Print This Post
Fancy seeing how global health policy gets made from the inside? The World Health Organization runs an internship programme for students and recent graduates, with placements at its Geneva headquarters and in regional and country offices around the world. There is no single deadline: new internships are posted throughout the year, each with its own closing date.
WHO describes the programme as a way to build a diverse pool of future leaders in public health. Interns are placed in WHO’s technical programmes, the areas working on specific diseases and health issues, or in administrative teams such as communications, external relations and human resources. You get a close look at how an international health organisation works with governments and partners, and a line on your CV that carries weight well beyond academia.
WHO leads the global public health response to dementia, from national dementia plans to brain health, so if your interests run towards policy, global health or health systems, this is a route worth knowing about. Our piece on why only one in four governments has a dementia plan gives a sense of how much of that work is still to do.
What you get
- A full-time placement of between 6 and 24 weeks, depending on the needs of the team you join
- Medical and accident insurance for the duration of the internship (not for travel to and from the duty station)
- A living allowance for selected interns who need financial support. Eligibility is assessed from a declaration of interests form, where you list any grants, bursaries or scholarships you already have, and the amount is given in each vacancy notice
- Lunch vouchers at some duty stations
A word of warning if you’re looking at Geneva: WHO itself points out that the city is expensive and accommodation can be hard to find, so do your sums before you accept.
Who can apply
To be eligible you need to:
- be at least 20 years old on the date you apply
- be enrolled on an undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate course in public health, medicine, a social field related to WHO’s technical work, or in management, administration, communications or external relations
- have completed three years of full-time university study before the internship starts
- be fluent in at least one working language of the office you’d be placed in
- hold a valid passport of a WHO Member State
- not be related to a WHO staff member, and not have done a WHO internship before
Already finished your degree? You can still apply within 18 months of completing your qualification. WHO only recognises qualifications from institutions listed in the World Higher Education Database.
How to apply
All applications go through individual internship vacancy notices on WHO’s online recruitment system, Stellis. There’s no way to apply outside it, and no general application, so you need to find a specific internship that fits your background and apply to that. Each notice sets out its own requirements and deadline, and new ones appear regularly, so it’s worth checking back often.
Places are very competitive and only a small number of applicants are selected each year. Only successful candidates are contacted, but if you’re not picked you can apply for other internships as long as you still meet the criteria. Don’t send any documents until WHO asks for them. If you are offered a place, you’ll need proof of enrolment or of your last qualification, a declaration of interests and a WHO medical certificate of fitness for work.
A strong application is a tailored one. Our guide to applying for a research assistant job covers matching your experience to the person specification, and the same thinking applies here. For more on making the most of a placement, have a look at essential resources for internship success and five reasons to do an internship during your PhD.
Full details, including answers to common questions, are on the WHO Internship Programme page and its FAQs.
Internships are posted year-round, each with its own closing date.
Yasmin Bonsu
