Medicine in Morocco with Projects Abroad

  Morocco

Rabat

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: Inquire for dates

Description: Volunteering on our Medicine project in Morocco will provide you with an excellent opportunity to learn about medical practices in another culture whilst helping many locals who depend on the services provided by the centre where you will work. Volunteers joining this project should have a minimum of one year's medical studies training or experience.

As a Medicine volunteer in Morocco you will have the opportunity to work in a number of departments in a modest, but important dispensary on the outskirts of Rabat. The local dispensary was opened 30 years ago and is located in a quiet suburb which is an easy bus-ride from the Medina in Rabat. The centre is staffed by a number of Spanish speaking nurses and run by a French doctor, so speaking any basic French or Spanish will come in useful here.

Your Role as a Medicine & Healthcare Volunteer in Morocco:

On your first day of work, you will be introduced to your placement supervisor who will always be on hand to help you throughout your time as a volunteer. Before you arrive in Morocco, you will discuss your placement options with a member of staff and choose which departments you would prefer to work in; from Dermatology, Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Surgery.

On our Medical placement in Morocco, your role is that of an intern and you will shadow the doctor who has been assigned as your supervisor. By observing the doctors and nurses, you will learn about different conditions and treatments and can discuss the cases with them to improve your medical knowledge.

Although you will find that you spend a lot of time learning through shadowing staff, it is sometimes possible to have a more active role. If you show enthusiasm and initiative, and you manage to develop a good relationship with the medical staff, you may find that you gain enough trust to be given more to do. As with any job - and especially in the field of medicine - you must prove yourself to be trustworthy before you are given responsibilities.

Your workday will normally be from 8am to 1pm, when you will be working at the dispensary with your supervisor. Sometimes it will be beneficial to spend time working one-on-one with a patient with the supervision of a nurse. You can choose to combine working here with one day a week in a bigger hospital observing other departments which are not available at the dispensary. If you have any particular preferences or areas of interest, be sure to mention them at the time of application.

In your free time, there are plenty of opportunities to socialise with other volunteers and locals, as well as plenty of travel opportunities. By living with a local host family, you will be welcomed into a warm Moroccan home and can use the opportunity to practice your French or Arabic language skills.

Volunteer Nursing and Midwifery in Morocco

If you are a qualified nurse or midwife, you could volunteer with us as a nurse or midwife in Morocco. Also, nursing or midwifery students, interested in gaining some more experience in the field, could volunteer as an auxiliary nurse.

Highlights: Historically, Morocco has been a crossing point for travelers, migrants and traders from all over Africa, Europe and the East. Such diverse influences have contributed to an amazing richness and complexity in cultural life, from art to architecture, music to cuisine. Morocco has both Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines and many of the large towns are also coastal, including the fabulous trading cities of Casablanca, Agadir and Rabat. Inland, on the edge of the Atlas Mountains, lie the equally enticing towns of Fés, Marrakesh and Meknès.

For your accommodation, you'll live with a host-family. All the families involved are extremely supportive of Projects Abroad and are eager to experience an inter-cultural exchange so they can learn more about the lives of volunteers.

This project offers the opportunity to become fully immersed in the culture in a manner which even the most hardened of backpackers could never hope to do.

Cost in US$: USD 3,095 and up

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 16 and up

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Morocco Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement: As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded: 1992