Are you a qualified doctor, registered nurse or work in the healthcare industry? Do you have experience in nursing, medicine, obstetrics, midwifery or an area like dentistry? Or are you a budding med student looking to gain some real hands-on field work experience or join a medical elective?
Volunteer organisations are seeking both qualified and pre-qualified healthcare and medical volunteers to join medical based programs in developing countries around the world.
During these placements, you will get first hand experience in dealing with illnesses that you may not get in a lifetime of working at home – a real chance to put your own skills and knowledge to the test!
Become a volunteer and help where you are so desperately needed.
Best Medical Programs
- Dental
- Nursing
- Mental Health
- Paramedics
- Midwifery
- HIV/AIDS
- Physical Therapy
- Pharmacy
Popular Places to Help
There are health and medical opportunities around the world, especially in the following countries: Cambodia, Cameroon, Ecuador, Ghana, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.
Medical Electives
Medical elective projects are open to medical students and nursing students only. This is a challenging and worthwhile option especially if you are seeking medical work experience in the international healthcare sector. Students can be placed to work helping communities within rural health programmes alongside health professionals from all disciplines.
Expect to participate in an interesting and varied programme, consisting of a variety of types of care. In Africa, predominantly the focus is on HIV prevention and support, TB support, drug adherence support, family health, chronic disease care, child and OVC care and support for vulnerable people.
Use the skills that you have for the benefit of others, as well as simultaneously extending your own learning, through hospital placements and medical volunteering. It has been found that medical and nursing students who opt to take a medical elective abroad, in a different country and culture later use the experience to enrich their professional conduct and practice.
These programs will help with broadening your perspective to different kinds of models of care, working on an interdisciplinary healthcare team and, of course, working with vulnerable populations.
Alternatively, if you are a student studying medicine, nursing, biomedical science, physiotherapy or occupational therapy, why not join a summer scheme. This is open to students from all disciplines, regardless of year of study and provides an excellent opportunity for learning and experiencing healthcare in countries like South Africa that will inform your practise in the future.
Summer schemes are also available and open to students from all years.
Work Experience Observing and Assisting Local Medical Professionals
Observing and assisting local medical professionals helps provide much needed health services to the community. Health clinics and hospitals, often with limited resources, offer services to low-income populations at minimal or no cost. Local health professionals appreciate your presence and the extra pair of hands to assist them.
Volunteer work may include changing bandages, taking blood pressure, weighing babies, and providing education about basic health and nutrition. Volunteer work may also be shadowing health practitioners in their work and exchanging ideas and experiences.
The cultural exchange even extends to teaching English. Simply by being there, your presence provides them with a sense of solidarity for their work. Your volunteer work will vary based on your level of knowledge and experience in the field of health, your fluency in the local language, and also the customs of the country where you are volunteering.
Requirements
Is it important that volunteers have at least some experience in a health and medical related field, as your level of involvement will be directly related to your level of experience.
How to Apply
To apply to any of these amazing volunteer programs, simply search our featured opportunities and complete an online application form. Someone will usually get back to you within 24 hours, it’s that easy! If you would simply like to know more about health and medical volunteer programs, you can contact us.