Volunteer in Peru: Healthcare Clinic

Location

Volunteers will primarily be based in Cusco, but may also participate in projects in the Sacred Valley and surrounding Jungle. Cusco is a city in south-eastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range. Cusco is at an altitude of around 3,500m (11,500 ft), and is where the majority of volunteers will be based. Volunteers on the Andean cultural exchange projects will be located in the Sacred Valley, and those on the Jungle conservation program will be based in the Jungle reserve outside of Cusco. 

Healthcare

Clinics are part of the national health care system in Peru and provide both primary and emergency care to low-income families. Clinics receive approximately 180 patients per day, 10 to 20 of which are emergencies. You will be working alongside approximately 12-15 doctors and 5-7 nurses.

Please note: Our partners will assign you to a medical placement based partially on your medical background and knowledge, and partially on your level of Spanish.

Pre-medical, 1st and 2nd Year Medical Students

Volunteers in this category will participate in:

a)    Triage (measuring weight, height, blood pressure, heart rate and temperature) b)    Hospital Wards  (Making beds, cleaning, and talking with patients) c)    Materials  (Preparing materials and sterilizing equipment)

Note: You are required to bring your own basic medical supplies, including white coat, scrubs and stethoscope. Notarized documentation of your medical school, nursing school, or other medical credentials will be required. You will need to bring this with you to the office in Cuzco when you have your orientation.

3rd and 4th Year Medical School & Licensed Professionals

Volunteers in this category will participate in:

a) Topico (Cleaning rooms, giving injections and sutures) b) Consultation (Assisting doctors with physicals and taking medical histories) c) Campaigns (Giving vaccinations, taking medical histories and drawing blood samples)

Note: You are required to bring your own basic medical supplies, including white coat, scrubs and stethoscope. Prior to your arrival you may be required to provide copies of your training and credentials.

Accommodation

There are two possibilities for accommodation in Cusco. The majority of volunteers will live in a volunteer house in Cusco. There are several houses in Cusco which we work with and all are run by local families so it is similar to staying in a home stay but they can accommodate up to 20 volunteers at any one time. The houses have running water, hot water, electricity, western-style toilet, a telephone (where volunteers can make and receive calls), and a mobile phone which volunteers can use to call the partner organisation for free. You will get 3 meals a day cooked by a professional chef. The house has an outdoor patio, a sitting room with TV and DVD player, and a dining room.

The second option is a more traditional home stay, living with several other volunteers in a Peruvian home. The host families have been carefully selected with volunteers in mind and have all had experience hosting volunteers in the past. All houses have electricity, running water, and a western-style toilet. You will eat meals with the family.

Laundry service is available for an additional fee.

Free Time

Volunteers are expected to work Monday to Friday, with weekends free to travel and explore the region.

We encourage you to make the most of your time in Peru, and there are some fantastic sights to see not far from the city.

Communication

If you'd like to bring a cell phone, our partner will instruct you how to get a Peruvian sim-card to use for your phone in Peru. Many volunteers use Peruvian sim-cards to receive international calls or send text messages. Calling cards are readily available and make for a cheaper way to make calls home.

Volunteers have access to free internet at the partner’s headquarters or volunteers can use internet cafes in Cusco.

Number of Volunteers

The Peru program usually fluctuates greatly between 7 and 40 volunteers per month, but the number of volunteers varies depending on the season. 

Costs

Application Fee – US $97

Your application fee is fully transferable and will secure your place on the program, (or any other GVN program of your choice), at a placement date that is suitable to you.*

*Your application fee provides you with access to any of GVN's volunteer programs over the next 5 years, as many times as you like without having to pay another application fee!

Children under 18 are not required to pay the application fee when volunteering together with a parent/guardian.  (Except for participants in our Youth Tour program who are required to pay a US$97 application fee.)

To return to the main Peru program, click here.