• Share your passion in medical care and help communities lead healthier lives
• Gain invaluable experience in healthcare in a third world setting
• Immerse in the life of a Ugandan through safe, carefully-screened homestays
• Go on a world-renowned gorilla safari, visit the source of the Nile River or trek the Rwenzori National Park in your downtime

Are you a healthcare professional or student? If you’re looking to gain experience in an African country, look no further! Most of the poor in Uganda are still deprived of the most basic of healthcare, as medical facilities are expensive and not widely available. Not only is healthcare expensive, it is also hard to find, such that people have to travel long distances to receive the essential care. In Uganda especially, most of the hospitals and clinics are based in cities. It is little wonder people in the remote parts of the country still succumb to diseases which are curable. There are, however, rural health posts and clinics that are striving to minimize this, although they are often understaffed and lack resources. As a medical volunteer in Uganda, you will work in rural health posts and community clinics to provide support to doctors, nurses, therapists and other medical professionals. Help to make healthcare more accessible in Uganda, and in your free time, enjoy the best that Africa has to offer in Uganda!

As a volunteer in Uganda in the Healthcare project, you will be placed in local clinics or hospitals and treat mainly those from underprivileged backgrounds. Depending on the individual’s skills and expertise, and the needs of the local staff, your daily duties include but are not limited to:

• Assist with general check-ups and examinations of patients
• Observing and supporting healthcare professionals by shadowing doctors
• Public outreach and education
• Supporting healthcare professionals (as dictated by individual experience/qualifications)
• Organizing and developing educational seminars
• Educating the general population on topics related to healthcare
• Assisting pre-established healthcare programs (health clinics, non-profits, NGOs)

Medical volunteers will shadow local doctors and learn mostly from observation. Due to the increased risks involved and raised medical regulations, volunteers cannot treat patients or become involved in surgery during the project.

By volunteering in the Healthcare project, you’ll be working with local organizations who are striving to make health treatment possible to impoverished communities. Local health professionals are working their hardest to treat as many patients as they can, but the number of patients received is always overwhelming. Your role as a volunteer is to lighten their burden and assist with routine tasks. If you’re a medical professional, your insight and expertise will come highly-valued in the underdeveloped healthcare industry of Uganda. The healthcare understanding and practical experience that you take away from this project will undoubtedly be eye-opening. For volunteers interested in a career in healthcare or medicine, this program provides a great opportunity to gain professional experience and provide medical attention to impoverished patients in a third world setting.

Applicants interested to join this program must possess healthcare certification, such as: ID as a medical student, EMT, paramedic certification, nursing, physical therapy, midwifery or physician’s credentials. We do not permit volunteers without medical credentials to participate in this program due to the potential risk. This project also requires a copy of the volunteer’s resume which clearly documents the education and/or professional credentials, prior to arrival. The projects will also require an official copy of the credentials. Depending on your specific placement and host institution, additional application materials may be required.

An understanding of Ugandan culture and diversity can help improve the experience for you and the people you help. Consider enrolling in our one-week Language & Cultural Immersion program.

This project is located in and around Kampala or Jinja. Rural Uganda hosts various incredible examples of wildlife. Local villages can be discovered on hikes through the countryside and these excursions provide genuine Ugandan cultural experiences.

Kampala is the capital and largest city (population of approximately 1.2 million) of Uganda and is just 10 km from Lake Victoria. The city of Kampala offers a plethora of attractions such as Ssezibwa Falls, the Ugandan National Theater, the very active Balikuddembe Market and Nakasero Market as well as numerous historical sites that provide glimpses into Uganda’s past. Kampala is said to have been built on seven different hills with each hill representing significance in Uganda's history.

Jinja is the second largest commercial center in Uganda and is located in southeast Uganda – approximately 87 km from the capital city of Kampala. Located on the shores of Lake Victoria and close to the source of the White Nile River, Jinja offers the many small town urban amenities such as a post office, town hall, hospital, golf course and numerous internet cafes. Echoes of Jinja's Indian influence are reflected in the city's architecture. Some of Jinja's attractive features include whitewater-rafting, a brewery, Bujagali Falls (a kayakers' heaven) as well as an animal sanctuary and memorials for both Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha in addition to an active Hindu temple.