Dental Elective Internships in Peru For Dental Students

Taking part in this 2-week medical volunteering service trip in Cusco, Peru was a great experience for both myself and my friend. The clinic we worked at is located in a poor area near Cusco, where our help was much needed and appreciated. We helped out with both simpler tasks as well as more complex ones such as cleaning wounds, removing stitches, and giving shots. As pre-med students this served as a great introduction to medicine and work in a hospital. Cusco is also a great city with a lot of places to see and things to do. The family we stayed with was very welcoming and the local coordinator very helpful.

The entire volunteering trip to Cusco, Peru was a wonderful experience. I was able to enjoy it both at a professional and personal level. The professional aspect of working with all the staff at the Anta Clinic really gave me first hand experience with the difficulties and joys of medicine. Interactions with grateful patients and helpful instruction by the staff made me solidify my love for medicine and healthcare. On a personal level, I enjoyed spending the rest of my time with the other volunteers. Seeing and hanging out withh different people from around the world really gave me some amazing new friendships I hope to cherish.

Unforgettable experience that was not akways easy, but was worth it. Was met at airport by Kelly, with Volsol, who got us to our host home via taxi. My friend and I could already tell we did not know enough Spanish. Our host home was nice and comfortable and we loved our host “mom” Elizabeth and her daughter, Karla. Jenny led the orientation, as she is the coordinator for all the programs in Cusco. We started work at the medical clinic the next day. I was able to work in triage and with a general practitioner, and spent one day in Pediatrics. Weekends were spent exploring the beautiful country of Peru. It was cold, and there’s no heat anywhere, which was hard for me and my friend. We struggled to communicate with taxi drivers and started using Taxidatum, which helped. The tour company ExploorPeru was excellent and had a little problem with InkaTime, but Jenny assisted us. Overall a great experience!

Cusco is an amazing place to volunteer in. It gives an unfiltered view of many cultures, between the ancient Inca Empire, the Hispanic culture, and the modernizing of an up-and-coming city. It features a host of tourism sites, and as such people are used to foreigners and generally are kind and open if you know some Spanish and communicate with them. I think I'll always appreciate Hispanic and South American cultures for "what they are" and how awesome they can be because of the experiences I had in Peru.