United Planet Healthcare Quests
Volunteer Abroad Programs: 1-12 weeks

United Planet’s unique Volunteer Abroad Quest program combines volunteering abroad, language learning, cultural activities, learning excursions, and special Cultural Awareness Projects to provide an incredibly fulfilling experience for volunteers and valuable support for communities in need. Medical, dental and healthcare volunteers of all ages and nationalities are invited to join from 1-52 weeks in 50 countries worldwide to work in areas such as HIV/AIDS awareness and outreach education; dental care; patient care in pediatric hospitals and clinics; and psychological treatment for abused women and children.

Eligibility:

United Planet invites professionals and students in the healthcare field to apply for programs. Please find a list of our healthcare volunteering opportunities listed below. Healthcare volunteer applicants are requested to fill out a Medical Supplemental Form along with their application.

Click here to read the blog of a UP healthcare volunteer in Peru!

Healthcare Quests (1-12 weeks)

1. Women's Shelter Quest

Duration: minimum 1 month preferred

Requirements: Intermediate Spanish

Volunteers work with teenage mothers (from 12 to 18 yrs old) and their children in a home designed especially for them. The women come from the ‘campo’ and have a history of being subjected to abuse and violence. There is s a maximum of 17 women with one child, at present there are 11 mothers and 11 children. They live an average of 4 to 5 years in the house and are assigned there by a family court judge. This house is designed to give these women a better future. Their children are sent to school and receive after school homework classes with a teacher. The mothers receive two hours of classes per day from a private teacher. The women are also taught a trade: they work in an atelier connected to the house where they make different articles of fabric. Psychological counseling and health support are provided for them. For the smallest children there is a wawawasi, or nursery. The wawawasi is also open to women in the neighborhood who don’t live in the house. They can leave their babies in the care of the house from 7 am to 7 pm. Volunteers are needed to help in the nursery and also help the older children with their homework, as well as support the mothers when needed.

2. Orphanage Quest

Duration: minimum 1 month

Requirements: Basic Spanish

Great for pediatricians, psychologists, nutritionists, teachers, as well as non-professionals! Volunteers work at a state orphanage for kids between the ages of 1 and 18. The children live and eat in 12 different houses where a substitute mother takes care of a maximum of 10 children and sends them to school. Volunteers assist the substitute mothers in taking care of the household, helping the children with their homework, and organizing workshops and recreational activities. The project also has various contacts in the small villages in the Cusco region, where professionals can assist in providing medical services to the children in their “centro social.”

*This opportunity is open to all volunteers. Ask about our different locations!

3. State Hospital Quest

Duration: minimum of 4 weeks

Requirements: Advanced Spanish

This is a great program for nurses and other healthcare professionals! The state runs several hospitals in Cusco that are considered the best in the area. Patients who are insured can get help here. The hospital has 200 staff members and the capacity to accommodate 150 patients. As a volunteer you can work in the mornings, afternoons or evenings.

4. Psychiatric Clinic Quest

Duration: minimum of 4 weeks

Requirements: basic level of Spanish, CV/ resume

This is great for anyone interested in volunteering, particularly those with a background in social work! Psychiatrists and related professionals are also needed. This psychiatric clinic works with adults who are mostly male. The clinic has 20 staff members and roughly 35 patients. The patients are typically suffering from autism, schizophrenia, depression and addiction. This clinic really needs all the help it can get. The main activities for volunteers without relevant experience are playing games and offering assistance with activities such as sports (they have their own gymnasium), dancing, arts and crafts and various other creative activities. Volunteers with a professional psychology, medical or social work background can help the patients in their specific fields. An experienced nurse will be guiding you throughout your time at the clinic. Volunteers must be creative and social.

5. Children's Clinic Quest

Duration: 2 week minimum

Requirements: Intermediate Spanish; Basic Spanish is sufficient for professionals.

This healthcare program is great for certified doctors, dentists and pediatricians as well as paramedics, medical or dental students. Paramedics, pre-med/dental, medical/dental students can assist and observe and become part of the clinics team, however, professional skills are not necessary! The clinic was founded by a Catholic order in 1995 and is part of an umbrella organization that has private clinics all over Peru. The children, from age 2 to 15, often come from communities far from Cusco. Many of their parents have sent them away because their physical and mental incapacities are not understood. The clinic consists of roughly 60 staff members and 50 accommodations available for patients. Almost all on-site doctors speak a fair level of English. As a volunteer you can help these children even by basic things such as feeding them, brushing their teeth, playing with them, and taking them outside.

6. Rural Hospital Quest

Requirements: Intermediate Spanish

Poste San Jeronimo is a rural medical post where staff perform routine consults and handle emergencies. It’s a small clinic that’s meant for the poorer population of Cusco. You can help! We need general doctors, dentists, obstetrics, psychologists, lab-workers, nurses, and technical nurses as well as medical students of all kinds!

7. Juvenile Detention Center

Requirements: Intermediate to Advanced Spanish

Though Cusco has a great deal of activities for tourists, the economic situation leaves many Peruvian children living and working on the streets. You will have a chance to act as a mentor for boys who have committed acts of violence, theft, or sexual assault. You will be able to use your skill set to create or participate in pre-existing projects and programs such as organizing workshops (shoe-making, furniture construction), helping the on-site psychologist (for psychology professionals), teaching dance classes or leading group activities such as various sports (especially soccer).