Medical Volunteer Programs in 14 countries

My first solo trip, first time trying crowdfunding, first time sitting on a motorcycle with 2 other people, first time making chapati, first time vaccinating people, first time helping with delivery of a newborn, etc. There are too many "first times" for me to mention them all, but in conclusion, this was the best trip ever! I have never felt unsafe at any one time during the trip and had received a lot of kindness from the people there (be it the locals or other volunteers). The experiences during my medical programme were amazing and exceeded my expectations! I think that I would never get a chance to have so much hands-on experience ever. I have made so much friends and memories in just 2 weeks and definitely looking forward to the next trip with IVHQ.

P.S. A tip from me would be to travel alone as it would be easier for you to open up and make more friends instead of staying in your clique.

As my first time volunteering abroad I felt extremely supported through the application and preparation process. My emails were answered in a timely fashion and all of the staff were very pleasant to deal with. Upon arrival into Uganda, I was picked up at the airport and taken to the volunteer house where I was given a brief tour and settled to bed. Orientation covered everything needed and I was given every opportunity to ask questions.
My placement at the health center was amazing. It truly was such a rewarding experience and truly made me feel fulfilled. Interacting with the local people was at times difficult, because of the language barrier, but the language lessons provided by IVHQ were very helpful.

I felt very supported throughout my time in Uganda. IVHQ arranged everything, making transport to and from placement easy. We volunteered until about 2pm every day so I felt that I had a good amount of free time to explore the country and town. IVHQ also gave us the opportunity to arrange tours on the weekend if we wanted to view other places in Uganda. At the end of my placement, one of the staff members even drove me to the airport. Working with IVHQ was extremely easy and I can't wait to plan another trip with them sometime soon. I never wanted to leave Uganda!! It was so amazing and so rewarding and the people were absolutely lovely!

Ho Chi Minh is a great city to explore and the people here are amazing. The hospital I volunteered at is full of nice people and the patients are locals who you really do want to get better. They are currently building a more up to date hospital next door, but this hospital certainly has its charms, but also a few drawbacks. The 2-week program was great as we were able to learn about Vietnam and explore.

My experience in Argentina has had positives and negatives but overall had been a great experience. The staff here is incredible, and I really felt at home during these past 6 weeks. I have made such amazing new friends that I will continue to keep in contact with throughout my life. I have also had the opprotunity to see many wonderful places around Cordoba, as well as many other beautiful places around Argentina. My ability to understand and speak Spanish has also improved so much during my time here. One negative aspect of my experience was the impact I contributed within the community. I am a nurse at home and wanted to help with the healthcare project here. I felt at times I wasn´t able to use all my skills as a nurse within the clinic and hospital I worked in. The staff at these places were wonderful and I love bonding with them and the patients, but I felt like I wasn´t very helpful, which was frustrating at times. I would reccommend the healthcare program to nursing students or pre-med students who have a fairly good understanding of Spanish. It would be a very difficult placement if you don´t know Spanish and it isn´t ideal for licensed healthcare professionals since it isn´t very hands on.

During one of our medical campaigns I was introduced to the sweetest child who with just her tiny smile changed my life. You see this little girl was born without a palate and was able to survive in a remote town without proper medical care. She had some additional birth defects but cognitively appeared normal. You could see she was loved and happy and her mother and all the other children treated her no differently because of her appearance. As this little girl walked out of our remote clinic and I said "hasta luego, Wendy" I realized that just by the virtue of your birthplace a simple surgery to fix the cleft palate is not considered or more importantly not available. I began to wonder what was going to happen to this sweet angel and my eyes began to well up. I spent the rest of the day feeling as if I should intervene in some way but the thought of separating this child for even one moment didn't seem fair. Every time I think of Wendy I have to put my sunglasses on but I thank her for changing my life!

As it was my first time travelling overseas alone I was very apprehensive about it, however volunteering was the best decision I made!! Prior to leaving IVHQ offered a lot of support and the information they provided covered everything I needed to know. The local company we worked with once in Peru were also great, they were very supportive and the orientation was extremely helpful. The accommodation was excellent, the food was delicious and there was always more than enough, we were provided drinking water and the facilities were always clean. It was a great way to meet new people and I feel I have made life long friends even though we live on opposite sides of the world. At my placement the nurses were welcoming and it was a very eye opening experience for me. Due to my spanish not being very good I feel it was a bit of a language barrier to doing more at the project, however I was warned of this by IVHQ prior to leaving and I expected it. The patients were very grateful for my help, which made me feel like it was all worth it! My only regret is not volunteering for longer!

It was great to go into the hospital placement and be able to have a connection with not only the children but also the parents. I remember I once was with a father and his disabled son and as soon as the kid was having fun and happy playing with me the father run off to have a shower, do washing and get lunch. It was such a great feeling to know that your not only helping the kids but also helping the parents.

I volunteered at the national hospital of accupunture in Hanoi Vietnam. The experience was eye opening and overall unreal. Each day I would play with the kids and massage them, which is part of their treatment plans. It was evident the parents were extremely greatful for our help, which I witnessed even more so as a family who I had been working with for a while invited me back to their home for a meal in my last week. I believe this is a rare experience and if ever offered should be grasped immediately as it truely was amazing. Throughout my time I had many great experiences, however this one stood out for me. I will run it down. To begin I was picked up on motorbike from the hospital after placement and we rode 20 minutes to pick her children up from school, which then we returned to their home. I felt like a queen as the prepared the most extravagant traditional Vietnamese meal for me. All th family including extended family attended, where we shared a beautiful meal as they expressed how truely greatful they were for my help. After several hours I returned home on a motorbike, (which is a lot of fun) and they provided my with a huge bag full of fruit and drawings from the kids, which was truly touching.