Volunteering abroad
Working overseas is certainly an unparalleled experience, not just in terms of the exposure you get on a foreign soil, but also with respect to the new culture and lifestyle which you get to witness. And, when the same working abroad opportunity is in the form of volunteering, and that too for healthcare, it raise the bar of travel experience to unprecedented heights.
The project
Volunteering Solutions brings you one such volunteer abroad opportunity where you can contribute for the better healthcare services and medical support for the poor in local communities. Whether you are a medical/nursing student or a certified doctor/nurse in your country, this placement is designed for you to contribute your knowledge and hone your skills.
Students can gain so much experience while assisting local doctors and nursing staff in the hospital and clinical placements. This would provide that much needed boost to your medical career and an edge over your peers.
Volunteer work
Volunteers working in this program make a genuine contribution to staff working within Peru’s hospitals, health clinics and medical centres. Volunteers mainly work in medical clinics which provide care and treatment to the people residing in the poor areas of the cities. All the volunteers in this program work in the capacity of assistants to the doctors and nurses in the placements. Volunteers work for 4-5 hrs in a day for 5 days in a week. The volunteer schedule is flexible and can vary.
Depending on your medical experience and Spanish language skills you may be asked to assist with various procedures such as suturing wounds, giving vaccinations, helping with taking vital signs of patients, being involved in the daily procedures of medical centers – observing or directly providing various sorts of assistance to existing doctors and nurses.
A generic list of tasks you'd be involved in is as follows:
- Assist with various procedures such as suturing wounds, giving vaccinations
- Helping with taking vital signs of patients.
- Being involved in the daily procedures of medical centers.
- Observing or directly providing various sorts of assistance to existing doctors and nurses
- Shadow the Doctors on critical surgeries and operations
- Conducting hospital rounds with the doctors
- Maintaining files
- Routine patient check-ups like measure Blood pressure, check fever etc.
It is to be noted that the level of involvement highly depends upon the experience and qualifications. 1st and 2nd year medical students would mostly be observing and shadowing the local doctor, while 3rd and final year students will be allowed to do hands-on, under direct supervision of the local medical staff. Those who are certified doctors and nurses, will be working alongside the local doctor, in assisting them with patients and other duties.
Please Note: Pre-med students can also apply for this program, however, the work would only be of shadowing and observing.
