MEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE & OBSERVATION - Work side by side with medical staff at local clinics and be involved with day to day healthcare
Program Description
Gain invaluable hands-on experience, working side by side with medical staff and fellow volunteers at a hospital or a neighborhood health clinic. This opportunity will give you an insight into the running and daily routine of a hospital or a neighborhood health clinic. You will experience the stark contrast between Western medical practice and the realities of medicine in developing countries.
As the hospitals and clinics are still modernizing, there are many challenges faced and as a result you will also see medical conditions that have remained untreated and have developed to an advanced pathological stage. Therefore, this project not only provides you with responsibility, it also allows you to broaden your perspective by working at a hospital/health clinic in a developing country.
Furthermore, you can gain experience in a range of different departments and activities within the hospital/health clinic, such as: emergency, pediatric, maternity (only female volunteers), diabetes, integral attention & prevention for HIV, tuberculosis and uterine cancer as well as nursing. If you are interested in working in a specific department, please let us know in advance and we will try our best to make it happen. There is also the possibility to work in the hospital pharmacy. You are welcome to also work on our other projects in combination with the medical program.
Volunteer placement, apprenticeship or internship
You can join this program as a volunteer, apprentice or intern. As a volunteer you are free to commit any number of hours per week. That's up to you! As an apprentice or intern however you probably have to fulfill requirements set by your school or university. Please inform us of your school or university internship requirements in advance so that we can work out your personalized work plan together. Also tell us about your personal expectations and goals. We are happy to give students academic credit or provide a report outlining the learning outcomes and deliverables achieved during the placement.
Requirements
This program is suitable for a wide range of students and professionals. It is also available to pre-university students interested in a career in medicine. The key requirements for a medical volunteer or intern are initiative, enthusiasm and readiness to work in unfamiliar circumstances. More specialized skills will allow for more specialized activities. B1 Spanish skills are necessary, but an advanced level of Spanish will open up many more opportunities. To enhance your experience as a volunteer/intern we offer free Spanish language lessons every week.
What to expect
Although project work will be provided, volunteers are encouraged to come up with their own ideas and initiative. This is an excellent opportunity to practice all your skills and learn new ones! As with any medical service, volunteers should recognize that their schedules may be subject to sudden changes and are dictated by patients/clinics needs. Working hours will be primarily in the morning when the physicians are at the hospital/health clinic. There is the possibility to also take part in weekend shifts and watches with doctors and nurses as this gives you excellent exposure to work observation and experience opportunities!
Activities can include but are not limited to
● Observing, shadowing and assisting doctors and nurses during their work
● Participating in patient care: comforting patients and assisting with examinations
● Make swabs for disinfection
● Writing down a list of medications with the time for each patient
● Stocking up on materials and preparing or reprocessing
● Prepare and, if necessary, distribute medications (infusion, pills, ...)
● Checking on the well-being of the patients
● Volunteers may choose to teach English to the doctors, provided that there is a sufficient number of doctors interested
● Empty catheters (hospital only)
● Fold and wrap compresses
Please note that for the safety of the patients you can only assist if you have previous experience and can understand the instructions from the staff. Inexperienced people can observe the nurses and doctors and help with small tasks. The longer you stay the more possibilities you have to gain knowledge and experiences in the medical field. More experienced people (like medical students) can assist nurses and doctors with tasks and can work independently on some tasks. Already graduated medical students or nurses are able to work independently after they have been instructed to work in the Dominican medical field.
Program Highlights
What makes the Dominican Republic and Samana such a special destiny?
Samana is the name of both the peninsula and its biggest town located at Samana bay in the northeastern part of the Dominican Republic. It is a dramatically beautiful peninsula, like an island unto itself, of coconut trees stretching into the sea. The town of Samana is a scenic, beautiful and peaceful port, with friendly and easy-going Dominicans, living their life with tourism, agriculture and fishing activities, all set to the beat and rhythms of Merengue, Bachata and Salsa music. The Malecon (seaside promenade) of two kilometers length is perfect for strolling by day and night. It is the perfect place to while away the evening in a relaxing atmosphere in one of the many surrounding restaurants and bars. Hundreds of fantastic beaches surround the peninsula of Samana, which can be explored during a day trip or for the whole weekend. Experience the Dominican style of live and chill by the rhythm of Caribbean music!
Other highlights nearby are:
Costs & Benefits
Aldeas de Paz works hard to keep the required financial contribution to an absolute minimum and to offer financial transparency by practicing an open book policy. The minimum contribution starts at €183 per week (after the second week) and includes Spanish language classes and accommodation at our fully equipped guesthouse apartments, a special program donation as well as a personal welcome service and pick-up at the airport, transfer to the bus, bus fare and free transfer to your placement location.
This is included:
Airport welcome service & transfer to your placement location
Fully equipped Accommodation in Las Terrenas or Samana depending where you will be placed
Wi-Fi internet (50Mbps)
Kitchen and washing machine available
Placement introduction
Certificate after completion and the possibility of student credit
Follow-up meeting at work once a week
Free regular Spanish lessons throughout your placement
Full support and 24/7 backup from local staff
Information about adventure packages & in-country travel
Special Offer
Volunteers and interns receive free language lessons throughout their placement duration. Classes focus on developing four basic communication skills: listening, comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Students are encouraged to speak Spanish right from the very first day, using it in typical real-life situations as soon as they step outside the classroom where learning continues as they are immersed in the Spanish language and the Dominican culture.
About your Placement Location
The Aldeas de Paz Foundation headquarters are located in the villages of Samana but this program is located in Las Terrenas and also in Samana town, center of the Samana province and peninsula in the north-eastern corner of the Dominican Republic. These villages with about 15000 inhabitants are very peaceful and safe and are constituted by a community with a strong sense of social responsibility. The people themselves consider their towns very safe, there is no more crime here than in any average small European town. The Dominican Republic's countryside as a whole is very peaceful, and certainly one of the safest regions in the Caribbean.
Travel Logistics
The Foundation will do everything to make sure our volunteers remain safe during their arrival and stay in the Dominican Republic. On arrival at the airport you will be welcomed by our english speaking driver who will help you personally during your transit from the airport to the bus terminal granting you peace of mind and tranquility. The driver will purchase your bus ticket while you catch the direct and comfortable bus to Samana, your placement location. Travel-time on the bus is two hours only. On arrival at the placement location, fellow volunteers and our Staff will welcome you and bring you to your accommodation.
Our Volunteer Guesthouse Apartments and our Host Family home stay
The Foundation’s popular volunteer guesthouse apartments are located in the center of the seaside towns of Samaná and las Terrenas, both scenic, laid back and peaceful towns, with friendly and easy-going Dominicans, living their life with tourism, agriculture and fishing activities, all set to the beat and rhythms of Merengue, Bachata and Salsa music. Our Volunteer Guesthouse Apartments are extremely conveniently located only a few minutes from school or the hospital, the village center and to the beaches and the Malecon, the gorgeous seaside walking promenade, where you will find a lot of restaurants, bars and shops. The villages and their surroundings are very safe and our apartments in Samana and Las Terrenas have lovely neighbors who constantly look after us. All important locations are only minutes away and it’s safe to walk at night. A shared room with three beds is the standard option. Upgrades are available for double and single room occupancy and home stay with our lovely host family. Free wifi and access to a washing machine is, of course, standard at all Aldeas de Paz facilities. Living together with volunteers from all over the world is a unique chance for cultural exchange and can be an exciting and new way of living compared to anything you’ve ever experienced before. It has certainly been a key experience in the lives of many past volunteers! Volunteers work and live together and learn how to be empathetic and considerate of others’ needs. They often share their free time, house cleaning tasks and cooking (optional). It means they also become close, develop lifelong friendships and have immense fun along the way! We feel that it is important to highlight that we have created an environment of respect and consideration.
Availability
This program is ongoing throughout the whole year
Time Commitment
A minimum time commitment of 2 weeks is required and can be extended up to one year
Placement Location
Samana & Las Terrenas
About your Placement Location
The Aldeas de Paz Foundation headquarters are located in the villages of Samana but this program is located in Las Terrenas and also in Samana town, center of the Samana province and peninsula in the north-eastern corner of the Dominican Republic. These villages with about 15000 inhabitants are very peaceful and safe and are constituted by a community with a strong sense of social responsibility. The people themselves consider their towns very safe, there is no more crime here than in any average small European town. The Dominican Republic's countryside as a whole is very peaceful, and certainly one of the safest regions in the Caribbean.
Travel Logistics
The Foundation will do everything to make sure our volunteers remain safe during their arrival and stay in the Dominican Republic. On arrival at the airport you will be welcomed by our english speaking driver who will help you personally during your transit from the airport to the bus terminal granting you peace of mind and tranquility. The driver will purchase your bus ticket while you catch the direct and comfortable bus to Samana, your placement location. Travel-time on the bus is two hours only. On arrival at the placement location, fellow volunteers and our Staff will welcome you and bring you to your accommodation.
Medicine and Healthcare Observation & Experience
Work side by side with medical staff at local clinics and be involved with day to day healthcare.This opportunity will give you an insight into the running of a clinic.
$825/week
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