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Pre Medical and Nursing Volunteer Program Sri Lanka
Pre Medical and Nursing Volunteer Program Sri Lanka

Galle, Sri Lanka

Pre Medical and Nursing Volunteer Program Sri Lanka

Trip Highlights

  • Volunteer work at public and private hospitals as well as other healthcare centres for patients in Galle and other neighbouring places
  • Get project-specific training on Sri Lankan medical industry
  • Get accustomed and educated about common practices, customs and code of conduct in Sri Lanka
  • Live life like a local amongst the locals
  • Assess your learning and experience curve with reviews from the support and assistance team
  • Explore the city and around on weekends

Overview

Overview

Sri Lanka is the only country in South Asia which offers free healthcare to all its citizens, which is remarkable for this region. As such, the public sector here is very well developed and much larger than the private sector. Participants working in the public sector have access to a larger and wider network of medical professionals, range and volume of patients and exposures to a comprehensive set of wards and special units that cannot come close to being matched in the private sector. There is also a greater need for future doctors and nurses to assist in the public sector as the sheer volume of patients they get is overwhelming and from lower socio-economic classes, where the need for support is greater. 

This project caters to participants who do not have any formal medical background through prior education in a formal setting. The project is ideal for participants who have an interest in discovering the medical field to see if they would like to pursue it as a potential career in the future. Participants 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 a range of community projects. They also get to understand how the medical system of a developing country like Sri Lanka works and learn about various tropical diseases that
are prevalent in this part of the world. Additionally, participants get to interact with local doctors and nurses.

Medical Students as well as recently qualified medical students looking to gain valuable experience and skills must select the Medical Internship Program in Sri Lanka. Nursing students looking to do a nursing elective must choose our Nursing Internship Program in Sri Lanka.


Program Requirements

Program Requirements

Volunteers must be 17 years or older at the time of joining the project and must be flexible and open-minded towards working in a new and challenging environment. The following documents are needed to apply for the Pre-Medical placement:

  • Current CV or Resume
  • Motivation Letter (or Intent Letter) describing personal background and rationale for pursuing this placement
  • Police background check
  • Copy of passport

Additionally, participants must understand and appreciate the different cultures when working in a country like Sri Lanka where the medical standards differ greatly from what they might have experienced in their home country. Our experience has shown that the participants who get the most out of this experience tend to be open-minded, flexible, respectful to local staff and eager to learn.

 


Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

Pre-meds can get broad-based rotational exposure across various wards, units and institutions as described below. They do not get to choose their ward or unit selection prior to arrival (unlike our Medical or Nursing Internship participants) but their rotation is discussed and finalized through consultation with our medical team after they arrive in Sri Lanka. The exact availability of each ward or unit can change from time to time based on ground realities, however, in general, pre-med participants will have access to rotate across the following wards, units and institutions:

  • Emergency Treatment Centre (ETC) – typical tasks include bedside teaching regarding patients’ management, ward class with ward rounds, checking vital signs of patients (if the staff permits), observing live surgeries in casualty operation theatre and post casualty theatre under the direct guidance of the surgeon. Students will be given explanations by the surgeon based on the type of surgery and the ground emergency situation.
  • General Surgical Units – tasks include joining the ward rounds with the consultant and medical staff, assisting the medical staff for wound dressing, checking vital signs of patients and observing live surgeries such as Cholecystectomy, Appendectomy, Hernia repair, Thyroidectomy, etc.
  • Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Unit – tasks include supporting patients to carry out their daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy exercises, carrying out group activities to support the patient's mental well-being and other similar activities. Participants will get to work closely with a physiotherapist and occupational therapist on a regular basis.
  • General Pediatric Wards – tasks include studying the history of the patients with the support of medical/nursing staff, joining the ward rounds, helping support mothers feed their children and performing activities to socialize with children (with parental consent).
  • Pediatric Cardiology Unit – typical activities include attending pediatric cardiac catheter lab on diagnosing heart defects, its severity, observing live pediatric cardiac surgeries and attending clinical sessions with the consultants.
  • Observation of Special Surgeries – depending on availability, participants can get access to observe surgeries on a rotational basis. Surgeries includes vascular surgeries, plastic surgeries, urology-related surgeries, neuro surgeries, casualty, oncology surgeries, etc.
  • Community Projects – this involves working at local schools, villages and community groups to create awareness and education on areas like first aid training (presentations with practical sessions), basic hygiene practices, attend medical campaigns under the guidance of medical officers, attend active teaching/practical sessions with special needs/differently abled children (with guidance) and socializing with senior citizens in elderly care centers.
  • Ayurvedic Medicine – A special introductory session on the traditional eastern medicinal practice of Ayurveda, which is based on a natural and holistic approach to physical and mental health. Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world’s oldest medical systems and remains one of Sri Lanka’s most popular and respected traditional health care systems.

Students generally need to be assigned for a minimum of one week in the units/wards in the main hospital (#1-6 mentioned above). For Community Projects and Ayurvedic Medicine (#7-8 above), the placement is generally for 1-3 days each (not the full week).
All students are supported by our medical project coordinator who provides regular guidance and support to further enhance their learning and knowledge development.

It is important to emphasize that the experience in the hospital is observation-based as the participants lack the experience and skill to perform any invasive procedures on patients. Certain areas like physiotherapy and community projects tend to be more hands-on work than others so those wishing for more exposure in these areas can let our team know during their introductory consultation.


Volunteer Work Schedule

Volunteer Work Schedule

Saturday: Arrival in Colombo airport - transfer to Galle included

Sunday: Orientation + neighbourhood familiarization tour. Orientation session will be conducted by the local coordinator, covering topic areas; such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behaviour, food, and other suggestion over things to do in and around Galle.

Mon to Fri: Volunteer work placement at appropriate medical institution (schedules can be somewhat flexible by an hour or two either way, based on ground realities at the time) 

• Breakfast - 06:30 to 8:30 am

• Working hours at the placement - 09:00 am to 1pm (Hours can vary) 

• Lunch - 12:00-2:30 pm (Provided at the accommodation) 

• Dinner - 6:30-7:30 pm onwards (Provided at the accommodation)

The same volunteer work schedule continues from the second week onwards 

Weekends: Free to explore the city, all the nearby beaches and also travel around Sri Lanka. Bing a small island with a very good public transportation system (buses, trains), it is easy to take weekend trip to the mountains, tea plantations, rainforests, cultural sites, various beach towns, etc.

Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating in.


Living

Living

At Volunteering Solutions we ensure that all our international volunteers are provided the utmost comfort so that they can have a home away from home experience while working with us. We ensure that your stay, meals and other personal requirements are looked after well. 

Airport Transfers 
Volunteers are picked up from the Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport Airport by a representative of the local coordinating team on the program start date during scheduled airport pickup hrs. Participants are also dropped off to the airport upon completion of the program during the scheduled airport drop hrs. 

Note : Airport Transfers are provided at extra charges of USD $35 each way for a shared transfer during scheduled pickup hours on Saturday.There will be 2 shared airport transfers every Saturday (Morning and afternoon/evening) from airport to Galle and vice versa for return departures.​  A private transfer will cost USD 100.

Accommodation

Volunteers joining the programs in Galle, Sri Lanka, will get to stay in the quaint Unawatuna neighborhood, overlooking the famous Unawatuna Beach and the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. The volunteer house has 11 bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.Most of these rooms have ocean views! There's a private 40-foot outdoor swimming pool surrounded by tropical greenery. The house also has 3 kitchens as well as 3 living/common rooms (one each per floor), a prominent dining area, and a private outdoor garden with seating/lounging areas.

The office is located on the ground floor of the house near the main entrance – this is where the local team operate from every day. The house is located in a peaceful, nature-filled neighborhood adjacent to a small Buddhist temple (nestled away from the main tourist areas). To ensure the safety and security of the participants, there are CCTV cameras installed, and an in-house security guard for night-time surveillance. Hot water and high-speed Wi-Fi are there and you can opt for air-conditioning and laundry facilities at an additional charge.

Other than that, we'll also be glad to provide single/double/family private room upgrades. The beach is just about 5 minutes walk from the stay and you can reach the Galle Fort in about 15 minutes.

Orientation

A detailed program Orientation will be provided before you start your volunteering program.All volunteers on arrival get a welcome presentation including health and safety training, culture presentation, project specific presentation and area orientation tour. Our staff will also assist you with the lessons and planning the curriculum, as and when required. You will also have access to our in-house teaching library consisting of manuals, books, and various teaching materials to help with lesson planning and providing general guidance.

Meals

We provide 3 freshly cooked meals per day all week long (Monday to Sunday): Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Fresh ingredients are purchased from local markets to prepare these meals. We have two lady chefs (a head chef and an assistant) from our community who come daily to cook fresh, homely and tasty local meals for the volunteers. We can cater to a range of special diets including vegan, gluten free, nut free and lactose-intolerant diets. If there are any other allergy or food requirements mentioned to us beforehand, we always do our best to accommodate those needs.

During Free Time

There is plenty to do during the freetime and weekends for the volunteers.The following activities are provided free of charge and included in your program fee:

  • Evening Rooftop Yoga Session (weekly)
  • Movie nights on large screen projector at the house (weekly)
  • Bike tour across paddy fields and local villages (monthly)
  • BBQ for volunteers and staff in the garden (monthly)
  • Night Fishing for anyone into fishing (on demand)


The following are popular weekend (or even daily) activities which our volunteers love to do around the area (at an additional charge):

  • Surfing lessons
  • Elephant safari
  • Whale watching (during season)
  • Rainforest hiking
  • Beach hopping
  • Local cooking class
  • Galle Walking Tour
  • Local spice market visit
  • Galle Fort visit

Dates

Dates

2024

2025

January

06

13

20

27

February

03

10

17

24

March

02

09

16

23

30

April

06

13

20

27

May

04

11

18

25

June

01

08

15

22

29

July

06

13

20

27

August

03

10

17

24

31

September

07

14

21

28

October

05

12

19

26

November

02

09

16

23

30

December

07

14

21

28

January

04

11

18

25

February

01

08

15

22

March

01

08

15

22

29

April

05

19

26

May

03

10

17

24

31

June

07

14

21

28

July

05

12

19

26

August

02

09

16

23

30

September

06

13

20

27

October

04

11

18

25

November

01

08

15

22

29

December

06

13

27

Past Date

Available

Unavailable

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Costs

Costs

1 Week £714
2 Weeks £884
3 Weeks £1054
4 Weeks £1224
5 Weeks £1394
6 Weeks £1561
7 Weeks £1671
8 Weeks £1832
Extra Week £170

Please Note: -An application fee of £179 is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment.

What are you Paying for?

  • 24 hrs Assistance and support from Staff
  • Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
  • Airport Transfers on Scheduled Days
  • ​Dedicated volunteer housing with WiFi (shared rooms)
  • Orientation and training on arrival
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner all days
  • Guaranteed project placement
  • Local transportation to projects in private AC van or tuk-tuk
  • Experienced bilingual operations team on the ground
  • Dedicated staff support from 6 am to 8 pm every day
  • 24/7 local emergency support
  • Weekly yoga class on a rooftop terrace
  • Weekly movie nights on large screen projector
  • Monthly bike tour around paddy fields and local villages
  • Monthly special BBQ dinner
  • Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)
  • Certificate Of Completion (Upon Request)

What's NOT included?

  • Visa Fee
  • International Airfare
  • Vaccinations
  • Any personal expenses
  • Additional Local Excursions and Trips

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