Volunteering Abroad

[getAsordietrying]

Hi All,

I am considering doing a service-oriented volunteer abroad program during my first gap year where I would be doing various volunteer jobs in another country for 4-6 months. I plan on engaging in mostly medical acts of volunteerism during my stay, and I recently found out that I may have an opportunity to be of minor assistance in surgeries at a certain location.

Do you think this kind of activity would be viewed very favorably? The alternative is I could use most of this gap year to beef up my clinical / non-clinical in my town, where I should end up with roughly 200+ / 100+ hours respectively by the time I graduate.

Thanks.

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[DrHart]

Hi All,

I am considering doing a service-oriented volunteer abroad program during my first gap year where I would be doing various volunteer jobs in another country for 4-6 months. I plan on engaging in mostly medical acts of volunteerism during my stay, and I recently found out that I may have an opportunity to be of minor assistance in surgeries at a certain location.

Do you think this kind of activity would be viewed very favorably? The alternative is I could use most of this gap year to beef up my clinical / non-clinical in my town, where I should end up with roughly 200+ / 100+ hours respectively by the time I graduate.

Thanks.

You may hear mixed opinions about this. Most adcoms on SDN will advise against your first option. Peace corps is one thing. Voluntourism is another. Also, displacing local workers is viewed very unfavorably. Sometimes, depending on how much you do and how much supervision you have - these programs can also work against you. You aren't trained yet.

I would vote for getting involved in your own town/community. Show that you care for the underserved populations that exist where you live... or at least in the country where you hope to practice medicine.

 

[eagles22]

Hi All,

I am considering doing a service-oriented volunteer abroad program during my first gap year where I would be doing various volunteer jobs in another country for 4-6 months. I plan on engaging in mostly medical acts of volunteerism during my stay, and I recently found out that I may have an opportunity to be of minor assistance in surgeries at a certain location.

Do you think this kind of activity would be viewed very favorably? The alternative is I could use most of this gap year to beef up my clinical / non-clinical in my town, where I should end up with roughly 200+ / 100+ hours respectively by the time I graduate.

Thanks.

Whenever anyone goes to volunteer, the key question that you should ask is "would I want someone with my skillset to do this for me?". If the answer is no, then it probably isn't a good idea. Just because someone will let you build houses/dig wells/give medical care (oftentimes for a hefty fee), doesn't mean it's ethical. Would you want to live in a house built by a bunch of unskilled college students who have no training in carpentry, plumbing, or electrical work? Would you want to have someone helping in your surgery who has no training in medicine or surgery?

Are you qualified to be of minor assistance in surgeries in the US? If so, then go for it. If not, then why should it be ok for you to do it in another country with presumably limited resources and less regulation? Keep in mind, most medical students aren't qualified to help in surgery until their third year and surgical technicians take 1-2 years to earn a certificate or degree.

 

[getAsordietrying]

Thanks everyone, guess I'll stick to plan B. Your feedback was really helpful.