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  Assist doctors and nurses in a busy hospital when you volunteer with our Public Health Program in Oaxaca, Mexico.

As a volunteer on our Public Health Program, you will be working in one of Oaxaca’s well- known clinics, Clínica de la Soledad. You will help doctors and nurses reach out to poor Mexicans in need of medical treatment and, in the process, experience Mexico’s healthcare system up close.

The state of Oaxaca is rich with tradition, natural beauty and history, but it remains the second-poorest state in Mexico. Much of Oaxaca’s largely indigenous population has little or no access to healthcare. When local residents become sick, they must journey from the countryside to a state-funded hospital like the Clínica de la Soledad in Oaxaca City. This clinic is a well-staffed, yet very busy hospital, which provides a unique experience for anyone interested in healthcare.

As a volunteer, you will help doctors and nurses depending on your area of interest and level of Spanish speaking skills. You can help interview incoming patients, assist doctors and nurses in their daily duties, observe appointments and surgical operations and learn about the challenges and triumphs of the Mexican healthcare system. Apart from supporting the clinic, this program aims to send volunteers home with new skills and confidence for how to treat and reach out to medical patients from Latin America.

As a volunteer you can:
Observe the doctors at work in the Clínica de la Soledad
Shadow and assist doctors, nurses and hospital staff
Assist in the blood lab, including taking blood pressure
Help interview patients
Experience the full range of operations of a Mexican hospital, including surgery

Learn about Oaxaca’s health issues and see how wealth and poverty affects the healthcare

  system
Experience the local Oaxacan culture and form a deeper understanding of Mexican healthcare

Choose from the following volunteer packages:
Bronze – volunteer work + hostel stay, including     breakfast + first two weeks with group Spanish     lessons (15 hours per week) at a language school in    Oaxaca.
Silver – volunteer work + home stay, including    breakfast and late lunch + first two weeks with group    Spanish lessons (15 hours per week) at a language    school in Oaxaca.       
Gold – volunteer work + home stay, including breakfast    and late lunch + group Spanish lessons (15 hours per                                                                            week) every week of your volunteer experience at a                                                                            language school in Oaxaca.

Meals:
Bronze: Hostel serves breakfast only.
Silver and Gold: Host family provides 2 meals a day (breakfast and late lunch).

Project Length: Start Dates:
Minimum: 2 weeks, 3 weeks is preferred. Maximum: 6 months

Any Monday, excluding national holidays
Project Cost: Cost Includes:

Bronze 2 weeks:
Bronze extra week:

Silver 2 weeks:
Silver extra week:

Gold 2 weeks:
Gold extra week:

Airport pickup
On-site orientation and program training
Intensive Spanish classes, depending on     volunteer package
Accommodations
1-2 meals per day, depending on volunteer     package
In-country support and program coordination
Activities
24-hour emergency number
Volunteer donation to support the program
Requirements:
You must have an advanced level of Spanish speaking and comprehension skills for this program. You will be surrounded by doctors and nurses using Spanish medical terminology. They will not have time to translate for you.
Schedule: Accommodations:

Volunteers should expect to work 5 days a week, 5-8 hours each day. Free time will typically be in the evenings and on weekends. The exact hours and details of your day will be decided during the volunteer orientation. Schedules vary depending on program needs, and volunteers should remain flexible.

Mexican host family or hostel, depending on volunteer package.



Home > Central America > Mexico

 
Tim Nardine
  "I had a great experience at the blood bank and would recommend this opportunity to anyone seeking to improve medical Spanish and to gain a window into real-world issues surrounding Mexican healthcare. The staff of physicians and grad students who operates the clinic welcomed me into the mix and supported my efforts to participate and learn."



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