MEDICAL VOLUNTEER ABROAD PROJECTS

Most Affordable – PMGY’s programs are accessible to everyone who wants to make a positive impact, through low fees and high-impact projects.

 

Best Support – Our international and local teams provide extensive around the clock services to assist you every step of your PMGY adventure.

 

Safety Prioritised – With safety a PMGY number-1 priority, we have taken all necessary precautions to ensure our programs are as safe and structured as possible.

 

Extraordinary Experiences – With PMGY, you have the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in amazing cultural and travel experiences, ensuring you leave with unforgettable memories.

 

Friendships for Life – Your PMGY experience not only opens up a doorway for new experiences and exciting memories, but also life-long friendships when meeting new people from around the real world.

ECUADOR MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS

Ecuador volunteer programs provide a great foundation to improve your Spanish. Delve deeper into the traditional healing beliefs of the local people. Focus your time and energy into specific departments at the hospital as a medical volunteer abroad in Ecuador.

 

Your Volunteer Role & Typical Work Day

 

International volunteers will spend most of their time observing on the wards assisted by nurses and doctors. In some cases, they will be asked to assist in engaging small children with activities while they receive treatment. There is a chance if volunteers speak Spanish to get involved with counselling. This can extend to helping local doctors with care plans for families with patients in the hospital.

 

In general, time on the medical volunteer in Ecuador program will be Monday–Friday. The project will begin at 7:30am each day. This is to ensure you get a busy morning and can help the medical staff out appropriately. The average time on the project will be 3-5 hours finishing in the early afternoon.

 

You will be required to take a 45 minute bus ride to reach medical volunteer in Ecuador project. The bus stop is located nearby to the volunteer accommodation. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.

 
 

GHANA MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS

As a medical volunteer abroad in Ghana, you will gain first-hand experience and insight into the Ghanian health care system. PMGY’s Ghana volunteer programs provide a once in a lifetime cultural experience. The medical project offers a fantastic opportunity to spend time a range of departments in a large government hospital. Learn from local staff and get involved in supporting them.

 

Your Volunteer Role & Typical Work Day

 

Volunteers in Ghana will spend their time in Manhyia Hospital, within one, or across multiple departments. Participants with or without medical experience should assume a largely observational role. There may be opportunities to undertake some basic hands-on involvement. However, the opportunity for this is dependent on a volunteer’s relationship with the doctors/nurses they work alongside. This extends further to gaining permission of the patients and previous experience/qualifications.

 

In general, medical volunteers abroad will work at the project Monday-Friday for around 3-4 hours every day from 9am-1pm. Usually, as a medical volunteer in Ghana, you will take lunch at the project. On an ad-hoc basis, you may also get the chance to experience working night shift. Should you wish to, this is something you can speak to our local team about in-country. You must arrange private transport should you decide to give up your free time to experience the night shift.

 

Transport to and from the medical volunteer in Ghana project is not included in your Program Fee. Consequently, volunteers will usually travel by public transport, but may also choose to split the cost of a taxi. Our local team will show you how to get to and from your volunteer project location during the orientation period.

 

Most noteworthy, heavy traffic and poor road infrastructure can be commonplace within Kumasi. Subsequently, the journey to the volunteer project can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour upwards from the Volunteer House.

 
 

INDIA MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS

As a medical volunteer abroad in India, you will have a fantastic opportunity to gain first-hand experience and insight into Indian health care. Medical volunteers in India work with highly trained local staff. This gives individuals exposure and tuition that you are unlikely to obtain in your own country. If you are thinking of a career in healthcare or studying a health-related subject, joining PMGY’s India medical programs will offer you essential first-hand experience that will assist in your career development.

 

Your Volunteer Role & Typical Work Day

 

As a volunteer in India, most participants in the medical program will have the chance to experience a number of different facilities. On a volunteer trip to India, our main placement base will be within the public health campaign programs that we operate in the slum communities. India medical volunteers can expect to work 3-5 hours in the morning. This will usually be from 9:30am-1pm. Surgeries may be available for observation at any time of the day. Afternoons may be used to engage in hospital placements, the India childcare program or explore Delhi.

 

It is advised, where possible, that medical volunteers in India spend a minimum of three days on a specific placement. Doing this allows relationships with the staff to be made, often leading to increased exposure and responsibility. However, this will ultimately be dependent on the level/qualifications of volunteers.

 

PMGY’s projects in India has its own private transport network that will transfer you to and from the projects every day. You will travel to and from the project by either tuk-tuk or minivan. This service is included in your Program Fee.

 
 

PERU MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS

As a medical volunteer abroad in Peru, you will gain first-hand insight and exposure to the Peruvian health care system. Not only this, PMGY’s Peru volunteer programs provide a great foundation to improve your Spanish. We support a range of public and private clinics across the city of Cusco. The better your Spanish, the more you can communicate and ask questions with the local doctors and nurses. As a result, more will be gained from your medical volunteer in Peru experience.

 

Your Volunteer Role & Typical Work Day

 

When you complete work as a volunteer in Peru, you can assist in both community health programs and clinical settings. Usually, the health clinics are made up of a range of small departments from paediatrics and general practitioner to maternity and dentistry. Naturally given the relative small clinic setting, the departments are on a small scale in comparison to a big government hospital. Consequently, volunteers should be willing to gain exposure to a range of departments within the clinics.

 

Volunteers will spend most of their time observing within the clinics in Cusco. In some cases, the hospital staff may provide the opportunity to get some hands-on experience. Examples include helping with blood pressure, immunizations, public health screenings and community awareness programs.

 

The ability to apply yourself on the project will be reflected largely by your level of Spanish. The better your Spanish, the more the doctors and nurses can communicate with you. As a result, the more the medical staff will be able to trust you. Therefore, you will enjoy your volunteering experience greater as a medical volunteer in Peru.

 

In general, you will join the medical volunteer in Peru program from Monday-Friday. The project will begin at 8am each day to ensure you get a busy morning. The average time on the project will be 3-5 hours finishing in the early afternoon or time off requested completion.

 

If you are up for it, take a 45 minute walk through the heart of Cusco to reach your medical volunteer placement! Alternatively, you can take a 20-45 minute bus ride to reach your medical project. The bus stop is located either just outside the volunteer accommodation or the Spanish school. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.

 
 

SRI LANKA MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS

As a medical volunteer abroad in Sri Lanka you can gain valuable medical experience in a new culture. This is an opportunity not to be missed in this gorgeous part of the world! If you are looking for a learning experience or would like to pursue a career in the medical field, then this program is the ideal way to give you an insight into the Sri Lankan healthcare system.

 

Your Volunteer Role & Typical Work Day

 

Your main role is to learn and experience the Sri Lankan healthcare system, procedures and culture, observing how this may differ to the experience you have at home. In addition, you may encounter different scenarios as a medical volunteer in Sri Lanka, such as dengue fever, snake bites and motorcycle accidents.

 

The medical project takes place for around 3 hours a day from Monday-Friday between 9am-12pm, depending on the current opportunities available. For instance, each medical volunteer in Sri Lanka may have the chance to stay longer if there is a major surgery or labour whilst you are allocated to that ward. The option is available to join the project in the afternoon. However, please note the doctors will only be present in the wards during the morning. The hospitals are 5-15 minutes away by tuk-tuk.

 

Private Hospital – Your time will be allocated across the hospital departments at the private hospital. Our team will do our best to match any specific requirements you have, but this cannot always be guaranteed depending on the circumstances.

 

Your role is purely observational as a medical volunteer in Sri Lanka, so you should not expect any hands-on involvement. Depending on your interests, you will be placed within different departments and you will be attached to an English-speaking member of staff. Please note there may still be a communication barrier and the staff will do their best to translate when they can.

 

As the role is purely observational, we recommend that applicants sign up for no more than 2 weeks as a medical volunteer in Sri Lanka. In our experience, whilst you will gain invaluable medical insight and knowledge at the private hospital, after a while, most people are eager for some hands-on volunteer work in Sri Lanka. Whilst PMGY cannot offer you hands-on work as a medical volunteer in Sri Lanka, we can welcome you on to our community projects teaching English in the Tsunami villages.

 

Our local team will go through the options with you during your in-country orientation. You can join one of these projects in the afternoon and attend the private hospital in the morning – it is completely up to you. Furthermore, if you’d like to join us for longer than 2 weeks, it is absolutely fine for you to sign up for 2 weeks as a medical volunteer in Sri Lanka and then go on to do another project for the remainder of your stay. If this is something you’d like to do then please drop us an email to discuss the idea in more detail pre-departure.

 

Government Base Hospital – You can choose to spend your time across several departments or just a few. Our team will do our best to match any specific requirements you have, but this cannot always be guaranteed depending on the circumstances, We would recommend a mixed timetable in order to experience the different hospital settings.

 

Whilst you will be assigned a member of staff within the department to mentor each medical volunteer in Sri Lanka, it is important to understand that the local staff are extremely busy. Therefore, you should be proactive, ask questions and be assertive in requesting additional guidance should you require it. Please note there may still be a communication barrier and the staff will do their best to translate when they can.

 

Your role as a medical volunteer in Sri Lanka at the government hospital is largely observational. Whilst this cannot be guaranteed, you may be assigned some very basic hands-on involvement such as taking blood pressure and blood sugars etc. This is all undertaken under the supervision of the medical professionals, and such permission is at the sole discretion of the staff.

 

Government Village Hospital – During your time with us on the Sri Lanka volunteer program, volunteers will usually get the chance to support at our health clinic campaign helping the local doctor by checking blood pressure and blood sugar levels of the people of Ambalangoda.

 
 

TANZANIA MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS

As a medical volunteer abroad in Tanzania, you will have a fantastic opportunity to gain first-hand experience and insight into Tanzanian health care. If you are thinking of a career in healthcare, or you are studying a health-related subject at university, this program will offer you essential first-hand experience to assist in your career development. On this program, you will learn from local staff. By supporting them, you will gain exposure that you are unlikely to obtain in your home country.

 

Your Volunteer Role & Typical Work Day

 

As a medical volunteer in Tanzania, you will have the opportunity to learn and work alongside qualified staff. Those with little or no medical experience will assume a largely observational role. If you are studying a medically related degree, then you may get the opportunity to undertake some more basic hands-on involvement, at your discretion. However, the opportunity for this is dependent on a volunteer’s relationship with the doctors/nurses you work alongside and permission of patients.

 

In general, during time as a medical volunteer in Tanzania, your role should predominately be seen as an opportunity to learn about a healthcare system in a developing country. It is a chance for you to learn about differences in practice compared to those you would find in your home country. You will have the opportunity to learn about common health problems within a third world country and understand how these are dealt with. International volunteers can expect to be on the project for 3-5 hours per day. Typical working hours are 8:30am-1pm or 11am-4pm, Monday to Friday. Volunteers are usually welcome to stay at the project for longer if they wish.

 

Transport to the medical volunteer in Tanzania project is not included in the Program Fee. You will usually be required to take a Dala Dala (local bus) to placement. It can take up to 45 minutes to travel to your volunteer work in Tanzania. Our local team will guide you through the local transport methods during your in-country orientation. You can also always ask them if you are unsure of how much you should be paying for a journey.

Flights

 

After confirming your place on a PMGY volunteer program, we strongly advise that you book your flights as early as possible. This is since it will help ensure that you get the lowest airfare. You can choose to book your flights independently or we can help you with arranging them. PMGY has a wealth of experience in travelling to and from our host countries. Therefore, we know the most affordable ways to travel and the best airlines to use. Therefore, if you would like any assistance booking your flight, you can request an optional flight quote during your online application. Alternatively, feel free to contact us on the phone or by email.

 

Your arrival airport and date are dependent on the specific destination you are joining us in:

 

🇪🇨 Quito – To join the medical project on our Ecuador volunteer program, you should book your flights to Mariscal Sucre International Airport iN Quito on the Sunday start date. The airport code is UIO. Volunteers in Peru can arrive at any time on their designated Sunday start date.

 

🇬🇭 Kumasi – To join the medical project on our Ghana volunteer program, you should book your flights to Kotoka International Airport on the Sunday start date. The airport code is ACC. Volunteers in Ghana can arrive at any time on their designated Sunday start date.

 

🇮🇳 Faridabad – To join the medical project on our India volunteer program, you should book your flights to Indira Gandhi International Airport on the Sunday start date. The airport code is DEL. Volunteers in India can arrive at any time on their designated Sunday start date.

 

🇵🇪 Cusco – To join the medical project on our Peru volunteer program, you should book your flights to Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport on the Sunday start date. The airport code is CUZ. Volunteers in Peru can arrive at any time on their designated Sunday start date.

 

🇱🇰 Ambalangoda – To join the medical project on our Sri Lanka volunteer program, you should book your flights to Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo on the Saturday start date. The airport code is CMB. Most volunteers can arrive at any time on their designated Saturday start date.

 

🇹🇿 Arusha – To join the medical project on our Tanzania volunteer program, you should book your flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport on the Sunday start date. The airport code is JRO. Volunteers in Tanzania can arrive at any time on their designated volunteer Sunday program start date.

 

Travel Insurance

 

Importantly, having an appropriate travel insurance policy during your time abroad is essential. Therefore, it is mandatory for all of our international volunteers to be appropriately covered across all of their trip dates. This includes your travel to and from the host country, as well as any onward travel. Although PMGY does everything to ensure your trip is safe, inevitably things can go wrong. Therefore, having a travel insurance policy in place helps you effectively deal with any problems you may encounter during your time away.

 

We have partnered up with the insurance company battleface to create an affordable and comprehensive optional policy. This has been designed with our international volunteers in mind, to cover our participants for all of their travel essentials. The policy is available to anyone across the globe, up to the age of 65 years. The document will cover you for your time on any PMGY destination and any onward travel (excluding the US and Canada). You can purchase PMGY Travel Insurance during your online application or you can contact us directly to arrange it.

Our International Team will work hard to provide extensive levels of support in the build-up to your trip. From our online chat service to email support and telephone conversations, our team are always ready to help. All international volunteers with PMGY will receive a Volunteer Handbook. This detailed hand guide will provide you with all you need to know in the build-up to your trip. From visa guidance to suggested packing lists, this will be the ultimate guide, helping you plan for your volunteer trip abroad.

 

We have Facebook groups for each of our volunteer destinations. Here you can find members of our international and local teams, as well as past, present and future volunteers. These pages, therefore, provide a great forum for volunteers to network, share experiences and community updates year-on-year.

 

Sometimes it can be difficult to picture yourself abroad without yet being there. We, therefore, do our best to further manage expectations before you arrive through a variety of informative and action-packed videos on our PMGY Vimeo channel. These clips help provide you with a visual perspective of what you can expect during your time volunteering with us. Our webinars are not to be missed either. Running on selected Tuesdays, at 4pm UK time, our International Team provides invaluable advice for your upcoming trip. Each webinar covers something different. Our pre-departure webinar covers all of the essentials you need to know and do before joining us abroad. Our program preparation webinar is more project-specific, with advice and information for the time you will spend on placement. Finally, our safety webinar offers you some top tips on how to manage your safety and wellbeing across the pond. For those who are simply interested in learning more about PMGY, our team also run an introductory webinar. This provides an introduction to the volunteer organisation, our background, goals and volunteer opportunities overseas.

🇪🇨 Quito – Our Ecuador volunteer program is based in Quito, the country’s capital in the Andes Mountains. The city is the highest official capital in the world, resting at an elevation of 2,850 metres above sea level. Quito is classified as a UNESCO heritage site, still upholding many of its historical features that date back hundreds of years. This city’s location among the mountain tops leaves volunteers in Ecuador with majestic views of city life, wilderness and history.

 

🇬🇭 Kumasi – Our Ghana volunteer program is located in Kumasi, in central Ghana. It is Ghana’s second-biggest city, located around 6 hours away from the country’s capital Accra. It is a bustling region with so much going on! The surrounding area is made up of rolling hills and rural areas, with a much more laid back approach in life.

 

🇮🇳 Faridabad – Our main India volunteer program is based in Faridabad, located in the New Delhi region of North India. The city is close enough to absorb the influence of New Delhi. On the contrary, it is also far enough away to offer a quieter setting. Together, these factors mean that Faridabad is a comfortable location to live and work. There are some interesting temples and local parks in Faridabad for you to visit, as well as markets and shopping malls. There are also a handful of cinemas for you to catch a Bollywood flick, should you fancy!

 

🇵🇪 Cusco – Our Peru volunteer program is based in the south-eastern region of Peru within in the city of Cusco. Cusco was once the capital of the Incan Empire. This UNESCO World Heritage site rests at an elevation of 3,400 metres above sea level. The city now hosts more than 2-million tourists each year, many of whom are on a journey to visit Machu Picchu. A trip to this World Wonder provides individuals with an opportunity to learn about the origins of Quechua people. While visiting Cusco, you will feel an overwhelming presence of history and culture!

 

🇱🇰 Ambalangoda – Our medical internship on the Sri Lanka volunteer program is based in Ambalangoda, on the south-west coast of Sri Lanka. It is approximately 2.5 hours away from Colombo Airport. Ambalangoda is a quaint ocean-side town. It is traditionally a fishing community but is famous for being the major production centre for demonic wooden masks.

 

🇹🇿 Arusha – Our Tanzania volunteer program is located in Arusha, based in the Kilimanjaro region of the country. Also known as A-town or Arachuga, Arusha is set amongst a backdrop of the impressive Mount Meru. It’s a really beautiful setting and a vibrant town, with a good nightlife and a friendly atmosphere.

PMGY’s medical volunteer opportunities abroad are run by our dedicated and experienced in-country local teams. All staff have been fully vetted by our International Team. The committed local community network provides the structure for your stay with us as a medical student volunteering abroad. Our local team will arrange your accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, in-country orientation and 24/7 emergency support. Our team provides a great framework for you to enjoy a unique volunteering experience with us as a medical and healthcare volunteer.

When you arrive onto your medical volunteer abroad program, you will receive an orientation from your in-country team. This day will usually be broken down into two components. The first portion will usually be dedicated to all the theoretical aspects, from ‘dos and don’ts’, to safety aspects, project information and team introductions. The remainder of the day is usually used to introduce you to the local area. The local team will teach you how to locate every essential you may need during your time. They will also be able to help you arrange your money and a local SIM-card. Please note that the exact itinerary of the orientation will vary from country-to-country.

If you have not travelled much before, it is really hard to know what to expect. When anticipating their time overseas, many international volunteers (and their loved ones) are often concerned about safety and security. Although we can never guarantee volunteer experiences to be 100% trouble-free, we have taken all necessary precautions to ensure our programs are as safe as possible. Every program that PMGY offers has been personally inspected and selected by a director of PMGY. We have lived in the accommodation, experienced the orientation and worked on the projects. Through our frequent visits and daily communications, we have built strong, trusting relationships with our local staff.

 

In the unlikely event that something was to happen, volunteers have various layers of support available to them:

 

• PMGY Local Team
• Project Staff
• PMGY International Team

 

Projects are monitored on an on-going basis to gauge volunteers’ experiences. With the help of volunteer feedback, we are able to continually improve our placements and volunteer opportunities. Security and safety are frequently assessed as part of this. We ask our participants to raise any concerns with our local or International Team. This ensures that these can be addressed and/or resolved as readily and appropriately as possible.

 

Through pre-departure and in-country guidance, we do our best to prepare our international volunteers for their time abroad. All participants are provided with a comprehensive safety briefing during their orientation period. Our local teams will go through everything from project introductions, to emergency procedures, how to use local transport and cultural differences. During this period, our team also provide participants with a full list of the important contact numbers.

 

Listed below are some general safety tips:

 

• Be modest with the amount of jewellery worn in public
• Do not drink tap water
• Be cautious of beggars or crowds. Incidents can occur when is confusion to distract you.
• Be cautious about removing money in public
• Always try to know where you are going before you attempt long journeys. Be especially careful at night
• Use reputable transport only. Our local staff will be able to recommend some during orientation
• Try to keep in groups at night and never walk alone along dark, empty streets
• The recognised tourist areas can be considered potentially high-risk areas for pickpockets and thieves
• Leave your valuables behind before a night out in the town
• For traffic safety, always keep looking to the left and right and walk slowly when crossing the road
• Do not accept drinks or food from strangers

🇪🇨 Quito – On the Ecuador volunteer program, the cost of your project transport is not included in your program fee. Transport to the medical volunteer abroad project will usually require a bus ride. The bus stop is located nearby to the volunteer accommodation. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.

 

🇬🇭 Kumasi – On the Ghana volunteer program, the cost of your project transport is not included in your Program Fee. You will be required to take public transport to your program every day. Our local coordinators will introduce you to local transport methods during your orientation and the first couple of days at the project. We will also indicate how much you should be paying for transport so that you do not get ripped off. Public transport in Ghana is cheap and easy to use. Most noteworthy, heavy traffic and poor road infrastructure can be commonplace within Kumasi. Subsequently, the journey to the volunteer project can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour upwards from the Volunteer House.

 

🇮🇳 Faridabad – On the India volunteer program, the cost of your project transport is included in your Program Fee. Our team have their own private transport networks that will transfer you to and from the projects every day. If not within walking distance, you will travel to and from the project by either tuk-tuk or minivan.

 

🇵🇪 Cusco – On the Peru volunteer program, the cost of your project transport is not included in your Program Fee. Transport to the project will be by local bus or walking. Your bus stop will be located either close to your host family or the Spanish school. Furthermore, the local team will assist you in learning the routes to your volunteer project. As a result, you will be acquainted with how to get to and from your volunteer project.

 

🇱🇰 Ambalangoda – On the Sri Lanka volunteer program in Ambalangoda, the cost of your project transport is included in your Program Fee. Your project transport will usually be by tuk-tuk, but sometimes by private car. Journeys can usually take anywhere from 10–45 minutes each way. However, this will ultimately depend on which project you join as a volunteer in Sri Lanka.

 

🇹🇿 Arusha – On the Tanzania volunteer program, the cost of your project transport is not included in your program fee. Some projects are within walking distance from the Volunteer House, but many are further afield. In these latter cases, you will be required to take a Dala Dala (local bus) to placement. It can take up to 45 minutes to travel to your volunteer work in Tanzania. Our local team will guide you through the local transport methods during your in-country orientation. You can also always ask them if you are unsure of how much you should be paying for a journey.

PMGY welcome volunteers of all nationalities and backgrounds. The minimum age to join the program is 17 and there is no upper age limit. All volunteers need to have a good level of English, although it does not need to be your first language. You do not need to speak the local language. However, you will find that learning a few words in your days with us will go a long way!

 

For volunteers in South America, we recommend that you speak a basic to intermediate level of Spanish. Volunteers in South America are only required to speak a basic level of Spanish. However, we find that the ability to speak a good level will greatly enhance your overall experience. English is generally not widely. Consequently, if you do not speak a reasonable level of Spanish, you may find it difficult to communicate. This may make your experience frustrating.

 

All participants must be able to provide a clean criminal background check in advance of volunteering with us abroad. In general, no formal experience or qualifications are required for the projects, just lots of energy, enthusiasm and preparation!

 

In order to confirm your place on a PMGY program, you need to pay your Registration Fee of 249 USD. The remaining fee is then due no less than 60 days prior to your program start date. During this period if you need to make a change to your trip (destination, program or date) then this can be facilitated free of charge.

 
Please check out our Application Process for more info on how to join our volunteer projects overseas