Pre Medical / Pre Dental
Are you an undergraduate student in the healthcare field who is looking for ways that you can support other countries and give back to those who are most in need? Support our charity work while gaining valuable lessons and training from local licensed medical providers. Founded on the principles of integrity, respect, and commitment, A Broader View provides a safe and mutually beneficial experience where students can make a meaningful contribution to disadvantaged populations throughout the world.
Healthcare student volunteers are based on community clinics, homes for children with special needs, pediatrics departments, global health outreach projects and with hearing impaired children..
Work along-side and observe medical procedures which are not common in the USA. Learn to implement techniques under supervision and gain real-world experience in the health field. Our pre-health student volunteers are involved in:
- Supporting therapy needs for special needs children and adults
- Working within residential centers
- Offering early stimulation therapy
- Providing rehabilitation therapy support
- Working with cleaning and feeding patients
- Assisting with non-evasive dental procedures
- Observing extractions and minor oral surgery
- Learn to take vital signs
- Learn CPR/Teach CPR
- Participate in health outreach sessions (hygiene)
- Observing minor surgery and childbirth
Students who travel with A Broader View are usually placed at hospitals and clinics in rural or suburban areas where there is a shortness of staff. You will work under the supervision of professional doctors, nurses as well as support staff and assist them in the treatment of patients. Being a part of our A Broader View projects will teach you more about the healthcare scenario and how underprivileged people still suffer in the developing world.
+ What dental, nursing and medical student volunteer abroad programs are available?
| ABV Program | Pre-Med | Nursing Student | Medical Student | Dental Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ecuador | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Nepal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tanzania | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Peru | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Guatemala | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Honduras | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vietnam | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
- Details
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Volunteer Costa Rica If you are an undergraduate studying biology, chemistry or any of the sciences and are considering a career in medicine this is the ideal program for you. You will have an opportunity to see what life as a healthcare professional will be like. Having this experience is a great way to strengthen your application to medical/nursing/PA school.
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Volunteer in Ghana and support the community efforts to eradicate poor health conditions and poverty. Poverty causes poor health in that without proper resources, treatable diseases such as diarrhea, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and others contribute to disability and mortality within Ghana.
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- Hits: 17031
Volunteer in Ecuador, this is a non-profit medical institution whose mission is to improve health, education and welfare of children and low income people in Quito; through training, low-cost health programs and promotion of socio economic assistance to help solve the problems of the neediest.
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Volunteer in Nepal a dental internship in Kathmandu offers dental students and undergraduates the opportunity to shadow, learn and enhance their dental knowledge by observing a variety of dental procedures. Internship hours are approximately 35 hours a week, leaving free time on the weekends to explore this fascinating city and surroundings. Interns are based in a large dental hospital in Kathmandu which focuses services on the poor, marginalized and destitute people of the community.
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- Hits: 19736
Volunteer in Ecuador, this is a public hospital that offers the best instrumentation and technology of all public hospitals in Quito. The hospital specializes in providing dental health care services. Within the hospital is the general dental area with two different patient assistance rooms and has there dentists. In the near future, the hospital will be expanding the number of patient rooms in order to serve many more people.
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Volunteers Costa Rica are needed and welcome at this transitional shelter for children with chronic illness. The care center can accommodate 25 children, most of whom suffer from burns, healing from a transplant, awaiting surgery or are being treated for chronic disease. Patients from the National Children’s hospital are referred here to avoid prolonged hospitalization, and also provide housing for those coming from rural areas.
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Volunteer in Nepal, this program is recommended for trained medical and nursing professionals, as well as student nurses, PA students and medical students. In this program volunteers learn firsthand the reality of the medical challenges in a developing country. Volunteers have observed in the surgery ward, helping with changing bandages, assisted with wound care, shadowed on rounds in emergency and maternity areas.
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Volunteer Honduras: Undergraduate students (medical, global health, nursing) are welcome to join our health-related projects in La Ceiba, Honduras. These projects not only provide a hands-on learning opportunity in universal health care practices, you will also make a lasting impact on this Honduran community.
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- Hits: 28017
As a pre-medical or pre-nursing undergradute this is an excellent opportunity to assist in a medical center. Gain universal knowledge and experience in your future career path. Volunteer with a local foundation that believes in the physical recovery of all individuals, offering rehabilitation to all people from the Guatemalan community. They offer physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy and special education to children and adults. Patients are disabled from for example car accidents, but also from birth with Down-syndrome, autism, or birth related brain damage.
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- Hits: 37311
Volunteer Peru, Many of Cusco’s medical and dental facilities are critically understaffed and underfunded. The hospitals are overburdened with patients, many of whom have illnesses preventable by basic hygiene and healthy living practices. International medical volunteers fill a necessary gap.
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- Hits: 23902
Volunteer in Ecuador, this is a unique health care internship program in the north of Quito which provides free services to the poor patients with more than 300 beds available for hospitalization. First Aid Course before the start of the program, given by a health care professional with experience. Participants will learn: take vital signs, blood sampling, suturing wounds and more (theory and practice). The course is “optional”, an extra unique cost of $50 paid in country to the coordinator.
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Volunteer in Kibaha, East Tanzania. Currently enrolled medical students, student nurses and dental students are welcome and needed at a charitable health center in the Kibaha District Council, the capital of Pwani Region, located 40 miles west of Dar Es Salaam. The center provides health services in a community of 26,000.
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- Hits: 17365
Volunteer Costa Rica For many people in Costa Rica basic dental health needs are unaffordable. Local people rely on public clinics (not private expensive care) for their dental needs. As you can imagine the number of patients can outweigh the means of the local dental staff. Our volunteers, those interested or currently enrolled in dental school, are welcome to volunteer in one of these public clinics. Not only is this is great hands on learning experience, you will be helping the local dental staff with their overworked schedules.
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Volunteer in Tanzania at a medical center based in Arusha focused on supporting children afflicted with HIV/AIDs. This program is helping hundreds of families living with HIV/Aids and those suffering from malnutrition. Working with a local grassroots organization you will see how one person can truly help and change the life of someone in need.
Volunteer Information
Volunteer Schedule
Day One: Our local coordinator/staff will give you an orientation and will accompany you to your program. You will be shown how to manage the commute (bus, taxi, walking). You will be introduced to the site director and discuss your role at the project. Volunteers typically work a morning and an afternoon shift each lasting about 3-5 hours.
Weekdays: A typical volunteer day is as follows:
- 7:30 AM Breakfast at the volunteer house/homestay.
- 8:00 AM Volunteers depart, and travel to their project site.
- 8:30 AM to 13:00 PM Volunteer work and a lunch break.
- 14:00 PM to 17:00 PM Language lessons or afternoon volunteer work.
- 18:30-19:30 PM Dinner at the volunteer house/homestay.
Note: This is an example schedule. Volunteer work hours can vary depending on the program and the location.
Evenings: For peace of mind and to ensure the well-being of our volunteers, a nightly curfew of 21:30PM is in place from Sunday to Thursday. Curfew is set at 12:00AM for Friday and Saturday. (All volunteers must comply with their home country’s legal drinking age).
Communication While Overseas
Volunteers have several ways to stay in touch with their family/friends back home and with the ABV local staff while they are overseas. All city/urban program locations have access to internet/cyber cafes which typically charge hourly rates ($1-$2). The majority of ABV guesthouses, homestays have WIFI access (fees apply), and have land line telephone numbers. Even rural program locations have mobile phone service, and small towns nearby with internet facilities. All ABV staff use mobile phones to stay in contact with their volunteers.
Before traveling volunteers should contact their mobile phone provider and ask about international call/texting plans. Volunteers should consider buying a portable wifi device (especially in rural locations). If planning on traveling with your own mobile phone volunteers should look at apps like Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp to stay connected through messenger or short calls home. Volunteers can rent a wireless phone or buy a cheap throwaway phone once they arrive in-country. In some locations you can do that for less than $50. In fact, your regular carrier may even offer overseas rentals. ABV local staff will assist you and show you where to purchase SIM cards.
Once you arrive in-country and settled in, our ABV staff will help you contact home to let someone know you arrived safely. All volunteers are also given an emergency phone number on their Volunteer Guide/summary, which is available 24/7 to contact ABV staff.
When can I travel?
Easy. Choose the dates that work best for you. Although some programs have date restrictions the majority of our volunteer programs are available year round. Volunteers select their own program start date and complete an online application. Once you have been accepted and dates approved, ABV will ask you to confirm your registration by paying a us$120 included in the overall fee.
Safety and Security
The safety of our volunteers is paramount for A Broader View Volunteers. The majority of ABV Volunteers travel and serve without major incident. However, programs are based in some of the least developed countries and in some of the most remote areas in the world, health, safety, and security risks are an unavoidable part of life and international service. To address these concerns and to safeguard the well-being of our program participants, A Broader View has safety protocols and security procedures for all programs:
- Security: All project sites, local in-country staff and accommodation sites have gone through a rigorous filter and have been hand selected. ABV has spent almost 17 years cultivating and strengthening of our local partnerships & host family relationships. In-country staff visits, daily research of local conditions, as well as weekly checkup of our host families and accommodations are conducted. Site selection is based on criteria including; access to medical, banking, postal, and other essential services; access to communication, transportation, and local markets; availability of adequate housing and living arrangements.
- Pre-Departure Guide: Your ABV account will have a detailed volunteer guide. Volunteers are provided country information, packing lists, customs and language information, and much more. ABV also provides information about visa requirements, vaccinations, climate, weather, and safety and security issues specific to the country.
- Volunteer Summary: A full month before traveling volunteers are provided a detailed account of their volunteer project (including supply/donation list), arrival procedures, emergency contact information, accommodation details and the full name, phone and email of their local ABV Coordinator.
- Overseas Staff and communication: Our local staff support is immeasurable in their professionalism and dedication to the volunteers under their charge. The majority of ABV staff coordinators have been involved since the very start (over 11 years) and are well experienced handling the unexpected such as situations where volunteer students become ill, suffer accidents, are the victims of pick pockets. ABV staff is trained to react in a responsible and levelheaded way when emergencies do arise. They will do whatever is necessary to assure this, whether this means obtaining prompt and appropriate medical attention, embassy intervention or local authorities.
- Host Families and accommodations: Our local volunteer guesthouses, onsite project dorms and host families have been hand-picked. A Broader View accommodation have specific standards for the hygiene, cleanliness, location and comfortable living conditions for our volunteers. Telephone access is available 24/7 and most sites have internet access. Volunteers have to follow the curfew of the host accommodation.
- Arrival Meeting/Orientation: ABV programs provide a customized arrival plan. We can arrange your arrival/pick up at the airport, bus station or local hotel. Start your program with peace of mind, having the local ABV staff meeting you when you arrive in-country. Volunteers are provided orientation before starting their program. Orientation schedules vary from country to country but will include acclimation tours of the local town/city, accommodation neighborhood, geolocation map description, program location, main interesting points in the city or area. Emergency and medical protocols will be discussed and also address safety and security issues specific to the community volunteers live and work in.
- Every staff member of A Broader View is committed to providing volunteers with the support they need to successfully meet the challenges they will face to have a safe, healthy, and productive service. The success of each ABV volunteer is our prime goal. We rely on volunteers to exercise personal responsibility and demonstrate both a keen awareness of the world around them and a willingness to adjust their behavior in a manner that will enhance their safety and well-being. In the end, your efforts will be rewarded with an incredible, unique experience.
The emergency lines are staffed by an A Broader View:
- Communicate late/missed/flight connections during travel days
- Notify a Volunteer of an emergency (e.g. critical illness or death of a family member)
- Respond to family questions about a Volunteer's status (if problem occurring in-country)
ABV in a nut shell
- 501 (c)3 nonprofit USA based organization – you can tax deduct the program fees.
- Available year-round. You choose your own program start and end dates.
- 32 country locations to choose from. Programs available from 1 week up to 3 months in length.
- 245 perfectly balanced projects - experience, price, service.
- 100% cultural immersion including local home-stay and guesthouse accommodations.
- Program fees include airport transportation, orientation, housing/meals, 24/7 in-country support.
- Suitable options for solo travelers, gap year, honeymooners, families, mature travelers & groups.
- Excellent safety record and Platinum rated non-profit organization per Guidestar ABV alumni reviews.
- Between 1500-2000 volunteer per year with a high percentage of repeat volunteers.
"Volunteering to provide medical and dental care here in La Ceiba Honduras was one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of my life. The people here really need the care and the equipment that we donated. It was also rewarding being able to perform and teach some extremely useful Oral & Maxillofacial surgical procedures on the patients and doctors working here (respectively). I would highly recommend doing this program here in La Ceiba Honduras to anyone.."
Dr. Nicholas Gadler
Medicine and Dental, Medicine in Honduras
How may we help you?!
Our staff has extensive travel and volunteer abroad experience. We have the answers to all your questions about volunteering with ABV. We can customize any of our programs to your needs and dates.
Call/chat with our team members:
(1) 215 780 1845 [email protected]