Volunteer or Intern in a Medical Clinic in Peru

I had a really good time and it was really fun. It was hard to get me into the correct hospital but I understand it was due to change in directors. The staff was very welcoming and helpful but I wish I had more of a connection with the interns themselves.

I had an amazing experience volunteering with VivePeru. The staff and homestay were very welcoming, and I had plenty of opportunities to explore my career interests. When something didn’t go as planned, it was clear that the staff went out of their way to find new opportunities. Overall, I highly recommend this program to people interested in global volunteering and medicine.

Volunteering with Vive Peru has been one of the best decisions I have taken in my life. Since day 1 of the program, the coordinators and staff are dedicates to your well being and cultural immersion in a new country. You are exposed to different aspects of the culture that allows you to develop a sense of appreciation for it. Working at the clinical site opened my mind to develop clinical thinking skills and taught me valuable lessons on how it is to practice medicine in an under-resourced setting, on how to deliver compassionate care and exposed me to the basics on how to make independent clinical decisions.

I was recently in Peru during the end of December and beginning of January for 2 weeks. I was able to experience the rich culture, kind people, and different living conditions of Trujillo, Peru. I was also observing medical clinics/hospitals daily. The staff of the program were very helpful, structured, and kind. My home stay was amazing as well (and probably my favorite part because of the Peruvian food). All in all it was a 10/10 experience.

It is a great experience to learn about the culture, improve your Spanish, acquire medical knowledge, and meet amazing people. I loved that I got over my fear of speaking Spanish and spoke to the locals.

It was nice and I feel like I learned alot from this experience. I enjoyed learning about the Peruvian culture and the language. The people you meet are very nice aswell. Made some friends so its good.

Vive Peru was a wonderful experience because I was able to meet and interact with wonderful people. I learned a bit about cultural values, education, food, and family life. I learned a lot of Spanish as well! My program involved shadowing doctors to gain clinical experience for about seven hours a day. Students can select what specialties or areas of medicine they are interested in learning about, and program directors work very hard to connect students with local hospitals in those fields. Because I was in Peru at a time with fewer volunteers, each student had a translator assigned to him or her which helped facilitate the shadowing experience. It was very friendly, safe, and lots of fun. Students also have opportunities to participate in weekend trips to interesting sites and cities. These trips were always exciting, although they were less immersive because I spent more time with American students.

I really enjoyed my time with Vive Peru. I was able to stay in a beautiful home with good amenities and food. I also got the opportunity to shadow physicians alongside a translator to learn more about the medical system in Peru and improve my medical knowledge. I also got to teach kids English which was a rewarding experience.

This program is well connected with several health clinics, and is scheduled in a way that you can make it the way you want it to be. I had a great time in the clinics, watching surgeries, campaigns, and working with the public health project. In our free time we would explore Trujillo shops, cafes, and the night life. Over weekends we visited beautiful cities nearby as well. Overall it was a great program and I’ll definitely recommend it.

Based on your goals as a volunteer, Vive Perú does their best to accommodate you. I volunteered as a US medical student for my global health rotation. Overall this was a great exposure to the medical system and a great opportunity to meet and work with Peruvian health professionals. There were other aspects included in the program, including teaching English to kids and a medical Spanish course.

Great rotation for clinical experience for pre-meds or 1st/2nd year medical students. Incredible homestay and felt integrated into life in Trujillo. Vive Peru staff were so helpful and the translators were great in the clinical settings

A summer in Peru with Vive Peru was an eye-opening experience. It's an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in a different culture, especially in the healthcare setting. It's also a great way to learn Spanish on the fly and make new friends along the way! We had an amazing host mom who took great care of us and made sure we were safe and enjoying all the Peru had to offer. Peru is a beautiful country and I definitely recommend participating in an experience like this!

loved Vive Peru and the coordinators! the whole trip was a very independent experience and you were able to really submerse yourself into the city. it was truly an unforgettable experience and i’ve been planning on my return trip to Peru.

Participating in the Vive Peru program was so rewarding! I not only got to learn about the Peruvian health care system but also the culture in a way that would not have been possible without the program. Getting to live with a host family helped expose me first-hand to the culture and language of the country. This program helped immerse me into the history and culture of Perú by organizing events for the volunteers to go to. When I first joined the program I thought it would exclusively be a shadowing experience but was surprised at how open the medical staff were at letting me participate in patient evaluations and other activities. Overall I was really happy with the 5 weeks I spent in Perú!

Vive Peru taught me so so much about the Peruvian healthcare system as well as the Peruvian culture and history. I felt like I became part of the community here and will carry the memory of these 5 weeks with me forever.

I came to Peru not knowing much about the country. While I have been here I have not only learned about this country and the culture, but also so much about medicine. We interact with the locals every day and help with their care. Shadowing and helping so many different doctors in different specialties gave me a good view on what I think I might want to go into in the future. Working with teaching the kids English too was so fun, and the kids were the sweetest ever.

During my time in Perú, I had the opportunity to experience the medical system and learn a lot from different rotations and physicians. Also, I was able to emerge in the community and feel part of the locals. My host family was very welcoming and always made me feel like at home.

Viveperu surpassed all my expectations for a summer medical internship. I had access to view surgeries and procedures that I could never before, even as a nursing student in the US. I was able to learn and practice medical skills such as vaccinations, sutures, triage, and IV insertion. I have gained an immense amount of knowledge from the kind Viveperu staff and partner doctors and nurses. The hospitals we were placed in were very accepting and allowed us full access to all specialties. This program is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would 100% recommend if you are looking for hands on medical experience where you learn by DOING.

Vive Peru puts together an excellent program! I was able to learn, observe, and practice skills in a hospital environment, which would not be possible in the United States at my current level in school. I always felt safe while also getting to challenge myself in a different country with a different language and a different healthcare system. My days were filled with shadowing doctors in the hospitals, putting on vaccination campaigns, community campaigns, practicing Spanish, medical classes, and interacting with the kind and caring people of Peru. I am so grateful for this experience and will never forget it!

I got to spend two months in Peru living with a host family and gaining experience in the medical field through visiting different hospitals and clinics. I also got to volunteer in different health campaigns and other public health opportunities. I loved the experience overall and feel that I really got to know the Peruvian culture and learn more about Spanish and the medical field.