818f150 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Hey everyone, Im just a 20 year old student following my passion for anthropology and medicine. I am a nationally registered EMT-B and planning on working in the start of the new year. Besides that I just wanted to know if anyone here has done any enriching programs where you can travel to interesting parts of the world, anywhere outside of the USA, where you can maybe experience their culture and meet people, and even volunteer with any kind of medically related services. I really want to enrich my life and experience the world, yet I feel tied down in Los Angeles as a student without any income. I was wondering if there are free programs or at least under a few hundred dollars to do these kinds of things. Or if anyone has any other input that would be great! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmj11 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Hey everyone, Im just a 20 year old student following my passion for anthropology and medicine. I am a nationally registered EMT-B and planning on working in the start of the new year. Besides that I just wanted to know if anyone here has done any enriching programs where you can travel to interesting parts of the world, anywhere outside of the USA, where you can maybe experience their culture and meet people, and even volunteer with any kind of medically related services. I really want to enrich my life and experience the world, yet I feel tied down in Los Angeles as a student without any income. I was wondering if there are free programs or at least under a few hundred dollars to do these kinds of things. Or if anyone has any other input that would be great! Thank you! If you do searches here about International PA experiences you will find several posts. Many of us have taken our skills overseas. I don't know of any cheap or free short term experiences. If you wanted to do it as profession there are things like working as a staff with the Peace Corp (not as a volunteer). Most of the short-term experiences require you to pay you own way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panelson Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 At the MCPHS Worcester PA program (in MA) that I will be attending next month, one of our rotations can be done in Belize. The PA program has an affiliation with a clinic there and it is very much at a reduced rate (not sure of the figures yet). It sounds like an amazing 5 week experience and I am anxious to find out more about it. Have this be something you ask PA programs when you interview to see what their international oppourtunities are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laifalove Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I think the poster meant before becoming a PA, but correct me if I'm wrong. There's a program called Global Medicine Brigades (http://www.globalbrigades.org/) and another one called Global Medicine Training (I think). They're usually affiliated with colleges, so you can check to see if a college near you has a chapter, you don't have to be an actual student at that college to join a chapter. They're 1-2 weeks long in South American countries. The program fee depends on how much the chapter (and you) can fundraise. I've had friends who've gone and they worked alongside doctors, with a lot of direct assisting. The brigades also have a dental brigade, and a pre-dental friend of mine actually got the chance to pull teeth. Personally I had a chance to study abroad for 8 weeks to fulfill graduation requirements for a physics series, and that was a great way to experience another culture as well. I'm just like you, I have a passion for both anthro and medicine :) I doubled in bio and anthro actually because I loved both majors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackjacks Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I did International Service Learning, islonline.org and learned a lot while also really enjoying myself. It wasn't cheap but I think it was worth it. I've been told that only a small percentage of PA school applicants have international medical volunteering, so it's a good way to set yourself apart from the crowd, especially if you are going to be applying straight out of undergrad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laifalove Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 ISL looks to be more of a better deal than GMB. If I recall correctly, GMB cost around the same but was for a shorter timeframe, somewhere around 6-7 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rywinter Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 HI. MCPHS Manchester program is one of my top choices because of the clinical rotations in Belize. When did you hear back from them about an interview. Im sending my supplemental app out this weekend. Im interested in anything you have to say about the program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.