At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- Shadow doctors and nurses at a hospital and learn how to diagnose and treat the illnesses and conditions you’ll see.
- The majority of your day-to-day work will consist of following hospital staff on their rounds, observing what they do.
- You’ll also have the opportunity to do practical outreach work in disadvantaged communities.
Details
- Shadow doctors and nurses on their rounds
- Observe throughout different departments
- Conduct community outreaches
- Provide basic healthcare and education at day care centres
Includes/Excludes
Food and accommodation
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
Itinerary
If you’re looking to add practical medical experience to your CV, this internship is for you. It’s perfect for medical students and students who haven’t attended university yet.
This project can have an immensely positive impact on your CV. Working in an international environment demonstrates your adaptability, and doing outreach work shows your commitment to helping others. Your internship will also provide useful talking points during interviews.
In addition, getting to spend time in different hospital departments is also great for career exploration. The experience can help you decide on a specialisation. The longer you stay, the more departments you can spend time in, and the more you can learn.
Your role at the hospital is observational. However, if you’re in your third year of medical studies or above, you may be permitted to assist with more practical work. Please note that you will only be allowed to do hands-on work once you’ve proven your capability to staff. You will also work under strict supervision.
Please note that you must speak basic Spanish to join. Although the doctors speak English quite well, most nurses, local students, and patients aren’t as fluent.
This internship is available throughout the year and you can join at any time.
On a typical work day, your hours will run from 8am – 2pm or 3pm – 8pm. You can also extend these hours if you wish, all you need to do is speak to your supervisor.
You will spend most of your time at the hospital shadowing doctors on their rounds. You’ll observe their interactions with patients, and see how different illnesses or conditions are treated. You’re likely to see diseases that are quite different to those back home. We encourage you to ask questions and take notes as much as possible. The doctors are happy to share their knowledge and advice with you, and will appreciate your interest in their work.
There will also be days when you do outreach work instead of being at the hospital. On these days, you’ll travel with medical staff to different locations in and around Guadalajara.
When you are not clocking in hours at your placement, your evenings and weekends will be free to explore and relax. You can hike the local canyons or wander down to Paseo Chapultepec to experience the unique display of restaurants and shops. You can also sharpen your Spanish skills by chatting with locals during your adventures.
The aim of this project is to give you the opportunity to expand your medical knowledge and gain insight into a developing country’s healthcare practices.
Inequalities in access to healthcare services in Mexico remains a prevalent issue. Despite an abundance of high-quality medical services and facilities, many people can only afford basic care. A lack of education and prevention campaigns limit the scope and reach of new initiatives. Our outreach programmes aim to provide basic healthcare to some of these vulnerable groups.
We’re also working to raise awareness about some of the more pressing health issues facing the country. Obesity in Mexico has been increasing drastically. This has a serious impact on the overall health of the population, causing high rates of diabetes and hypertension. Part of your work will involve raising awareness about these diseases during campaigns, and promoting healthier lifestyle choices.
We have outlined several goals in our Medicine Management Plan for Mexico. These goals are:
- Encouraging an understanding of medical practices and promote an exchange of
- medical knowledge
- Promoting awareness of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure
- Improving access to basic healthcare for disadvantaged groups
- Improving hygiene standards
Join us on a medical internship in Mexico to kickstart your career in medicine today.
Food and accommodation
You’ll stay with a host family in Guadalajara. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Mexico and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your program fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Leisure activities and free time
With beautiful beaches, arresting art galleries, and buzzing restaurants, there’s something for everyone in Mexico. You’ll have plenty to do during your free time on your project in this dynamic country.
There’s something captivating about touring through old buildings. If you’re into neo-gothic architecture, treat yourself to a trip to the Templo Expiatorio del Santisimo Sacramento. It’s a work of art with its ornate steeples and glowing stained glass windows.
There are also plenty of museums, giving you the chance to immerse yourself in the country’s rich history. For something different, you can spend the day appreciating the wildlife and lush vegetation of Las Peñas Ecological Park.
You can’t take a trip to Mexico without tasting authentic Mexican cuisine. You can spend an evening enjoying pozole or tamales at a local restaurant and watching the vivid orange-red sun melt into the horizon.
We have a host of different projects in Mexico so there’ll likely be lots of other volunteers in the area during your trip. So you can choose to travel and explore in a group or on your own.
