PreMed Student Volunteering

Volunteering as a premedical student with OGVO was an extremely worthwhile and enlightening experience. As an inexperienced Westerner, the tasks and duties for which I was responsible were challenging, educational and ultimately very rewarding.

I learned a huge amount not just about the science and practice of medicine in a resource-challenged clinic, but I also learned about the strength, kindness and resilience of people living under difficult circumstances.

I will never forget the warm smiles and conversations with my colleagues and patients, which we had on a daily basis. I will never forget that wonderful feeling of being able to actually, really, help somebody, and see them through to recovery. I will never forget the look on an infant's face the moment it is born, and peers out into the world for the first time in its life. These were just some of the incredible highlights of my time volunteering with OGVO.

While I also faced many difficulties - such as the language/cultural barrier, pollution, lack of funding and resources, and personal differences among staff and patients - I would unequivocally recommend volunteering through OGVO and consider it an absolute must for anybody considering joining the medical profession (or any profession, really).