Medical Internship Supporter

The program

This amazing program has a huge impact on the lives of those less fortunate in Cape Town. Most of the medical projects supported by the program are government funded local clinical facilities for people who cannot afford private medical care, and are severely understaffed and underfunded, with a lack of vital resources. Volunteers will contribute a hugely valuable service, however must be aware that this can be a very stressful and challenging environment to work in. The people it supports are impoverished and disadvantaged, making this a very rewarding project to be a part of. This is a great learning opportunity, however the level of involvement and direct patient care is dependent on volunteer training and particular skills. Volunteers can expect to observe while working alongside local staff. As volunteers build rapport with local staff, they may be given more responsibility.

Goals of this Project:

• Improve the future prospects of the people of South Africa
• Provide quality medical care to the impoverished people of Cape Town
• To offer a learning experience to medical interns and healthcare volunteers
• To create a better cultural understanding between all participants

How you can help

This program can make a truly positive impact on vulnerable people in Cape Town. By providing much-needed volunteer labor, more patients can be cared for and a higher level of care given. Volunteers will gain great healthcare experience from their participation in the project and have the opportunity to work within impoverished communities, gaining insight into how some of the most marginalized people in the world live. Volunteers on this program must have a love and passion for helping people, medical related experience and/or studies in the field, patience and empathy and a willingness to help where help is needed most. Working hours on this project are usually Mondays to Fridays from 07:00 to 13:00 (local clinics). Some tasks volunteers are likely to assist with include dressing wounds, taking blood pressure, pulse and temperature measurements, assisting patients from one service point to another and awareness programs.

Volunteers contribute in a number of ways and can expect to undertake the following tasks:

• Assist with day-to-day medical care, as appropriate for experience and training (wound care, measurement taking etc)
• Assist with awareness and education programs
• Network with program staff and medical staff

A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 4 and 6 hours and while we ask all volunteers to be flexible in this regard, a typical daily schedule is likely to go something like this:

7:00am Breakfast at the volunteer house

8:00am Bus to your project site

8:15am Pre-start meeting with project supervisor

8:30am VOLUNTEERING DUTIES START

A tea break and lunch break will be fitted in during the day, but often the timing of breaks will change based on the needs of the local staff and number of volunteers on hand.

1:00pm VOLUNTEERING DUTIES END

1:15pm Debrief with project supervisor

1:30pm Bus back to the accommodation

Evenings Volunteers are free to explore the local area, check out the multitude of local restaurants, bars and cafes, or relax with the other volunteers!