11 Recommended Pre-Med Volunteering Programs Abroad For 2024 -2025

If you are a pre-med student wondering how to gain first-hand work experience, then we have the perfect medical volunteering programs to offer you. Volunteering Solutions provides the best and affordable projects in 11 countries including the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Tanzania, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Peru and Costa Rica. Travel and be a part of a pre-med volunteering project in 2024 and gain international work experience that’ll immensely benefit your career as well as give you an opportunity to serve the underprivileged societies in these developing countries.

The pre-med students who join as volunteers are usually placed at hospitals and clinics in rural or suburban areas where there’s inadequate staff. You’ll mostly work under the supervision of professional doctors, nurses as well as support staff and assist them in the treatment of patients. Being a part of any of these projects will teach you more about the healthcare scenario and how underprivileged people still suffer in the Third World Countries.

1. MEDICAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN CAMBODIA

• Pre-med students can opt for the volunteering program in the capital city of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and work at the local city hospitals and clinics.
• It’ll be an incredible opportunity to gain first-hand work experience by shadowing the professionals.
• The minimum age to participate in this project is 18 years.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 2 weeks to a maximum of 6 months.

 

2. MEDICAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN SRI LANKA

 

• The Premedical Volunteering project is based in Galle in Southern Sri Lanka.
• This project caters to volunteers who do not have any formal medical or nursing background, either through prior education or experience.
• The project is ideal for participants who have an interest in discovering the medical or nursing field to see if they would like to pursue it as a potential career in the future.
• Volunteers can expect to gain a broad-based understanding of how these sectors work through a range of observation-based practical learning experiences across various wards and units in a hospital and/or clinic setting, as well as through select community projects.
• Volunteers get to interact with local doctors and nurses and contribute to the day-to-day running of the facilities.
• Participants get to do sightseeing on weekends and get involved with different activities with other volunteers in the program.

 

3. MEDICAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN VIETNAM

• Pre-med, medical and nursing students joining the medical volunteering project in Vietnam will be placed at healthcare centers in Ho Chi Minh City.
• As a medical volunteer, you’ll get to work with children and adults suffering from cerebral palsy, down syndrome, congenital motor system deformity and other disabilities.
• If you are a student of Physiotherapy, then you’ll get to work at the Centre for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation of Disabled.
• Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 2 weeks to a maximum of 6 months.

 

4. RURAL MEDICAL VOLUNTEERING IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Being a volunteer for this project, you will get the opportunity to work in under-funded clinics based in the rural areas outside Tacloban City.
• You’ll be working with the doctors and clinical staff, mostly shadowing them while they handle the regular healthcare activities.
• You can also organize free check-up camps and treat the people – it’ll be a really impactful step for the underprivileged ones living there.
• Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 4 weeks to a maximum of 6 months.

 

5. HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEERING PROJECT IN PERU

• One of the most popular projects, it’ll be a perfect opportunity for pre-med students to spend time in the heritage city of Cusco while working at a hospital/ healthcare center or clinic.
• Under the guidance of the professionals, you’ll have to carry out several tasks like suturing wounds, giving vaccinations etc.
  Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 2 weeks to a maximum of 6 months.

Read more about the experience of Daniela Juarez Meza, who volunteered with us in Cusco, Peru.

 

6. HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN COSTA RICA

• Being a developing country with inadequate healthcare facilities, Costa Rica needs professional volunteers to take proper care of the patients. However, pre-med students can volunteer at the small private and semi-private clinics and pharmacies and gain international work experience.
• By working with professionals, you’ll get t learn a lot about how to handle emergency cases. You can also hold campaigns to inform the people about the most common diseases and how to prevent them.
• The minimum age to participate in this project is 18 years.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 1 week to a maximum of 6 months.

 

7. MEDICAL VOLUNTEER PROJECTS IN KENYA

• Living in unhygienic and poor conditions lead to widespread diseases in Kenya. Moreover, the ones dwelling in the slums and suburban areas of Nairobi don’t get proper healthcare facilities. The participation of volunteers is highly appreciated in this region.
• The main aim of the volunteers should be to improve the medical facilities and make it accessible to more people so that no one suffers from diseases and gets proper treatment.
• Apart from that, you can explore the Maasai villages and see how people still live a life, away from all the glamour and glitz of the developed world.
• The minimum age to participate in this project is 18 years.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 1 week to a maximum of 6 months.

 

8. HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM IN TANZANIA

• Healthcare Volunteering Program is available in 2 locations in Tanzania – Arusha, and Zanzibar.
• This project is particularly meant for those pre-med, medical and nursing students who are looking for hands-on experience and overseas medical work exposure.
• Volunteers need to be actively involved in the daily procedures of the hospital, taking rounds of the wards, maintaining files, etc.
• The minimum age to participate in this project is 18 years.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 1 week to a maximum of 6 months.

Read more about the experience of Anindita Bhateja, who volunteered with us in Arusha, Tanzania.

 

9. MEDICAL VOLUNTEER PROJECT IN GHANA

• Due to extreme poverty, many people in Ghana still don’t receive the basic healthcare facilities that can be considered as a human right. Volunteering Solutions, in cooperation with local clinic and hospitals, aims to provide as much support as possible to these people, through the help of the volunteers.
• It would be a learning journey for all pre-med and medical students as you’ll get to work along with doctors, nurses and local staff in hospitals and community clinics in different locations across Ghana.
• Pre-med students will get to assist the local doctors and staff in doing basic tasks such as checking weight and temperature of the patients, cleaning & suturing wounds and also manage administrative tasks in the placement.
• The minimum age to participate in this project is 18 years.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 1 week to a maximum of 6 months.

 

10. MEDICAL VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM IN UGANDA

• For pre-med volunteers, working in Uganda will be an enriching experience and you can choose from a wide range of departments, including Radiology, Dental, Pediatric, Surgery, Maternity, OPD etc.
• You’ll be shadowing the professional doctors and nurses at the healthcare centers in Kampala Region, and the experience that you’ll gain will greatly affect your career ahead.
• The minimum age to participate in this project is 18 years.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 1 week to a maximum of 18 weeks.

 

11. HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM IN SOUTH AFRICA

• As a part of this program, you’ll get to be associated with healthcare centers and clinics in Cape Town as well as the suburbs where most people from the underprivileged communities are treated.
• All these clinics are understaffed, hence there might be a lot of work pressure at times, and volunteers might have to do managerial work as well.
• Pre-med students can also organize awareness programs (like HIV / AIDS awareness etc) in the communities as well as health and hygiene awareness camps in the schools.
• The minimum age to participate in this project is 18 years.
• The program is available throughout the year and volunteers can choose a minimum of 2 weeks to a maximum of 24 weeks.

 

What are the benefits of being a part of a Pre-med Volunteer Program abroad?

Surely, this question has popped up in your mind. Well, to clear your doubts, you need to know the following benefits:

• As a pre-med volunteer, you’ll not only gain first-hand work experience, but you’ll also gain practical knowledge about how the healthcare system works in Third world countries, and what are the problems that people usually face.
• You’ll also get to work with like-minded people from different parts of the world as a team and make the best use of your skills.
• Working with different departments will also help you to understand which stream you want to take for specializations.
• Volunteering Solutions will provide you with a Certificate of Project Completion, that’ll be of much use in your career ahead.

In case you have more doubts about being a volunteer with us, you can simply drop us a mail at [email protected]