Khon Kaen Specialty Courses – 2026 Summer – Internship

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Academics

Located in Northeastern Thailand (Isan), Khon Kaen offers a rich cultural immersion experience and serves as a major educational and healthcare hub. Students benefit from close faculty mentorship, exposure to diverse health systems, and direct engagement with Thai medical and health science students. You will discover a supportive, community-focused environment with many opportunities to explore traditional and modern Thai healthcare practices.

Program Structure

The first few weeks of the program are designed to introduce you to the Thai language, culture, and healthcare system. You will begin the program taking the following two courses as preparation for your internship or research assistantship:

• Introduction to Thai Language I

  Summer – Internship

  Thai 100-level 1 credit Taught in Thai

  This course will introduce Thai consonants and vowels while focusing on pronunciation, basic Thai vocabulary, and grammatical structures for everyday use. Instruction includes an emphasis on listening and speaking within the context of everyday life experiences.

• Healthcare in Thailand

  Summer – Internship

  Community Health Sciences 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course focuses on the structure and functions of the Thai healthcare system, including the primary healthcare system, community health clinics and pharmacies, and systems of traditional healthcare as well as the roles of healthcare providers including physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and village health volunteers in health promotion and prevention, self-care, and oral health. Special attention will be paid to the use of evidence-based criteria to evaluate the risks and benefits of traditional healthcare: cultural perspectives of herbal medicine, the botanical/chemical basis of ethnomedicines.

Your classroom study is complemented by visits to local and rural health-care facilities, meetings with Thai language partners, and group activities with Thai students who are also studying health sciences.

After the first three weeks, you will begin your internship (135 or 180 hours / 3 or 4 semester credits). Placements are determined in advance through a comprehensive interview process as part of the program application.

• Community Health Science Internship

  Summer – Internship

  Community Health Sciences Health Ecology Internships Nursing 300-level 3-4 credits Taught in English

  Community health placements (3 credits, 300-level)

  Students participate in public health-oriented placements in community hospitals and local clinics, village health volunteer (VHV) networks, childcare development centers, and with Khon Kaen University public health teams focusing on community health, school visits, rural outreach, international student health access, etc.

  These placements are a good option for pre-med, pre-nursing, pre-pharmacy and public health students who have a more broad-based academic background. They’re also great for students who aren’t sure which medical field they want to go into, as it provides exposure to all.

  Eligibility Requirements for Community health placements

  Sophomore standing or higher at time of application

  Minimum GPA of 3.0

  Successful completion of university-level biology course with lab is required; introductory course in public health or other health science field is highly desirable

  Public health organization or health clinic placements (3 or 4 credits, 400/600-level)

  Advanced undergraduates and graduate students with the appropriate academic background may intern with a local public health facility or medical department at Khon Kaen University. Interns are assigned to an internship supervisor who oversees their work on special projects within the clinic or organization.

  These placements are excellent options for pre-health majors with a strong academic background in community health or science. They also provide great experience for recent grads and students who want to go on to graduate school.

  Eligibility Requirements for Public Health or Clinic Placements:

  Junior standing or higher at time of application. (Open to recent graduates and graduate students

  Minimum GPA of 3.0

  Completion of one or more courses at the 400-level in biology/chemistry for clinical placements or one or more health-related courses at the 300-level for public health placements.

  Prior lab experience and a course in statistical methods are required.

  Applicants are expected to be knowledgeable of the U.S. healthcare system structure

• International Research Assistantship

  Summer – Internship

  Internships 400-level 3-4 credits Taught in English

  Lab-based research assistantships (3 or 4 credits, 400/600-level)

  Available to advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a strong academic foundation in the desired area of research. Recent graduates may also apply. Prior laboratory experience is required.

  Areas of research available at Khon Kaen University include medicinal plants and traditional Thai medicine; bioactive compound analysis, nutrigenomics and chemoprevention, cancer biology and cell culture, pharmaceutical assays and HPLC, and data science for public health. Although students may have a pre-determined research project in mind, this isn’t required. Most students will be placed in labs where they will gain research experience by assisting faculty and researchers with pre-existing projects.

  Eligibility requirements for research assistantships:

  Junior standing or higher at time of application. (Open to recent graduates and graduate students)

  Minimum GPA of 3.0

  Completion of three or more upper-division courses in science or health that provide a relevant foundation for the research project.

  Lab experience beyond an introductory level

  A course in statistical methods is recommended

All placements require weekly logs, faculty supervision and a final project (e.g., scientific report, community project, educational materials, or clinical reflection.)

To request a course syllabus: syllabus@usac.edu

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