Photo By Staff Sgt. Alyssa Lisenbe | Kosovo Force (KFOR) 35 Regional Command-East medical interns train alongside KFOR...... read more read more
CAMP BONSTEEL, Kosovo – Four students from Kosovo step into the clinic at Camp Bondsteel, unsure of what to expect. They arrived with nerves, notebooks and years of studying in the classroom but will leave with confidence, clinical skills and a renewed sense of purpose.
On his first day in the clinic at Camp Bondsteel, Edonis Bajrami, a dentistry student from the University of Prishtina, Kosovo, nervously greeted his first patient under the guidance of Kosovo Force Regional Command-East (KFOR RC-E) Task Force Medical’s U.S. Army personnel.
“I was nervous, my hands were shaking,” Bajrami admitted. “It’s different when someone is actually relying on your care.”
These students are part of a unique local internship program with the NATO-led KFOR RC-E’s medical unit. KFOR RC-E is a NATO-led peacekeeping mission that aims to provide stability in Kosovo.
From performing CPR to managing simulated mass casualty drills, the interns encountered high-pressure medical training otherwise unavailable in a classroom environment.
Another student, Anese Jahiri, a pharmacy major at the University of Prishtina, was able to challenge herself by working through hands-on tasks such as sterile technique and vial labeling, which made her apply her classroom theory learning to a real clinical setting.
Two nursing students, Eriola Salihi, from Kolegji Heimerer Infermieri and Teuta Kadiri, from Kolegji AAB Infermieri, both from private universities in Kosovo, joined the program with similar enthusiasm.
Both participated in advanced emergency simulations, including intubation, ultrasound, and CPR. They described the training as unusually fast-paced but deeply rewarding, far beyond any ordinary clinical internship.
“CPR training was intense but the most meaningful,” Salihi said. “Seeing how communication and documentation is important in emergency care.”
Kadiri added that teamwork across nationalities taught her not only medical protocols but also intercultural cooperation.
“We learned medical terms, traditions, even how to break the ice and become comfortable with patients from different backgrounds,” Kadiri said.
Working alongside the U.S. and other NATO partners, the interns gained exposure to different cultures while also learning standardized procedures, clinical documentation, and trauma response protocols that are the foundation of KFOR’s medical readiness efforts.
Jahiri says her pharmacy-focused internship improved her patient care communication and confidence in handling medication. She recommended the program to other local students, insisting the benefits to community health and professional development are profound.
Looking ahead, Salihi hopes to work in either physical therapy or the ICU, while Kadiri is still exploring options and plans to spend more time learning about different hospital departments.
| Date Taken: | 07.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.24.2025 13:00 |
| Story ID: | 548387 |
| Location: | PRISTINA, ZZ |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Kosovo Interns Find Confidence working with KFOR Medical Soldiers, by SPC Kameron Spencer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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