in Cape Town I was based in a fantastic government hospital and got to work with some incredible doctors and nurses. I observed open heart surgeries, organ donation surgeries and transplants. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Cape Town and Langebaan in particular was awesome! I took a kite boarding course and spent most of my free time surfing and kite boarding! I found Cape Town to be very laid back and a great place to visit and hike!

Carly Henderson

My internship in Cape Town was an unforgettable experience. Connect-123 did a great job of matching me to an internship which suited my skills and interests which helped me slot in straight away with my co-workers. I attended weekly antibiotic stewardship ward rounds in adult burns, medical and surgical ICU and also paediatric ICU and had a number of projects to work on keeping me busy during my internship. The experience has helped me realise that whilst there are often financial constraints associated with healthcare, I have witnessed first-hand, that the right attitude goes a long way towards safeguarding the patients, even in low resource settings.  I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and feel inspired to seek improvements through innovation however small they may seem. The team and other participants at Connect-123 are extremely sociable and which really made sure I got the most out of my internship, both at work and in my spare time. Cape Town completely took me by surprise and exceeded all expectations with its beauty, adventure and culture. There are countless fun things to do, whatever your interests or budget. The more I learned about the city, the more I fell in love with it and the experience will stay with me forever.

Lucy Morton

It’s difficult to sum up my two month experience in Cape Town without using the typical words amazing and unforgettable. Seriously, Cape Town is a beauty! As part of my 3 year scientist training programme in the UK, I was required to undertake a placement within a different field of healthcare in order to gain experience in a new environment. I love travelling and living abroad, and have always wanted to visit South Africa. Connect-123 provided an easy way for me to find an internship programme to fulfill the requirements of my training programme back home. Right from my initial enquiries they were so helpful and willing to find the perfect internship for me. They were able to match me to a placement focused upon infectious disease management and control, which was perfectly suited to my interests. Throughout my time they ensured that everything was going to plan and that I was enjoying it. Plus, they are all so friendly and helpful about the best things to do in the city! Although it’s possible to find an internship independently, Connect-123 allows you to meet and live with other interns, which is the best part about it! I have so many amazing memories from Cape Town and met a brilliant group of people to share my experiences with. I was able to go on insane adventures that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do if I completed an internship in the UK – e.g. shark cage diving, safari in Kruger National Park, abseiling Table Mountain! Cape Town is seriously the perfect place to intern – so many things to see/do, amazing food and of course so many wineries to visit!

Maureen Carney

My time in Cape Town, South Africa was absolutely indescribable. From the incredible people we met, to the breathtaking view of the mountain we woke up to every morning, Cape Town showed us its many treasures we were so fortunate to experience. The Connect-123 program allowed us to further these experiences through the support and guidance they dedicated to us throughout our time there. We were able to maintain a balance of excursions throughout the city and volunteering/service learning within health care settings and schools. Each and every day brought new learning curves and challenges, but also gave me valuable learning experiences that I will hold with me forever. I grew so much, personally and professionally, and I was able to expand my horizons beyond what I had already learned in the field of child life. I will never forget the children, families, and the people I met in Cape Town. I am honored to have been able to participate in this trip, and I am confident that I will be returning to Cape Town again one day!

Christine De’Antonis

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience during my four months in Cape Town. I gained professional experience through my internship at the Groote Schuur Hospital as well as increased cultural awareness through my everyday social encounters. I had a lot of fun both during my job, interacting with patients and coworkers, and outside of work exploring the city and South Africa as a whole. I gained a well-rounded experience through Connect-123 achieving job exposure as well as enjoyment. My internship in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at Groote Schuur definitely provided me with medical exposure that I would have had difficulty finding in the United States. My primary responsibility was to work on a clinical trial research project that compared two different types of mechanical valves used in valve replacement surgeries. On top of this I was able to interact with patients, attend ward rounds, observe both cardiac and thoracic surgeries and assist with some responsibilities within the ward. My coworkers were all extremely friendly which made going to work enjoyable, and all of the consultants, registrars, and medical students were more than willing to teach us each day, which allowed me to learn so much about cardiothoracics and medical practice as a whole. Upon entering this internship, I hadn’t quite had my mind made up about whether or not I wanted to pursue a career in medicine, but after this experience I now know that this is what I want to do in life. On top of this, my time spent outside of my internship was wonderful. I made so many new friends from all over the world and I felt that I was able to fully immerse myself in the culture of Cape Town. Connect-123 set up numerous social events that made meeting other interns very easy, and they made sure that no one ever felt lonely in the foreign city. Over the four months I was able to do everything from bungee jumping in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, to hiking numerous mountains surrounding Cape Town, to wine tasting in the vineyards, and so much more. I had the experience of a lifetime through this program and I am so grateful to have received this opportunity.

Kristen Nuttall

My internship experience in Cape Town was the best five months of my life. As a nursing student, I worked in a pediatric orthopedic hospital and learned more than I thought possible. I was able to work with the children and learn nursing skills in the wards. Additionally, I went on ward rounds with doctors, participated in a club foot clinic, and worked in surgery two days a week. The doctors and nurses I worked with were incredibly kind and went out of their way to teach me so many things. Not a day at work went by without me learning or doing something new. Outside of work, I had the most wonderful time exploring Cape Town. It is a beautiful city with an endless amount of things to do. I hiked mountains, went to an infinite amount of food and shopping markets, visited incredible beaches, went to wine farms, surfed…the list could go on forever. I also had the opportunity to fly up to Zambia and see Victoria Falls. Best of all, I made amazing friends who I know will be my friends for life. The staff at Connect-123 was very helpful anytime that I needed them! I felt like I could always pop up to their office if I needed questions or advice. The activities that they did for us also helped me meet other interns and explore the city. I would not trade this experience in Cape Town for anything. I am grateful beyond words for the most amazing five months that I have ever had.

Kendall Donohoe

I had an incredible time in Cape Town for the past few months and I'm so glad I decided to come! My internship at a hospital's cardiothoracics ward was a mixture of research and clinical work. During the morning rounds I was able to listen to and ask questions about the decisions being made, and I was responsible for ordering the diagnostic tests and scans the doctors requested during rounds. In addition to ordering these tests I was able to learn how to write discharge summaries and I observed many types of cardiac and thoracic surgeries. The department was also working on a couple of different clinical trials for devices and methods used in surgeries.

The research project I worked on compares two types of mechanical valves used in heart valve replacement surgery. I loved my internship because of the opportunities for observation and patient interaction, the ability to learn about the health care system from the perspective of a physician or surgeon, and a great team of doctors and medical students who were very willing to explain concepts and answer questions.

In addition to the great experiences and friends I have met through work, I enjoyed livin with the other Connect-123 interns. At first I worried about making friends but instead I have made plenty and there is always something going on! The other interns come from all over the world and exploring Cape Town with them was so much fun!

Katie Boehm

The experience I had in Cape Town was an amazing one, both from an internship point of view as well as living in this exciting city. I did the 4 week Clinical Internship at Victoria Hospital. The hospital patient base tends to be people from people on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale so you get to see a wide variety of cases that you would not necessarily be exposed to back in your home country. I got to shadow ward rounds in internal medicine, paediatrics, tuberculosis wards, view procedures and surgeries as well as outpatient clinics. In addition to these experiences, you are able to give back to the hospital through projects and in my case I worked on an electronic medical record system as well as clinical trial screenings. The experience definitely cemented my desire to go into medicine. Other than the internship, Cape Town is a great city to be in. There is beautiful scenery and activities all around. I hiked to my heart's content, went cage diving with great white sharks, went on safari, ate my way through the amazing food options, and did a Garden Route road trip with friends I made through Connect. If you have any problems deciding what to do, the staff plan great socials and love to have you visit, answering any questions you may have. Overall you won't regret the time you spend here in Cape Town.

Tanya Nanthakumar

Deciding to travel to Cape Town was a big step for me. I’ve travelled before, but there was always someone on the other end to receive me and show me around. Connect123 and the lovely ladies in Cape Town made sure that my stay was safe, fun and memorable. My 4-week internship at a secondary hospital was completely eye opening. Learning how the health care system in Cape Town worked and being around such knowledgeable doctors and nurses was a privilege. What I learned was not just medical facts and assessments, but real life lessons that I will carry with me for many years. I didn’t feel like an outsider, but a part of the team. Cape Town as a tourist was riveting. Though it was July and slightly cold, I quickly adjusted and found myself enraptured by my surroundings. Perspectives, being right in city center, provided me with a gorgeous view of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. My roommates were amazing and we would attend any of the events Connect123 held, such as the Langa Township Tour and Social night. These events allowed us to meet the other interns and form lasting friendships. All in all, my experience with Connect123 was amazing. The support was constant and amazing. If you asked me if I would ever go back to Cape Town in the future, my answer would be an immediate, irrevocable “yes”.