Has anyone done any programs or self initiated volunteer work abroad that was a great experience? would you recommend some programs? Are there any out programs that really let you have a hands on experience and help with some actual medical care?
Volunteering Abroad
- Thread starter vmpb
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I have actually been looking into some volunteer abroad programs lately (just ones I found through google). I'm not sure though how much on hand medical work you get to do, and what it means on the application. I look forward to someone posting with some more insight on this issue.
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I went through child family health international (CFHI). I went to Quito, Ecuador, and got to spend like 4 - 5 hours/day shadowing doctors in clinics. It was great for me b/c I got to shadow 4 different types of doctors for a week each, and I hadn't done much shadowing. We also had spanish lessons that focused on the level of spanish you spoke, and if you spoke decent spanish they'd teach you medical spanish. I really liked the program, but you definitely do not get to do much that's hands-on.
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Hey VMPB,
I did a two-week volunteer program through Global Medical Training (http://gmtonline.org/) in Nicaragua, but I know they go to Panama and Mexico, too. We basically worked with a team of volunteer docs in makeshift clinics set up in churches in different towns in Nicaragua. You learn a lot about triage and you sort of get the hang of similar problems after a while -- e.g. parasitic infections, UTIs, etc.
I haven't gone on a trip through this org yet, but Cross-Cultural Solutions (http://crossculturalsolutions.org/) is another group you might try; they go to a lot of places and the website is really extensive and helpful. You can go for longer periods of time, if I recall correctly. My friend went to Xi'an, China for a summer through this program so I'm pretty sure it's not a quack. Good luck!
I did a two-week volunteer program through Global Medical Training (http://gmtonline.org/) in Nicaragua, but I know they go to Panama and Mexico, too. We basically worked with a team of volunteer docs in makeshift clinics set up in churches in different towns in Nicaragua. You learn a lot about triage and you sort of get the hang of similar problems after a while -- e.g. parasitic infections, UTIs, etc.
I haven't gone on a trip through this org yet, but Cross-Cultural Solutions (http://crossculturalsolutions.org/) is another group you might try; they go to a lot of places and the website is really extensive and helpful. You can go for longer periods of time, if I recall correctly. My friend went to Xi'an, China for a summer through this program so I'm pretty sure it's not a quack. Good luck!
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Hey guys,
If anyone else has any resources/websites/organizations, please post them. I'm also interested in volunteering abroad. One thing I can say is, be VERY careful of some for-profit companies out there that offer shady "trips" to volunteer.
So far, I have found that organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Unite for Sight seem to have good programs. If there are any more like the ones posted above, post them!
Do these programs usually cost nearly $2000 (for two weeks) ?
If anyone else has any resources/websites/organizations, please post them. I'm also interested in volunteering abroad. One thing I can say is, be VERY careful of some for-profit companies out there that offer shady "trips" to volunteer.
So far, I have found that organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Unite for Sight seem to have good programs. If there are any more like the ones posted above, post them!
Do these programs usually cost nearly $2000 (for two weeks) ?
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hi there,
just a quick note to point out... DO NOT GO VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS JUST TO PAD YOUR APPLICATION!!
it becomes pretty obvious to adcoms, and is just immoral in my opinion (taking advantage of people in disadvantaged situations - and you really dont have much to contribute if you really think about it - no clinical skills. the money you invest - around $2000-$5000 for your ticket etc could be better spent invested in the community).
I cannot stress enough that adcoms are aware of students who go on little 2 week - 2 month trips to volunteer. keep in mind that real dedication is found in students who do more sustainable things like peace corps etc.
just my two cents.
just a quick note to point out... DO NOT GO VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS JUST TO PAD YOUR APPLICATION!!
it becomes pretty obvious to adcoms, and is just immoral in my opinion (taking advantage of people in disadvantaged situations - and you really dont have much to contribute if you really think about it - no clinical skills. the money you invest - around $2000-$5000 for your ticket etc could be better spent invested in the community).
I cannot stress enough that adcoms are aware of students who go on little 2 week - 2 month trips to volunteer. keep in mind that real dedication is found in students who do more sustainable things like peace corps etc.
just my two cents.
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When thinking about doing volunteer work overseas, you really shouldn't expect to have "hands-on medical work" - wherever you go.
Think about it this way - if you don't have the knowledge and experience in the USA to actually do medical work, why would you expect that the barriers for this kind of work should be lower in a foreign country? Sure, a lot of developing nations are desperately in need of medical workers to help stem the tides of endemic diseases, poverty-linked afflictions, and the lack of basic health care services - but this does not mean that an untrained college grad can or should be able to provide these resources. Ethically, it just isn't right to "practice on the poor" if you can't legitimately do the same with the rich.
That being said, there are still LOADS of things that you can do. Shadowing is cool, but you might want to look for programs where you actually are doing something, rather than just coming in to observe. Health Education can be a very meaningful way to make a difference in communities that have the desire to change, but just lack the resources. I like the suggestions for Unite for Sight and Habitat for Humanity. Also, check out the Peace Corps if you're really serious about volunteering overseas. There are tons of programs out there, you just need to do a little googling.
Oh yeah, unless you are willing to make a huge commitment (i.e. Peace Corps), or to sell magazines on the phone for 6 months (I think I heard of an organization that lets you pay for your volunteer trip this way - forgot the name, though) be prepared to pay for your plane ticket at the very least, and quite possibly even more.
Think about it this way - if you don't have the knowledge and experience in the USA to actually do medical work, why would you expect that the barriers for this kind of work should be lower in a foreign country? Sure, a lot of developing nations are desperately in need of medical workers to help stem the tides of endemic diseases, poverty-linked afflictions, and the lack of basic health care services - but this does not mean that an untrained college grad can or should be able to provide these resources. Ethically, it just isn't right to "practice on the poor" if you can't legitimately do the same with the rich.
That being said, there are still LOADS of things that you can do. Shadowing is cool, but you might want to look for programs where you actually are doing something, rather than just coming in to observe. Health Education can be a very meaningful way to make a difference in communities that have the desire to change, but just lack the resources. I like the suggestions for Unite for Sight and Habitat for Humanity. Also, check out the Peace Corps if you're really serious about volunteering overseas. There are tons of programs out there, you just need to do a little googling.
Oh yeah, unless you are willing to make a huge commitment (i.e. Peace Corps), or to sell magazines on the phone for 6 months (I think I heard of an organization that lets you pay for your volunteer trip this way - forgot the name, though) be prepared to pay for your plane ticket at the very least, and quite possibly even more.
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ha - great minds!
i definitely agree with the above poster. remember there are TONS of disadvantaged communities here in the US - some people who live and experience conditions similar to that found in poor countries! You dont need to travel for miles to find people that need simple things, and can benefit from education/fundraising/etc.
Again: DONT VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS TO PAD YOUR APPLICATION. A friend of mine (a third year med student) told me how she read soooo many PS's from students saying "i want to go into medicine because of that time i went overseas" etc... thats ridiculous because all of these students wrote the MCAT way before AND took all of the pre-reqs start local and go global when you actually have more things to contribute.
i definitely agree with the above poster. remember there are TONS of disadvantaged communities here in the US - some people who live and experience conditions similar to that found in poor countries! You dont need to travel for miles to find people that need simple things, and can benefit from education/fundraising/etc.
Again: DONT VOLUNTEER OVERSEAS TO PAD YOUR APPLICATION. A friend of mine (a third year med student) told me how she read soooo many PS's from students saying "i want to go into medicine because of that time i went overseas" etc... thats ridiculous because all of these students wrote the MCAT way before AND took all of the pre-reqs
start local and go global when you actually have more things to contribute.
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http://www.gicarg.org/PROGRAMS/Volu.../PublicHealthVolunteer/tabid/141/Default.aspx
They seem like a good, safe and realiable organization. The service in is Buenos Aires ( the capital of Argentina ) so it's not in the middle of nowhere. The prices are cheap ($1000 for 1 month). They give you a cell phone that you can use to call home and you can choose 4 different living arrangement including university student-housing which has INTERNET (always necessary) and gym! 24/7 in country support, I googled and they were established since 2002, and they even take you in little excursions on the weekends and give you a conversational partner. Also, if you request, they will give you a certificate at the end of your volunteer work. Their website is very organized and the organization is very good at sending you update emails. Most medical volunteering is probably not very hands-on.
I'm going on this trip in July even though I'm already accepted to Medical School, if you are looking for a medical trip with a little excursion component and not to put yourself in the middle of a rural village with no sewage and sanitation, then this is perfect for you! I'm just going more as a trip..
They seem like a good, safe and realiable organization. The service in is Buenos Aires ( the capital of Argentina ) so it's not in the middle of nowhere. The prices are cheap ($1000 for 1 month). They give you a cell phone that you can use to call home and you can choose 4 different living arrangement including university student-housing which has INTERNET (always necessary) and gym! 24/7 in country support, I googled and they were established since 2002, and they even take you in little excursions on the weekends and give you a conversational partner. Also, if you request, they will give you a certificate at the end of your volunteer work. Their website is very organized and the organization is very good at sending you update emails. Most medical volunteering is probably not very hands-on.
I'm going on this trip in July even though I'm already accepted to Medical School, if you are looking for a medical trip with a little excursion component and not to put yourself in the middle of a rural village with no sewage and sanitation, then this is perfect for you! I'm just going more as a trip..
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I would assume that most people who would go overseas would want to include the experience on their application. However, this doesn't mean that they aren't sincere about their reasons for volunteering. Something like the peace corp would probably look better, but isn't something easily completed in the pre-medical time line. I don't see how adcoms would see that you volunteered overseas and immediately assume you are only in it for your personal gain, and didn't give a damn about the people you were 'helping.' However, I could see someone writing a cheeseeyyy summary of it or something and that showing through, but if you go for the experience; I can't see them holding it against you. Who knows though?? I doubt I will ever do it anyway, though I did look into the 'cross cultural solutions' program, but I don't think I even have the time.
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I think that if the people really were just out to help disadvantaged people, then they'd donate that $2000 to the organization where they're volunteering at
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I went to Guatemala with Amerispan. They usually have affiliated schools, a good list of host families and several volunteer programs in several countries. You can search through their programs here,
http://www.amerispan.com/volunteer_intern/
It's more of an umbrella agency so experiences can really vary.
I initially planned on volunteering in the public hospital, but when I told them to put me in the department they needed me most, they sent me to go be a father figure at their affiliated daycare down the street for children of single mothers. I had a great time with all my little monstritos and really improved my Spanish. My main reason for going was improving my Spanish, something valuable for practicing medicine in this country, but the volunteering was also rewarding. I would be lying however, to say that the fact that it would look good on an application never crossed my mind. Even a few weeks to a month with the intention of an application padder will undoubtedly leave an impression. Schools want to see that applicants have exposure to the world outside of a college environment, and not everyone has years to devote to Peacecorps.
http://www.amerispan.com/volunteer_intern/
It's more of an umbrella agency so experiences can really vary.
I initially planned on volunteering in the public hospital, but when I told them to put me in the department they needed me most, they sent me to go be a father figure at their affiliated daycare down the street for children of single mothers. I had a great time with all my little monstritos and really improved my Spanish. My main reason for going was improving my Spanish, something valuable for practicing medicine in this country, but the volunteering was also rewarding. I would be lying however, to say that the fact that it would look good on an application never crossed my mind. Even a few weeks to a month with the intention of an application padder will undoubtedly leave an impression. Schools want to see that applicants have exposure to the world outside of a college environment, and not everyone has years to devote to Peacecorps.
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Medical Missions for Undergrads: where every pre-med can have an excuse to practice medicine without a license and pad their application at the same time! 
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Hi! I am new to SDN.
I wanted to know if shadowing foreign doctors (in France) would be as well regarded as shadowing MDs in the US?
That's because I know many doctors who would let me shadow them in France, but can't find any in the US.
I wanted to know if shadowing foreign doctors (in France) would be as well regarded as shadowing MDs in the US?
That's because I know many doctors who would let me shadow them in France, but can't find any in the US.
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i volunteered in guatemala with cross cultural solutions. someone mentioned it at the beginning. it was great. i did it last may. because of other things, i had a hard time getting medical experience locally. i thought this was the next best choice. yes it costs some money, but it really was great. i am one of those people who wrote about it in my PS, but it didn't start out that way. before going, i had a good idea of what i was going to write about, but guatemala changed all that (i know that sounds corney, but it really did.) some insider info about the organization/experience:
in the medical volunteer placements, your amount of hands on depends on your site and how aggressively you go after it. in our group, one girl was working at a women's hospital and got to help with deliveries (i mean hands on help, not just watch and say push every now and then.) at another site, they got to actually give injections. my site was a little confused as to what to do with us. we weighed babies and children and took temps for a while. finally, we asked our supervisor (who luckily spoke english) if we could do more. we then shadowed the docs. my doc actually let me do the physical exam all by myself. i had no clue what i was doing, but it all worked out. the program itself is great. we all live together in the community. it is very safe. they had activities for us around the city/country as well. thats all i really want to write for now. if you have any questions, feel free to ask here or PM me.
in the medical volunteer placements, your amount of hands on depends on your site and how aggressively you go after it. in our group, one girl was working at a women's hospital and got to help with deliveries (i mean hands on help, not just watch and say push every now and then.) at another site, they got to actually give injections. my site was a little confused as to what to do with us. we weighed babies and children and took temps for a while. finally, we asked our supervisor (who luckily spoke english) if we could do more. we then shadowed the docs. my doc actually let me do the physical exam all by myself. i had no clue what i was doing, but it all worked out. the program itself is great. we all live together in the community. it is very safe. they had activities for us around the city/country as well. thats all i really want to write for now. if you have any questions, feel free to ask here or PM me.
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I am a returned Peace Corps volunteer and found that you can get a lot of shadowing experience as a health volunteer. Since you are usually posted to a health center this is a great way to work with local physicians on community health projects and also to see procedures in action. There are no kinds of regulations, so pretty much anything that you want to see you will see.
Plus, being in a devoloping country will allow you to see a wide variety of ilnesses/health issues that you would hardly get to see in the U.S. in one place. For example, I saw the grossly infected wound of someone gored by a bull, cerebral malaria, AIDS counseling, tapeworm infections, amoebic dysentery cases, mass vaccination campaigns, etc.
***BUT***, your heart must be in the right place. If you are already interested in the Peace Corps, this just makes it an added bonus. Do NOT do Peace Corps just to make you a better applicant.
Plus, being in a devoloping country will allow you to see a wide variety of ilnesses/health issues that you would hardly get to see in the U.S. in one place. For example, I saw the grossly infected wound of someone gored by a bull, cerebral malaria, AIDS counseling, tapeworm infections, amoebic dysentery cases, mass vaccination campaigns, etc.
***BUT***, your heart must be in the right place. If you are already interested in the Peace Corps, this just makes it an added bonus. Do NOT do Peace Corps just to make you a better applicant.
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I definitely agree with you on this. There are plenty of volunteer oppotunities in the US that don't require a several thousand dollar commitment.
That being said (and I am NOT advocating an insincere overseas experience here), during my interviews, I felt like my lack of travel was slightly looked down upon. I don't even know how many times an interviewer asked me: "Where have you been in Europe?" When I told them I had not been "overseas," but to Mexico and Canada, I felt like they were disappointed. And since I was asked so many times, I wondered if it were some important experience that I had missed. But now I think maybe they just wanted to connect by talking about travel...more of an "off the record" thing to get to know how I communicate as a normal human being. They should have asked me about dogs instead!
Med schools definitely want to see clinical exposure. As for time in other countries, I think they just want to see you are not a sheltered, upper middle class, white American kid who has no appreciation for other cultures. You can learn about cultures, religions, etc just by getting to know a variety of people here in the US.
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Here is a link to an old thread on volunteering overseas which has website references for specific organizations and impressions of those who traveled with them: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=4328535&highlight=translator#post4328535
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ive done unite for sight for 3 summers and the experience is the best of my life. unite for sight volunteers assist doctors in the countries and do what the doctors need help with. you go in rural villages with the doctors and get hundreds of people out of blindness. seeing people see after decades of blindness is the greatest reward
check it out. http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer
and check out the annual conference. april 2008 at yale. keynotes jeffrey sachs. sonia sachs. susan blumenthal. jim yong kim. 130 more speakers.
http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008
check it out. http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer
and check out the annual conference. april 2008 at yale. keynotes jeffrey sachs. sonia sachs. susan blumenthal. jim yong kim. 130 more speakers.
http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference/2008
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One piece of advice Id give you is make sure you go to a country where you can speak the language fluently. This might sound like an obvious one, but this is something I personally hadnt actually considered when I signed up to help in a hospital in Mexico. But believe me, language barriers are not fun. It would have been ok not speaking Spanish if I was teaching or something like that, but in a hospital if you want to really be of use and learn, you need to be able to communicate perfectly. Doctors and nurses dont have time for sign-language!!! A medical student friend of mine was smarter when he did a medical placement. He went away to India where one of the official languages is English. And he worked in a small hospital in the south of India. Initially there was a lot of observing, but as he got to know the doctors and nurses better he was allowed to help with some basic treatments. Anyway, he had a great experience and so ill give you the web address of the company he went with: www.projects-abroad.co.uk. Good luck with finding what youre looking for. Chris
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I studied abroad in the spring, and randomly came across a few great programs. I worked with a Mother's Wish Foundation. While I was there they we worked on an anti parasite campaign in which we walked from house to house taking names and ages and giving each person a cup full of antiparasite medication. It was a great way to speak the language and get to know the people.
Within the city limits I worked with an organization called Caritas, which is connected to the Catholic church. There I was given a group of people from different communities to teach basic first aid.
As part of a community service class I worked in the worse parts of the city to help take health information, give talks about health issues, and listen to health complaints with a local health promoter of the local clinic. Some students made their way into the OB/GYN floor and helped deliver babies, and tie sutures.
This was all in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Just remember that your involvement with patients is really restricted by your level of experience in the health care field. Your experience can be as much as you want to make it. And being outside of the country leaves room for a lot of things that you would never be able to do back in the US (legally anyway
Within the city limits I worked with an organization called Caritas, which is connected to the Catholic church. There I was given a group of people from different communities to teach basic first aid.
As part of a community service class I worked in the worse parts of the city to help take health information, give talks about health issues, and listen to health complaints with a local health promoter of the local clinic. Some students made their way into the OB/GYN floor and helped deliver babies, and tie sutures.
This was all in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Just remember that your involvement with patients is really restricted by your level of experience in the health care field. Your experience can be as much as you want to make it. And being outside of the country leaves room for a lot of things that you would never be able to do back in the US (legally anyway
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I studied abroad in the spring, and randomly came across a few great programs. I worked with a Mother's Wish Foundation. While I was there they we worked on an anti parasite campaign in which we walked from house to house taking names and ages and giving each person a cup full of antiparasite medication. It was a great way to speak the language and get to know the people.
Within the city limits I worked with an organization called Caritas, which is connected to the Catholic church. There I was given a group of people from different communities to teach basic first aid.
As part of a community service class I worked in the worse parts of the city to help take health information, give talks about health issues, and listen to health complaints with a local health promoter of the local clinic. Some students made their way into the OB/GYN floor and helped deliver babies, and tie sutures.
This was all in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Just remember that your involvement with patients is really restricted by your level of experience in the health care field. Your experience can be as much as you want to make it. And being outside of the country leaves room for a lot of things that you would never be able to do back in the US (legally anyway
If you legally shouldn't do them in the US, you probably shouldn't be doing them at all. Laws aren't just for fun, you know.
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Care by a non-licensed volunteer, under the supervision of a licensed clinician volunteer, is better than no care at all.
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I think that there is a lot of work that can be done abroad, and it certainly doesn't have to be of the "medical mission" variety. I've gone abroad several times for things varying from Spanish language school to public health research in Africa. Here's an interesting list of organizations in Africa that my undergrad school put together http://www-sul.stanford.edu/africa/internships.html . For anyone who is a graduate student (MPH/PhD or maybe even college grad) there are other organizations that I know of in South Africa who would be interested in volunteers coming to work (child social development, TB epidemiology, HIV risk reduction strategies, health policy implementation, hospital/clinic program assessments etc). PM me for more information.
Even as an undergrad, public health has been a great entry point for me to get "clinical" experience while still being in a position to contribute and to do something useful. One can work with policy, ideas, programs etc, but still be exposed everyday to patients in a clinical setting without needed to assist in surgery. For quality public health research proposals it is also possible to get funding, and have your experience paid for (as opposed to the other way around).
Working with under-served populations both within the US and abroad has been a tremendous learning experience for me, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. As previous posters have mentioned, it often takes a significant time commitment and further training to do truly big things (so don't expect to change the world during 3 months in Africa)...but I'd go just for the exposure, to be involved with a few small projects, and find a passion to explore further later on in life.
