Amount of money you spent on international volunteering

[Paulz]

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I have been looking into international volunteering and I know a lot of you guys have done it. My question is, how much did you spend? This is everything, including airfare, program, classes, ect. Also include where you went, the amount of time you were there, and what you did, if you don't mind sharing.

I am looking into volunteering in Brazil for 3-4 weeks. The program includes language courses at a university, housing, 2 meals/day, volunteer placement, pickup from the airport, and random activities that I can take part in for $1700. This does not include airfare, and whatever money I spend while out. Just trying to get some ideas of what other people spent and what they did. They have also found a program where I can volunteer in a pharmacy specifically for me.

Thanks

 

[Dienekes]

I have been looking into international volunteering and I know a lot of you guys have done it. My question is, how much did you spend? This is everything, including airfare, program, classes, ect. Also include where you went, the amount of time you were there, and what you did, if you don't mind sharing.

I am looking into volunteering in Brazil for 3-4 weeks. The program includes language courses at a university, housing, 2 meals/day, volunteer placement, pickup from the airport, and random activities that I can take part in for $1700. This does not include airfare, and whatever money I spend while out. Just trying to get some ideas of what other people spent and what they did. They have also found a program where I can volunteer in a pharmacy specifically for me.

Thanks

None, at least outside of airfare. I refuse to pay some organization for the "privilege" of doing my job. But then again, I'm not some wet behind the ears premed with no usable clinical skills.

 

[yojustice]

hi,

im thinking of doing a health volunteering program through child family health international, that includes the same thing yours does- homestay, 2 meals per day, spanish classes and shadowing, at a total cost of roughly $2,000 for 4 weeks.

unfortunately, I think this is the going rate for structured latin american programs (i can't speak to other world regions). If you are comfortable doing a less structured program, you can definitely go cheaper. For example, I know there are organizations in peru and in antigua, guatemala, where you just go and volunteer with the organization- be it a school or clinic or whatever, and you simply pay a $200 or so administrative fee, and then whatever cost to the homestay family, which again, would be around $200 or so per month, depending on local customs.

However, in these situations you often don't have "program coordinators" or other support people in the country- so you have to be comfortable with your spanish/portugese, and you would want to make sure that there is some sort of screening process for picking host families.

Sorry this was just a little off the cuff. hope it helps

 

[Paulz]

Anyone else? I know more people have volunteered in other countries...

 

[disco bandit]

I'm going to be volunteering with Unite for Sight for about three weeks in India.

Besides a deposit and ~$30 application fee, all you have to pay for is airfare and food/housing which you can get for roughly $20 a day, though it depends from location to location.

I think the main difference between this and other programs in terms of cost is that instead of paying a "program fee," you have to fundraise $1400. If you can raise that amount, I think this is one of the cheaper options out there.

The program locations are in India and Ghana, so if you're looking to work in South America specifically, this isn't much help. Otherwise, it seems like a great program!

 

[hermit]

I am amazed that you people are spending thousands of dollars on this. You know that this kind of "experience" is commonplace on medschool apps, right? If you are really interested in helping the third world, why not wait until you've got some medical skill from which they might actually benefit? And if you possess that kind of knowledge, odds are some organization will foot the bill for the trip.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Go do peace or americorps, its free and you can actually walk away with some money. Then again its 10+ months.

 

[Dienekes]

I am amazed that you people are spending thousands of dollars on this. You know that this kind of "experience" is commonplace on medschool apps, right? If you are really interested in helping the third world, why not wait until you've got some medical skill from which they might actually benefit? And if you possess that kind of knowledge, odds are some organization will foot the bill for the trip.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I do international work simply because I like to travel. It pisses me off a little that people pay for the opportunity to do menial tasks in a foreign nation in the hope of appearing more "concerned" for the welfare of people they probably don't give a **** about.

 

[Paulz]

Well I would be doing "volunteer"/"shadowing" in a pharmacy to gain experience in that area. I also get an imersion into the language and culture which I will use to decide if I want to study abroad there. So I am not really going down the main objective being help others as much as gaining pharmacy experience and traveling to a country I've wanted to go to.

 

[sunny1]

I am amazed that you people are spending thousands of dollars on this. You know that this kind of "experience" is commonplace on medschool apps, right? If you are really interested in helping the third world, why not wait until you've got some medical skill from which they might actually benefit? And if you possess that kind of knowledge, odds are some organization will foot the bill for the trip.

Often times the experience is of greater value to the participant than to the program. If this is an engaging and fulfilling way for them to learn more about another country, its people, and their needs, then I think it's fine for them to spend their own money how they choose and help out during their time there (even if the magnitude of assistance isn't as great as if they were a med student or doctor yet).

People don't say that you shouldn't do Habitat for Humanity because you're not an experienced carpenter. You paint, you hammer some nails, etc. You help out where you can.

In another country, you're often not doing great things like surgery or diagnosing or whatever, but you help raise money and awareness, you show the country's citizens that Americans do care, and you assist with simple tasks that might be quite meaningful to a person otherwise. In return you get to meet people and see villages you never would have gone to. You might find a connection and remain in touch with someone in that village and choose to return and help out again.

If you're going to travel anyway, why not spend a part of your time helping others? Voluntourism is becoming quite popular outside of the premed world for these very reasons. So it's not just something to do to help your application. Lots of people do it in spite of this. They want to travel and they want to help out where they can while doing so. If they have the money and choose to spend it this way, I think it's fine.

 

[sunny1]

Oh yes, I also wanted to add that some of your expenditures (like airfare or program fees) on a volunteer trip with a non-profit organization like this are considered a deductible charitable contribution. Of course check with a tax expert to be sure everything's done properly according to IRS.

 

[Rotinaj]

Is it me or is international volunteering becoming the new cliché? I mean, I fully support those who do it, but it seems like pre-meds go to it like a bear to honey while there are plenty of great local volunteering opportunities.

My advice to you is if it's something you really want to do, do it, but if you're just looking for something to look good on your application, find something local and embrace it. I would think that the point of the volunteering requirements (practically required in contemporary applicants) isn't to show that you're altruistic, rather it's more to show that you've been immersed in a doctor-patient environment so that you aren't blindsided when you go to medical school.

 

[surferdoc]

In south america I probably paid like 1200 and in Mexico I didnt pay anything bc I was already down there teaching so I just found an orphanage to work at on my own. Anyway...I didnt care if this is a common activity..I thought it was worth every penny and I would definitely do it again. Its worth the experience. Plus..I made a lot of friends and Ill be going back to Argentina in a few weeks and staying for free 🙂 so its balancing out (a little)

 

[plauto]

My 2 cents:
There are plenty of people you can help for free in this country. When you have the clinical skills then you can actually help and volunteer abroad while your expenses are paid.

 

[nellia]

I'm going to be volunteering with Unite for Sight for about three weeks in India.

Besides a deposit and ~$30 application fee, all you have to pay for is airfare and food/housing which you can get for roughly $20 a day, though it depends from location to location.

I think the main difference between this and other programs in terms of cost is that instead of paying a "program fee," you have to fundraise $1400. If you can raise that amount, I think this is one of the cheaper options out there.

The program locations are in India and Ghana, so if you're looking to work in South America specifically, this isn't much help. Otherwise, it seems like a great program!

disco bandit, when are you going to india?? and where??
im going to be there this summer as well 😀

 

[Chargers]

My 2 cents:
There are plenty of people you can help for free in this country. When you have the clinical skills then you can actually help and volunteer abroad while your expenses are paid.

This is so true. I rather send my $$$ to the red cross.

 

[Drogba]

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I do international work simply because I like to travel. It pisses me off a little that people pay for the opportunity to do menial tasks in a foreign nation in the hope of appearing more "concerned" for the welfare of people they probably don't give a **** about.

Idealistically, I hope that doesn't represent a large portion of people who seek out that experience. Even though there is little you can do as an undergraduate I think it could be a valuable experience. Exposing yourself to some pretty dismal conditions could possibly change the way you think about medicine and what you want your contribution to be in the field. Obviously all that is not going to happen in two weeks, and the fact that people pay thousands of dollars to do this makes it a bit crazy in my opinion, but it could be a pivotal experience. Nonetheless, having an extended and meaningful experience would be many times more valuable. For those who are sincerely interested in international health I would recommend engaing in some anthro research which often involves funded long term travel.

 

[SoupWithAFork]

Often times the experience is of greater value to the participant than to the program. If this is an engaging and fulfilling way for them to learn more about another country, its people, and their needs, then I think it's fine for them to spend their own money how they choose and help out during their time there (even if the magnitude of assistance isn't as great as if they were a med student or doctor yet).

People don't say that you shouldn't do Habitat for Humanity because you're not an experienced carpenter. You paint, you hammer some nails, etc. You help out where you can.

In another country, you're often not doing great things like surgery or diagnosing or whatever, but you help raise money and awareness, you show the country's citizens that Americans do care, and you assist with simple tasks that might be quite meaningful to a person otherwise. In return you get to meet people and see villages you never would have gone to. You might find a connection and remain in touch with someone in that village and choose to return and help out again.

If you're going to travel anyway, why not spend a part of your time helping others? Voluntourism is becoming quite popular outside of the premed world for these very reasons. So it's not just something to do to help your application. Lots of people do it in spite of this. They want to travel and they want to help out where they can while doing so. If they have the money and choose to spend it this way, I think it's fine.

👍👍👍

 

[surferdoc]

My 2 cents:
There are plenty of people you can help for free in this country. When you have the clinical skills then you can actually help and volunteer abroad while your expenses are paid.

yeah but traveling to another country to help out is much more exciting. you get to meet new people/ learn another language / experience a new culture. I worked with orphans...basically just hung out with them and played soccer and such and I loved it. I couldn't get that same experience anywhere here in the United States.

 

[Dienekes]

Idealistically, I hope that doesn't represent a large portion of people who seek out that experience. Even though there is little you can do as an undergraduate I think it could be a valuable experience. Exposing yourself to some pretty dismal conditions could possibly change the way you think about medicine and what you want your contribution to be in the field. Obviously all that is not going to happen in two weeks, and the fact that people pay thousands of dollars to do this makes it a bit crazy in my opinion, but it could be a pivotal experience. Nonetheless, having an extended and meaningful experience would be many times more valuable. For those who are sincerely interested in international health I would recommend engaing in some anthro research which often involves funded long term travel.

Actually when I was in another country as a volunteer (in Central America) one of the last times, I encountered a group of premeds (five or six of them) who seemed really annoyed by any request that was not to do something "cool" or "important". One of them complained to the doctor about it and demanded (at the top of her lungs) "Why does that guy *points at me* gets to do all the cool stuff and all we get to do is lift people and hand out pills? I didn't pay money to come here and be a nobody!" The doc stared at her for a second and started laughing at her, then told her to sit down and shut up.

This was not the first time I encountered this, so I would wager that it is more common than you probably think.....which is sad.

 

[Dienekes]

yeah but traveling to another country to help out is much more exciting. you get to meet new people/ learn another language / experience a new culture. I worked with orphans...basically just hung out with them and played soccer and such and I loved it. I couldn't get that same experience anywhere here in the United States.

Also traveling abroad helps you fulfill the "DAB quotient" made famous by our very own Panda Bear.

 

[175961]

Is it me or is international volunteering becoming the new cliché? I mean, I fully support those who do it, but it seems like pre-meds go to it like a bear to honey while there are plenty of great local volunteering opportunities.

My advice to you is if it's something you really want to do, do it, but if you're just looking for something to look good on your application, find something local and embrace it. I would think that the point of the volunteering requirements (practically required in contemporary applicants) isn't to show that you're altruistic, rather it's more to show that you've been immersed in a doctor-patient environment so that you aren't blindsided when you go to medical school.

I agree with you. I used to be like that, I really was/am interested in helping people in developing countries but I also thought a lot about how it would look on my application. Last week I found a great opportunity at a low-income clinic in my town and I love it. I get to translate for the doctors(lots of spanish speakers here) when needed, help take vitals, move patients in wheelchairs in and out and all that jazz.

 

[Drogba]

Actually when I was in another country as a volunteer (in Central America) one of the last times, I encountered a group of premeds (five or six of them) who seemed really annoyed by any request that was not to do something "cool" or "important". One of them complained to the doctor about it and demanded (at the top of her lungs) "Why does that guy *points at me* gets to do all the cool stuff and all we get to do is lift people and hand out pills? I didn't pay money to come here and be a nobody!" The doc stared at her for a second and started laughing at her, then told her to sit down and shut up.

This was not the first time I encountered this, so I would wager that it is more common than you probably think.....which is sad.

Thats pretty bad. Going to "help" in a poor country with an entitlement complex...

I have a low tolerance for b*** work so I probably wouldn't participate in that type of program knowing thats what it would mostly consist of. Luckily, everything I've been involved with thus far has been stimulating and meaningful (in my opinion) which seems to be a rarity for premeds. I hate nothing more than the feeling that I'm wasting my time doing something I find meaningless. It seems many premeds are forced to stomach that in looking for "clinical experience," which need not be the case.

 

[Miss Alyssa]

~$600 for airfare.
Stayed at my aunts' houses. Ate their food. Was driven around by my cousins. One of my aunts and her son (my cousin) are teachers and give extra lessons to students outside of school hours. I volunteered there. This was in the Caribbean.

I would never pay money to a program to volunteer. I understand paying for my own airfare and room and board. But not paying to volunteer. While I taught in the Caribbean, I actually do the same thing in Canada, so it's a skill I've been developing for a while. With few other special skills, I think the money I would pay some of these programs would be better spent as a donation to a grass roots organization. They could use that $$$ to train someone local. A much more sustainable option.

The program you're going on sounds like a language + volunteer program? I would pay to be immersed in a language and take language courses. Volunteering on the side is an added bonus. So I wouldn't pay any more than what a language program generally costs in that region.

 

[Dienekes]

Thats pretty bad. Going to "help" in a poor country with an entitlement complex...

I have a low tolerance for b*** work so I probably wouldn't participate in that type of program knowing thats what it would mostly consist of. Luckily, everything I've been involved with thus far has been stimulating and meaningful (in my opinion) which seems to be a rarity for premeds. I hate nothing more than the feeling that I'm wasting my time doing something I find meaningless. It seems many premeds are forced to stomach that in looking for "clinical experience," which need not be the case.

Yeah, I agree. It wasn't like they had not been allowed to do things. I had taught two of them to put in IVs and how to set up different oxygen delivery systems. Granted, none of them seemed terribly dedicated, but I figured if push came to shove, I might need them to be at least somewhat useful.

 

[decafplease]

I paid $2500 for airfare and expenses to go to East Africa. I went privately and stayed with friends. It was the most amazing experience ever.

I'd like to mention that I didn't even realize it would count as an EC (didn't know I'd be doing medical work until I got there, either) until after I got back. I'm not totally sure about the cliche thing. I spoke to the higher ups in admission for a few UCs and they all got hot and bothered about it. Perhaps it was because I had a lot to say about the experience and how it was a big influence on me.

I think a lot of SDNers have international clinical experience, but as we all know, SDN usually represents the best in stats of the applicant pool.

 

[bozz]

I'll be honest with you.. it's appealing

so many people talk about the wonderful experiences they've had...

I even considered it.. but didn't want to pay the money

my thought process:

gonna be a great learning experience --> help write a better PS also... I bet!

I just felt like I was being ripped off 🙁

 

[Dienekes]

I paid $2500 for airfare and expenses to go to East Africa.

Sounds like the cost I'm expecting for my next trip. I may be going to Malawi to do research with a prof at a medical school around here.

 

[decafplease]

Sounds like the cost I'm expecting for my next trip. I may be going to Malawi to do research with a prof at a medical school around here.

Excellent! I'm trying to work out something similar for this summer. Good luck!

 

[Dienekes]

Excellent! I'm trying to work out something similar for this summer. Good luck!

PM coming your way....

 

[Paulz]

i really did not want this to turn into a debate on weather or not i am "doing something good". i am not going to work with sick people, i am not going to work in the slums(right now at least). the organization allows people to travel to places around the world, take classes, and shadow and volunteer to get experience in the field of medicine. i asked them if they had a pharmacy program and they were able to arrange that if i want it. i will also get intensive portuguese classes, i'll get to say in rio for a week and macaeo for another two. i'll get first hand clinical experience as well and be with other people around my age in the program.

i want to know if $1700 is a good amount for programs internationally. anyone else with feedback?

 

[decafplease]

i really did not want this to turn into a debate on weather or not i am "doing something good". i am not going to work with sick people, i am not going to work in the slums(right now at least). the organization allows people to travel to places around the world, take classes, and shadow and volunteer to get experience in the field of medicine. i asked them if they had a pharmacy program and they were able to arrange that if i want it. i will also get intensive portuguese classes, i'll get to say in rio for a week and macaeo for another two. i'll get first hand clinical experience as well and be with other people around my age in the program.

i want to know if $1700 is a good amount for programs internationally. anyone else with feedback?

I think that's a great deal, honestly. My school offers similar courses and they are in the $3000+ range.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

Trip 1: Beunos Aires- church missions- was $1200 but all funds were raised

Trip 2: South Africa and Mozambqiue-Microfinance loans, orphanage, and school programs- I raised $1000- then the CEO of Chick-fil-a paid the rest (a lot considering plane fare was around $2000 and we stayed in a nice hotel and went on a safari)... I worked at their summer camp and this was a trip for counselors

I did study abroad in Europe which was expensive and had no volunteer work

 

[Dienekes]

i really did not want this to turn into a debate on weather or not i am "doing something good". i am not going to work with sick people, i am not going to work in the slums(right now at least). the organization allows people to travel to places around the world, take classes, and shadow and volunteer to get experience in the field of medicine. i asked them if they had a pharmacy program and they were able to arrange that if i want it. i will also get intensive portuguese classes, i'll get to say in rio for a week and macaeo for another two. i'll get first hand clinical experience as well and be with other people around my age in the program.

i want to know if $1700 is a good amount for programs internationally. anyone else with feedback?

May I suggest you work on brushing up on your English spelling, grammar and syntax before trying to learn another language?

 

[Miss Alyssa]

i really did not want this to turn into a debate on weather or not i am "doing something good". i am not going to work with sick people, i am not going to work in the slums(right now at least). the organization allows people to travel to places around the world, take classes, and shadow and volunteer to get experience in the field of medicine. i asked them if they had a pharmacy program and they were able to arrange that if i want it. i will also get intensive portuguese classes, i'll get to say in rio for a week and macaeo for another two. i'll get first hand clinical experience as well and be with other people around my age in the program.

i want to know if $1700 is a good amount for programs internationally. anyone else with feedback?

What does the $1700 include?

 

[Paulz]

What does the $1700 include?

housing with a host family
2 meals a day
intensive portuguese lessons at a university
arragement to work in the medical area of my choice(in my case pharmacy)
choice to go on outings (excursions, diving, ect.)

there are also things like transportation from airport and minor things like that.

i also get to spend a week in rio, then two more weeks in macaeo instead of all three in macaeo. i may want to study abroad a semester or a summer in rio, so going there will give me an idea of what the cities like and the vibe and what not. it will also give me a great vocabulary and language experience if i want to go there as well.

 

[not so calm now]

"Voluntourism" is quite the media darling these days. Here's an incredibly inane article about it from msn.com. Note the jab at antidepressants at the bottom. Volunteering makes you feel good and all, but you probably shouldn't encourage others to throw away your antidepressants just yet.

Another view : the UK weighs in here. Note that "gap year" refers to a year generally between high school and college, but can be after college too. They refer to voluntourists as the "new colonialists."

And a balanced article weighing pros and cons.

"A 25-year-old may find [a volunteer vacation] reshapes their whole attitude. How do you measure what that changed perspective is worth over the next 65 years?"

Good point. If I had the money and the time, it would be something that seems pretty fun to do, especially if it were with a group of friends. I wouldn't tout it as a huge part of my app though. There are some other really awesome domestic volunteering programs other than Americorps that don't cost money to do. You even get a small stipend. These are really neat grass-roots organizations that tend to focus in urban areas. A particularly good one that comes to mind (and one that I have friends in) is Lutheran Volunteer Corps. (You don't have to be affiliated with a religion)

My point is that, like other folks are saying, there's ample opportunities to do really meaningful volunteering in the US while seeing places you've never seen before.

 

[Miss Alyssa]

housing with a host family
2 meals a day
intensive portuguese lessons at a university
arragement to work in the medical area of my choice(in my case pharmacy)
choice to go on outings (excursions, diving, ect.)

there are also things like transportation from airport and minor things like that.

i also get to spend a week in rio, then two more weeks in macaeo instead of all three in macaeo. i may want to study abroad a semester or a summer in rio, so going there will give me an idea of what the cities like and the vibe and what not. it will also give me a great vocabulary and language experience if i want to go there as well.

3 week vacation including, food (you're a student you can live off of 2 meals a day), rooming, transportation, excursions, and language lessons at a university looks pretty good to me.

In perspective, here in Canada, people pay ~$2000 to go to another province for 5 weeks to learn French or English. Same sort of thing, room, food, excursions, transportation included.

 

[Drogba]

Another view : the UK weighs in here. Note that "gap year" refers to a year generally between high school and college, but can be after college too. They refer to voluntourists as the "new colonialists."

Thats a very interesting and unexpected perspective. In a way you are consuming peoples' suffering if you go solely for the sake of personal experience with no realistic intention of helping. I'll call it a "Safari of Suffering." Pretty catchy, huh?

 

[SketchLazy]

I took a trip to an asian country which cost me:

Airfare - $1090
Food - $200
Hotel - $88 for five nights.

The trip was a week long but was a great experience. I used the opportunity not so much as a medical opportunity, but an opportunity to visit my home country and become aware of some of the issues that plague its development. In terms of that, it was priceless and I would recommend it to anyone.

I also would like to comment on some of the people on here who have the impression that they can go on these medical mission trips to do medically-related procedures that they would regularly not be allowed to do here in the states. If that is your intention, I would hope that you stay away from the medical profession altogether. Here in the states, we require licensure for certain procedures because the things we do in relation to health care could get someone KILLED. Don't try to go to a third world country with the expectation that you can do sutures, draw blood or administer IVs just because there is no law requiring licensure. This is completely selfish and ethically irresponsible. People from third world countries should not be your unsuspecting guinea pigs. Stick to the bitch work and get the most you can from that. Despite how remedial it may seem, you are still doing good work. You'll have plenty of time to do the 'crazy exciting' stuff in medical school with the proper oversight and supervision.

 

[ChiDoc27]

Instead of going to a developing country to get help in the medical sector, for which no one on this forum (unless you are a trained medical professional of course) has the experience or training, why don't you consider going with a program that allows you to teach English at a poor primary school or orphanage in a developing region? Not only are you qualified to do this type of work as a college educated person, but you can actually make a real difference in the life of a child if you go for an extended period of time. I'm going this summer to an African nation for 12 weeks, and including airfare, this will cost me under $3000. To the OP, if you have any questions about doing this sort of program, PM me, because I did a lot of research on teaching and orphanage programs before I accepted my placement. I think that international experience can be great for both the participant and those that are being helped if done for the right reasons and in the right (even if that means non-clinical) context. Also, I completely agree with people saying that there are plenty of people in this country to help, so maybe the OP should look into both types of opportunities- domestic and international!

 

[RLMitchell1]

I feel like I have a pretty reasonable perspective on this as I have done tons of volunteer work and research internationally (initially funded by me, now paid for by others) and for the past 3 years have run a non-profit that partners with NGOs in Africa for various support activities, one being connecting them with volunteers.

As the Exec Director of this org (The Student Project Africa Network) I have seen both sides of the coin. And honestly premeds have more frequently fallen on the less delightful side, exhibiting much of the "I paid this much and therefore you need to let me give people stitches and administer drugs" sort of bs. Or the attitude in general that since they aren't being paid to be there everyone should be fawning over them and their "altruism". However, there are also volunteers (and yes some of them premeds! =) ) that have done UNBELIEVABLE work while there. Some have built and stocked libraries, helped to organize huge public health outreach programs, tutored kids for high school and college entrance exams, set up computer systems at schools, and the list goes on. And those things were all done by COLLEGE students. The difference was that they came in fully prepared to work on a specific project, fundraised for it, and exhibited the following:
1) humility
2) respect for the local people and how complex their feelings on volunteers in their community might be. you will always be charged more for everything, get over it. Your ugly t-shirt is worth more than that vendor may make in a week.
3) the maturity to just sit back and learn when things don't make sense, rather than judging
4) patience and flexibility. for real, not the kind all premeds pretend to have
5) a willingness to be a PARTNER with the organization, and be used how they most need you rather than what seems the most glamorous.

If you are a premed that just wants to check the box on your application, or cannot handle even one of the above, then do everyone a favor and do NOT go. Acting like a jerk can have really negative ramnifications, everything from the people you encounter having a bad opinion of volunteers and people of your nationality, to causing real problems for the organization you are volunteering with.

But, if you fit the bill and are genuinely interested in the country and the issues you will face at the volunteer site, it can be a life-changing experience that is positive for both you and the people you work with there. It without a doubt has changed my life, and set me on a completely different path in international health and policy issues. I think it is ridiculous when people say you shouldn't go because there are problems in your own community. I see the world as my community, and am far more interested in health problems facing people in India, where I currently am, than in my small Wisconsin hometown where the public health crisis is a statistically high number of teenage girls becoming pregnant.

From what I have seen through SPAN premeds feel more useful when they are with a public health program rather than in a clinical setting. In a clinic, at least in Africa, people usually just see really sad things and feel helpless to do anything about it. In public health programs you get to do outreach within the community, and anybody can learn how to educate people on a certain health topic and be an active part of the team. Or, another really good option is to do a health-related research project sponsored by a US academic institution, this is likely to be free or even stipended. I worked with UCSF last spring in Egypt and it was awesome.

As for costs, the original point of this thread, the whole reason I started SPAN was because I thought the amount programs charge volunteers is unconscienable. Yet don't be offended by paying a reasonable amount if local people are providing services for you. You can afford to spend your day as a volunteer, most of them can't. Is $1700 reasonable? Maybe, if you want a really highly structured program and past volunteers have said they got their moneys worth (INSIST ON TALKING TO THEM!). Although I paid that much for my first international volunteer experience, and the support i got was a joke, a sentiment that i have since heard repeated by other volunteers.