Description

Peru is a fantastic place to spend time volunteering or interning on an international medical placement in South America. Volunteering on a Medicine & Healthcare project in Peru can be done as part of a college summer break, a gap year, a career-break, or during a vacation. As a Medicine & Healthcare volunteer you will gain a great deal of valuable work-experience alongside some of the most skilled doctors in the country. The facilities are generally of a decent standard, on a par with many hospitals in the west.

Whether you are a student joining us before going to a dental school, or already have dental knowledge and experience, the doctors and dentists in Peru are eager for you to be involved. Enthusiasm and a willingness to learn - and also to help staff with their duties - will ensure that your experience is second to none.

The children will often have some English language skills but there is always lots of room for improvement. Your most important resource is yourself; your knowledge and your interests, so be sure to draw on them whenever possible. To do so will greatly enhance both your students and your own experience.

Local teachers are often very capable at providing their students with a good structural knowledge of English - the grammar and the vocabulary - but, having had very little conversational English practice themselves, they often lack the confidence to get the children speaking English. Once you are able to break down this barrier, however, you are likely to find that students and teachers alike will be able to make rapid progress.

Dental internships in Peru take place in health centers and clinics in Cuzco. Our supervising dentists are happy for interns to get involved, regardless of how much experience you have. However, it is important that you are eager to learn and speak intermediate Spanish.

Highlights

Peru is the perfect place to immerse yourself in South American life while you're volunteering abroad. In the towns you can sample local foods and delicacies and you may even find yourself celebrating your birthday with Cuy - guinea pig - as the main dish!

From Urubamba it's easy to visit Cuzco and Machu Picchu. You can also go rafting on the Urubamba River or see traditional Andean theater and dance. If you're seeking thrills of an adrenaline-driven nature, venture into the Andes, which offer some of the best mountain-climbing and trekking opportunities on the planet. Take a weekend trip to explore the enigmatic Nazca Lines, or enjoy a boat ride on Lake Titicaca, the world's highest lake.

Puerto Maldonado is a dynamic young town, home to 25,000 people. On your days off from the Rainforest Project, as well as taking the boat back to enjoy life in a frontier town, you may have the opportunity to take a river trip to the Sandoval Lake where you can enjoy fishing, wildlife watching or just meeting with the locals.

Although Peru is a great gateway to the rest of South America, there are so many rich things to see within the country itself that you may not ever want to venture over its borders! It's a magical melting pot of different cultures, stunning scenery and bio-diversity.

Qualifications

Intermediate level of spoken Spanish.

Intern Types

• Medicine

Languages

• English
• Spanish

Cost in US$:

Please go to our website for prices.

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Health
• Health Care
• Health Education
• Medicine

Typical Volunteer

Open-minded with a willingness to travel.

Age Range

16-80

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Home-stays

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups of 2-5

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Typically The Application Process Time is

10 days

Post Services Include

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement

As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded

1992