Volunteering/working abroad recommendations

[future_doc]

Just find some Indian interest group and they will put you on track. If you really want a starting point, PM me, I will find one and give you a name and address.

 

I believe there is a need for sincere and helpful volunteers who wish to help out their youth for example.

[notjk]

Just find some Indian interest group and they will put you on track. If you really want a starting point, PM me, I will find one and give you a name and address.

 

I believe there is a need for sincere and helpful volunteers who wish to help out their youth for example.

 

I am really grateful for your help, I also PMed you. Thank you very much.

[future_doc]

The purpose of the forum is interesting debate, having fun and most importantly, helping each other by sharing information, knowledge, opinions and advice. And I PMed you too!

[charmer08]

Doesn't free the children do stuff in Africa?

 

Going to Africa is always a plus:

 

UofT Interviewer: You have a gpa of a 3.5... It doesn't look like you can handle medical school.

UofT Interviewee: B-b-b-but I went to AFRICA!!!!

UofT Interviewer: Impressive! Tell me more!

 

[notjk]

Doesn't free the children do stuff in Africa?

 

Going to Africa is always a plus:

 

UofT Interviewer: You have a gpa of a 3.5... It doesn't look like you can handle medical school.

UofT Interviewee: B-b-b-but I went to AFRICA!!!!

UofT Interviewer: Impressive! Tell me more!

 

 

;D, lol'd at the Interviewee

[Curi0user]

Doesn't free the children do stuff in Africa?

 

Going to Africa is always a plus:

 

UofT Interviewer: You have a gpa of a 3.5... It doesn't look like you can handle medical school.

UofT Interviewee: B-b-b-but I went to AFRICA!!!!

UofT Interviewer: Impressive! Tell me more!

 

 

lol

 

surprisingly this has nothing to do with wanting it to look good on my med school application. My EC's are pretty strong enough as it is lol. But I figured I should try asking out here though since I'm sure alot of people here have done it for that reason.

[Curi0user]

By the way next time someone busts your balls about going somewhere else to volunteer...and that its not enough time etc etc. tell them you're curious how many years they've been slugging away there in the trenches in Angola.

 

PS: Going during the summer months is a perfect time because it'll at least give you a good 2-3 months to get some solid experience. Sometimes it takes some time just to warm up.

 

Good luck with your travels! Start planning early

 

Thanks so much. I appreciate it!

[taiga gal]

hi again, i worked at Hollyhock on Cortes Island, it is an awesome place, peole pay a lot of money to stay there....i helped build a meditation sanctuary out of earth, wood and stone...there was quite the competition for the 6 spots on the exchange, many moons ago btw...i was pretty lucky to be chosen. they still do work exchanges there but it's more like u pay less than regular people to work for a month!

 

seriously i would check out WWOOF..very credible.

[rmorelan]

That would be awesome!

 

I know someone who went to Africa for a summer and delivered babies, which is really cool...although the ethics of allowing an undergrad to deliver a baby is questionable.

 

yeah imagine how that person would feel if something went wrong and they knew if they had a bit more training it wouldn't have - I would hate to have someone scared in that way before they began medical training!

 

I wonder if the ethics of that would ever come up on an interview?

 

Person probably saw some really interesting things though

[old dude]

yeah imagine how that person would feel if something went wrong and they knew if they had a bit more training it wouldn't have - I would hate to have someone scared in that way before they began medical training!

 

I wonder if the ethics of that would ever come up on an interview?

 

Person probably saw some really interesting things though

 

 

It's very true, sometimes when you are abroad as someone inexperienced you may be asked to do things you do not know how to do. Sometimes it really takes some restraint to ask yourself the question " is there someone around here who should really be doing this?"

 

If you are asking yourself the question "should I really be doing this?" the answer is probably no.

 

Of course sometimes in an emergency, when you are the most experienced person and those around are helpless, there may not be a choice.

 

Anyways just my thoughts. These issues will come up even when you are a medstudent, a resident and even a staff physician (who is inexperienced in a particular area... in which case you would refer to someone else)

[questforstarfish]

I think if somebody's asking a specific question, offering options is one thing but trying to convince them to do something different is a bit rude. People have different interests and goals and not everyone wants to do the same thing. I, for one, am very interested in issues at home and volunteer several days a week and enjoy learning about and contributing to issues in Canada.

 

However I've also traveled for 6 months in Latin America and am extremely passionate about international travel. I think if one can travel (anywhere, and it's not up to others to decide where) it can be the most amazingly eye-opening experience full of learning and memories you'll cherish forever.

 

To the OP: I recommend googling smaller agencies or the direct people you want to volunteer with. Bigger agencies charge outrageous "program fees" where 80% of the thousands you pay goes to organizing the trip. If you really want to do a little bit of good and not waste money paying the middle man to take care of you the whole time (I find that sometimes volunteers are placed in big beautiful quarters with gourmet meals, which seems crazy to me when you're trying to help the poor!), google is your friend. Pick a place you want to go and the type of volunteering you want to do. For example, if you want to help kids, research orphanages or homes for kids with special needs in Mexico or Zambia or the Philippines. If you want to work with HIV prevention and awareness in South Africa or Russia, look up projects there.

 

I volunteered with a turtle conservation project in Costa Rica for two weeks and was only charged the homestay fee of staying with a family in the village, $40 a night including meals I believe it was. Plus the $400 donation/reg fee for the project of which 100% goes to maintaining the things they do. There was also an animal sanctuary in Bolivia that I unfortunately was not able to go to in the end but expect to go back to (travel plans went awry), which I found on google as well. These places will often offer or make accomodation and meal arrangements for you, as well as provide you with any training you may need.

 

I like these links!

http://www.imva.org/Pages/orgdb/wblstfrm.htm (this one is the most helpful of hundreds of websites I've looked through!)

http://www.serveyourworld.com/articles/264/1/Free-Volunteering-Abroad

http://www.volunteerhq.org/

http://www.hbslimbe.org/volunteer.php

http://www.goabroad.com/providers/volunteering-solutions/programs/medical-volunteer-and-intern-program-in-palampur-in-himalayas-india-starting-usd250!-71558

http://www.volunteeringindia.com/volunteer_health_hiv.htm

 

Good luck and I hope you find what you're looking for and enjoy the adventure!

[old dude]

Maybe that came out the wrong way... not saying that people shouldn't go find international experiences. In fact I think it's a really good thing. All I'm saying is that when you involve yourself in hospital type situations you may be asked to do things that you do not feel comfortable doing, especially when it comes to procedures. It is okay to say no when that occurs. Hope that makes sense

[Let'sGo1990]

I think the reason a lot of people get aggravated with pre meds being so eager to go to third world countries to volunteer is that there is a pre conceived notion that a lot of these people seem to think that it will make their med app look amazing and give them a huge leg up, when in reality, I'm fairly certain that people working medical school admissions are catching on to these two week trips and are taking into account how not everyone can afford to fly to a different continent because some people are forced to work to put themselves through school and are financially incapable.

 

There's also the fact that the money used to go on one of these trips would probably be much better utilized through a donation rather than someone flying over. I get the impression that most of the students flying to Africa do more harm than good. Although their intentions may be sincere, I can see people spending a lot of time with translators, distracting nurses, bogging down doctors, etc. And by the time they finally begin to catch on to how things work, guess what? It's time to fly back home. I find it very hard to believe that what travel/staying costs could accomplish in the correct hands through a donation could in any way be matched by an individual flying over with next to no clue as to how things work. I mean, a donation may save a number of lives, but I doubt somebody flying over to stay for the month could make that big of a difference.

 

If people really want to help out, a donation is the way to go. I came back from a 6 week trip to visit my relatives in a third world country and got the chance to visit some medical facilities, and it's just not what television makes it out to be. It's very different, and it's no fun looking at child labour and people starving to death on the street. It's not like there's poverty everywhere though. I feel like a lot of the images that pop into the heads of people when they think of the third world are over exaggerated thanks to the media. People get by, and some people do well for themselves. Not every single person is dying.

 

That said, I really don't care how people decide to spend their money and time. If OP wants to travel, all the power to him. I don't know why some of you are attacking him over it. I know someone who went to central America to volunteer (can't remember which country), and they had a blast. I guess it can be a good eye opener and it'd be a great opportunity to gain experience in another country. Ultimately, what you get out of the trip depends entirely on you.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Curi0user]

I think the reason a lot of people get aggravated with pre meds being so eager to go to third world countries to volunteer is that there is a pre conceived notion that a lot of these people seem to think that it will make their med app look amazing and give them a huge leg up' date=' when in reality, I'm fairly certain that people working medical school admissions are catching on to these two week trips and are taking into account how not everyone can afford to fly to a different continent because some people are forced to work to put themselves through school and are financially incapable.

 

There's also the fact that the money used to go on one of these trips would probably be much better utilized through a donation rather than someone flying over. I get the impression that most of the students flying to Africa do more harm than good. Although their intentions may be sincere, I can see people spending a lot of time with translators, distracting nurses, bogging down doctors, etc. And by the time they finally begin to catch on to how things work, guess what? It's time to fly back home. I find it very hard to believe that what travel/staying costs could accomplish in the correct hands through a donation could in any way be matched by an individual flying over with next to no clue as to how things work. I mean, a donation may save a number of lives, but I doubt somebody flying over to stay for the month could make that big of a difference.

 

If people really want to help out, a donation is the way to go. I came back from a 6 week trip to visit my relatives in a third world country and got the chance to visit some medical facilities, and it's just not what television makes it out to be. It's very different, and it's no fun looking at child labour and people starving to death on the street. It's not like there's poverty everywhere though. I feel like a lot of the images that pop into the heads of people when they think of the third world are over exaggerated thanks to the media. People get by, and some people do well for themselves. Not every single person is dying.

 

That said, I really don't care how people decide to spend their money and time. If OP wants to travel, all the power to him. I don't know why some of you are attacking him over it. I know someone who went to central America to volunteer (can't remember which country), and they had a blast. I guess it can be a good eye opener and it'd be a great opportunity to gain experience in another country. Ultimately, what you get out of the trip depends entirely on you.

 

Just my 2 cents.[/quote']

 

her* haha.

But yeah, even if that were the case and I thought it would look good on my application, who really cares though? It's nice to voice your opinion but it becomes a little much when the persons not interested in it.

Anywho, I appreciate your concern, but thats not even close to why I want to do it. Like I said, I think my EC's are strong enough and med school would NEVER be enough of a reason for me to up and fly into another country for 3 summers lol. It's really something within, I personally have a strong desire for it. But I don't even feel like I should be explaining myself really, this was not the point of the thread.

[Curi0user]

I think if somebody's asking a specific question, offering options is one thing but trying to convince them to do something different is a bit rude. People have different interests and goals and not everyone wants to do the same thing. I, for one, am very interested in issues at home and volunteer several days a week and enjoy learning about and contributing to issues in Canada.

 

However I've also traveled for 6 months in Latin America and am extremely passionate about international travel. I think if one can travel (anywhere, and it's not up to others to decide where) it can be the most amazingly eye-opening experience full of learning and memories you'll cherish forever.

 

To the OP: I recommend googling smaller agencies or the direct people you want to volunteer with. Bigger agencies charge outrageous "program fees" where 80% of the thousands you pay goes to organizing the trip. If you really want to do a little bit of good and not waste money paying the middle man to take care of you the whole time (I find that sometimes volunteers are placed in big beautiful quarters with gourmet meals, which seems crazy to me when you're trying to help the poor!), google is your friend. Pick a place you want to go and the type of volunteering you want to do. For example, if you want to help kids, research orphanages or homes for kids with special needs in Mexico or Zambia or the Philippines. If you want to work with HIV prevention and awareness in South Africa or Russia, look up projects there.

 

I volunteered with a turtle conservation project in Costa Rica for two weeks and was only charged the homestay fee of staying with a family in the village, $40 a night including meals I believe it was. Plus the $400 donation/reg fee for the project of which 100% goes to maintaining the things they do. There was also an animal sanctuary in Bolivia that I unfortunately was not able to go to in the end but expect to go back to (travel plans went awry), which I found on google as well. These places will often offer or make accomodation and meal arrangements for you, as well as provide you with any training you may need.

 

I like these links!

http://www.imva.org/Pages/orgdb/wblstfrm.htm (this one is the most helpful of hundreds of websites I've looked through!)

http://www.serveyourworld.com/articles/264/1/Free-Volunteering-Abroad

http://www.volunteerhq.org/

http://www.hbslimbe.org/volunteer.php

http://www.goabroad.com/providers/volunteering-solutions/programs/medical-volunteer-and-intern-program-in-palampur-in-himalayas-india-starting-usd250!-71558

http://www.volunteeringindia.com/volunteer_health_hiv.htm

 

Good luck and I hope you find what you're looking for and enjoy the adventure!

 

You're a total lifesaver, thanks alot for the helpful info/links! The turtle one sounds like something I'd love haha.

[CattL]

This thread has been done, I am aware but I want to create a new one to hear updated responses.

 

I'm interested in doing SOMETHING abroad, preferably something somewhat cheap. Does anybody have any GOOD agencies or companies that work in groups (don't want my first time being completely solo just yet) that you would recommend? Maybe a friend of a friend?

 

I'll try to bump this every so often because I know more people lurk during school year and I really do need the recommendations. It's always better to hear someones personal experiences I find, rather than some random google search.

 

Hey you might want to check out this program http://www.realgap.com/Malawi-Medical-Volunteers, you can help at a field dressing clinic, local hospital and go along on home visits so it's good experience, plus it's in Malawi so you'll be able to experience the local culture. Hope this helps!

[saltandpepper]

Curi0user, f_d, and any other people out there:

 

I am much interested in volunteer opportunities in the Canadian Native Reserves, but have no connection or have any idea where to start from. How do I look for such opportunities? Also i am wondering as a university graduate in bachelor of general health sciences, if there would be anything that i can help with in the medical field.. or anything related to medicine and community health. i want to pursue family medicine and i am interested in practicing in rural areas in the future, and such volunteer experience would come very valuable. i would be up for working up there for 6-12 months as well!

 

any advice would be much appreciated!!! thanks

[taiga gal]

if u are up for some challenging work, see if u can help out at a homeless shelter, and depending where u live, you may find that the majority of clients are Aboriginal ( which is a sad reality of homeless shelters, and corrections centres..)

[ubcMDhopeful]

I know a friend who tried CADIP and went to India and he said it was great. I also heard of some people using CADIP to find camps in Italy.

 

Like others have said local volunteering is more benificial but one can gain alot of experiences from international volunteering. + its fun.

[questforstarfish]

Maybe that came out the wrong way... not saying that people shouldn't go find international experiences. In fact I think it's a really good thing. All I'm saying is that when you involve yourself in hospital type situations you may be asked to do things that you do not feel comfortable doing, especially when it comes to procedures. It is okay to say no when that occurs. Hope that makes sense

 

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to direct my comment at you! There was something wrong with my computer or the website or something...this was directed at a much earlier comment and somehow it did not show that there were three pages of responses after that particular post Sorry to sound like I was attacking!

 

Also CuriOuser, I'm happy to help I have literally spent dozens of hours, probably more, looking up free or cheap volunteering opportunities around the world because that's where lots of my interest lies so I'm always thrilled if I can help prevent someone from spending so much time looking for the same things! Good luck in your adventures!