Ten students from Villa College's Bachelor of Arts in Health Service Management (BAHSM) programme began an international internship on 4 July 2026, travelling to Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre in Pimpri, Pune, India. The three-week placement runs from 6 to 25 July 2026 and is jointly coordinated by the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Qasim Ibrahim School of Business (QISB), reflecting the interdisciplinary design of the BAHSM programme itself.

The BAHSM programme is jointly delivered by the Faculty of Health Sciences and QISB, combining healthcare knowledge with management and leadership principles. This structure reflects a broader pattern within the healthcare sector, where hospital leadership increasingly calls for both clinical familiarity and organisational skill. The Pune internship extends this approach into practice, giving students the opportunity to apply both dimensions of their training within a working hospital environment rather than a classroom setting alone.

The host institution, Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, holds NAAC A++ accreditation from India's National Assessment and Accreditation Council, while its teaching hospital and laboratories are separately accredited by NABH and NABL. These are recognised benchmarks for quality, patient safety, and healthcare standards. The hospital's scale, comprising more than 2,000 beds along with advanced diagnostic and surgical facilities, specialised intensive care units, and current healthcare technologies, gives students the chance to observe hospital operations and clinical governance within a large, multi-specialty setting.

The internship follows a structured format, beginning with orientation sessions before progressing to departmental rotations, case-based learning, and mentorship from experienced healthcare professionals. Students will gain practical exposure to hospital administration, patient services, quality and accreditation, pharmacy and clinical support services, operations and facility management, and specialised clinical departments. This is complemented by expert-led sessions on healthcare leadership, strategic planning, patient safety, quality improvement, and healthcare innovation, combining hands-on experience with a broader understanding of how hospitals are managed and governed.

Beyond exposure to hospital operations, the internship is intended to strengthen students' leadership, communication, critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills, alongside a wider international perspective and intercultural understanding. Villa College has said it looks forward to welcoming the students back with enhanced knowledge, practical skills, and global insights that can contribute to strengthening healthcare management and service delivery in the Maldives. The placement reflects the ongoing collaboration between the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Qasim Ibrahim School of Business in offering students international learning opportunities that bring healthcare and management education together.