Internship and research opportunities for Khon Kaen, Thailand
Students participating in a community health internship or research assistantship will combine a structured work or research experience with complementary courses designed to provide valuable insights into various health fields and the language and culture of Thailand.
As part of the application interview process, we will explore whether an internship or lab-based research assistantship provides the best fit with your academic goals and objectives. The placement process will take into consideration your career interests, prior experience and academic preparation along with the needs of each placement site. Successful applicants will also demonstrate a high level of maturity, flexibility, self-direction, and responsibility.
Khon Kaen health internships are available in three different placement formats:
Clinical-based internship
Best for: Juniors/Seniors, pre-med, nursing, allied health, and students with clinical or advanced science coursework.
Supervision: KKU faculty from Medicine, Nursing, Associated Medical Sciences, or hospital-based clinical teams.
Possible placement settings:
- Srinagarind Hospital (KKU University Hospital)
- Primary Care Unit (Family Medicine)
- Specialty outpatient clinics (OB/GYN, HPV clinic, student health center)
- Pediatric and child development clinics
- Mobile medical outreach trips with KKU students
Examples of student activities:
- Observing outpatient consultations and inpatient care
- Watching surgical operations or procedures (when appropriate)
- Assisting with non-invasive tasks (vital signs, vaccines, pediatric suctioning, nebulizers) under strict supervision
- Joining ward rounds and clinical discussions
- Participating in pediatric development and early childcare activities
- Supporting health education during community or hospital outreach trips
Examples from past placements:
- Observing liver fluke and cholangiocarcinoma procedures
- Pediatric nursing at KKU-affiliated childcare and children’s homes
- Shadowing physicians during clinic days at the Primary Care Unit
- Participating in a medical outreach trip to Kalasin province
Requirements:
- Junior standing or higher at time of application
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Relevant science/health coursework; prior clinical exposure preferred
Admission is selective and based on academic preparedness, maturity, and professionalism. A personal interview to match students with appropriate placements is required.
Community health internship
Best for: Sophomores or above, exploratory pre-health students, public health majors, or students without advanced clinical coursework.
Supervision: KKU faculty in Community Medicine, Family Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, or related fields.
Possible placement settings:
- Community hospitals and local clinics
- Village health volunteer (VHV) networks
- Childcare centers and community development programs
- Public health teams at KKU
- International student health access projects
Examples of student activities:
- Shadowing community health and primary care teams
- Observing school health screenings or child development programs
- Joining mobile health units visiting rural villages
- Participating in cultural- and language-sensitive patient engagement
- Conducting health surveys
- Designing a small final project (awareness campaign, intervention, or educational resource)
Examples from past placements:
- Creating a health access campaign for foreigners living in Khon Kaen
- Conducting school health assessments and nutrition surveys
- Supporting child development activities in community childcare centers
- Observing community hospital workflow during outreach trips
Requirements:
- Sophomore standing or higher
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Interest in global health, community health, health promotion, or related fields
- Virtual interview required
Admission is selective and based on academic preparedness, maturity, and professionalism. A personal interview to match students with appropriate placements is required.
Research-based internship (Research Assistantship)
Best for: Juniors/Seniors or recent graduates in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Public Health, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related majors.
Supervision: KKU faculty in research labs (e.g., Tropical Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Medical Sciences, Biochemistry).
Possible laboratory focus areas:
- Medicinal plants and Thai traditional medicine
- Bioactive compound analysis
- Nutrigenomics and chemoprevention
- Cancer biology and cell culture
- Pharmaceutical assays and HPLC
- Data science for public health
Examples of student activities:
- Literature searches on assigned topics
- Wet lab techniques (extraction, colorimetry, spectrophotometry, chromatography)
- Biological assays of plant extracts
- Assisting with cell culture
- Learning instrumentation (HPLC, rotary evaporator)
- Attending PhD seminars and research presentations
- Writing a formal scientific report
Examples from past placements:
- FRAP antioxidant assays on Thai medicinal plants
- HPLC analysis of phytochemicals
- Bioinformatics and data analysis for cancer research
- Scientific reporting and laboratory method development
Requirements:
- Junior standing or higher
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Completion of at least three upper-division science courses
- Prior laboratory experience required
- Statistics course strongly recommended
- Virtual interview required
Admission is selective and based on academic preparedness, maturity, and professionalism. A personal interview to match students with appropriate placements is required.