For 19-year-old Veda Fernandes, an internship was the spark that ended up shaping her entire university path. At just 16, while still in school, the Dubai resident landed an opportunity to intern at Aster Hospital in 2022. While shadowing doctors, she noticed something striking: many parents routinely missed their children's vaccination dates simply because of hectic schedules.

“They often relied on the doctors or nurses to remind them,” she said.“Later, when I worked in Aster's digital departments and learned about new technology, I thought that an ideal solution would be an app that addressed this need.”

Once her internship ended, Veda took the idea seriously. She spent a year building the app and launched VAXTrack in 2023. Today, it has over 4,500 downloads. The experience not only sparked her interest in healthcare technology but also steered her toward studying computer science. She is currently a second-year undergraduate student in Computer Science at a university in the U.S.

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According to educational experts, student internships in school and university often have a lasting impact.“Internships are no longer about just boosting one's profile or filling out a resume,” said Varun Jain, founder of educational consultancy Unihawk.“Their true value lies in helping students explore who they are, what they enjoy and how their classroom learning connects to the real world.”

His opinion was echoed by Kinga Malec, founder of career consultancy company Thrive Transitions, who said internships offer the“first glimpse” into what an industry looks like.“Beyond career clarity, internships also introduce important experiences like working in a team or learning to give and receive feedback,” she said.“All of this helps young people make choices with far more confidence and self-awareness.”

Early career path

Some education experts said that internships offer students a competitive advantage when applying for universities as well.“When reviewing applications, an internship signals to our admission team that the student has taken the initiative to explore their field beyond the classroom,” said Junaid N., head of Quality Assurance at Cromwell UK University College.

“This practical experience often translates into a more motivated, focused, and valuable contributor to our classroom discussions, peer to peer learning and group projects," he added.

He noted that a truly valuable internship must be structured, supervised, motivating, and technologically relevant.“It should provide a framework for students to interact with senior professionals and understand the nuances of each profession.”

Jacob Jacob, group chief Human Resources officer of Aster DM Healthcare explained that their internships are designed as a launchpad to help teens make informed choices.“The program allows students to step into a real-world environment, develop crucial soft and professional skills, and most importantly, discover their passion.

“Amongst the sectors to work in healthcare is the one where you can make a difference in someone's life and they got to see that at very close quarters.”

Varun added that top global universities prefer applicants with internship experience.“From the Ivy League to Oxbridge, colleges want students who have explored, experimented, and engaged with the real world,” he said.“A student who's taken the initiative to find and complete an internship shows drive, confidence, and readiness for life beyond school.”

Despite the clear benefits, experts acknowledge that securing internships in the UAE can be difficult. According to Junaid, many students rely on family or personal connections to access opportunities.“This can disadvantage a lot of students,” he said.“Students don't know how to find or apply for formal internships.”

He also pointed out the prevalence of unpaid internships, which can create "financial barriers” for students who cannot afford to work without pay.

Kinga highlighted additional hurdles.“On the student side, school schedules, commuting, study commitments, or lack of networks limit access,” she said.“On the company side, organisations may struggle to allocate the resources needed to properly mentor teens or provide meaningful work - especially tasks that involve teamwork and feedback.”

She added that for internships to truly help, there needs to be joint effort from schools, companies, and the government to make the experiences accessible, structures and aligned to personal growth.

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