How much does it cost to go on the brigade?
The estimated total cost to attend the 9-10 day medical/dental/public health brigade for Honduras August 2018 and Ghana August 2018 is ~$2000 USD*
*The more you fundraise the less you pay!
*The more you fundraise the less you pay!
Are there any leadership opportunities available?
Definitely! The strength of Global Brigades lies in its committed members, so staying active in the organization is the best way to gain more leadership opportunities!
What if I don't have any clinical/medical experience?
No problem! Before we leave for the brigade we will host training sessions to teach you how to take blood pressure, use glucometers, etc. These sessions are interactive with pairing off and practicing on each other. These sessions occur prior to departure and the day before our first medical brigade in our lodging headquarters. In other words, don't feel intimidated! We all have different backgrounds and are all willing to learn and teach! Just ask!
Do I have to know any Spanish?
It is not required, but knowing some Spanish will be VERY beneficial. Each day of the brigade we will have translators and packets of common spanish phrases to help you along.
I am a pre-med/pre-pharmacy/pre-dental/health sciences student, how Can the Global Medical Brigade help me?
If you have any interest in health sciences, public service, international relations, education, or simply enjoy helping others - Global Brigades is the perfect organization for you! GB will give you the opportunity to empower a community, travel abroad, and get practical medical experience abroad in the rural communities of Honduras and/or Ghana.
Our one-week medical brigade gives students the opportunity to shadow local in country physicians, work in the pharmacies, triage, medical/dental/education stations, and get hands-on experience that can help you in any career. The experience is both an uplifting professional experience and an incredible to personal experience.
Our one-week medical brigade gives students the opportunity to shadow local in country physicians, work in the pharmacies, triage, medical/dental/education stations, and get hands-on experience that can help you in any career. The experience is both an uplifting professional experience and an incredible to personal experience.
Can you tell me more about what I would be doing if I volunteered as a pre-med for a medical brigade?
As a pre-med volunteering on a medical brigade, you would travel to your destination to set up one-week medical brigade clinics in remote villages that don’t have access to health care otherwise. The program allows for the student volunteers to perform and to be in involved in all the activities of the mobile medical clinic. This includes running triage by taking vital signs and patient history, as well as sitting alongside licensed doctors and professionals to hear and learn about consultation and working in the pharmacy to deliver the medicines that the doctors prescribed. And lastly, students also get to work in establishing public health workshops to teach preventative medicine practices for the people in the community. If you don’t speak Spanish, it is okay. We provide translators throughout all the activities. Anybody is welcome to participate in the program and can be very useful on the medical brigade.
Will I be able to actually work directly with patients? I want more patient contact.
If you want more patient contact, this may be one of the only opportunities as a pre-med undergraduate that you’d have to get hands-on tangible work with patients in communities. The communities we work with are very impoverished, family income is usually less than a dollar a day, and without access to medicine otherwise or a doctor within a 30-40 mile radius. The students will be able to shadow licensed medical professionals in the field to give full consultations and be with the doctors as they prescribe the medicines for the patient.
I want to do more than just watch a doctor. Will I actually be able to participate in the examination and discuss potential diagnosis with the doctor?
Depending on the brigade — many of the doctors have been trained beforehand to create an inclusive and collaborative environment with the students, and a learning environment for them to be able to better diagnose and learn about treatments and various international or illnesses in the communities that we’d been working in. So it is a very hands-on approach, and depending on the doctors, will often work with the students in every aspect of their consultation and have them included in the diagnosis.
How is the Global Brigade different from other pre-medical volunteering programs I’ve heard about?
Global Brigade segments are differentiates itself because it is an empowering movement and offers a holistic model to sustainable healthcare in the communities we serve. We’re one of the few organizations that offer pre-health students the opportunity to lead themselves and mobilize themselves to develop and perform a medical brigade abroad in a community that does not have access otherwise. Unlike other organizations, we both not only support the students who are mobilizing, but also have an on-the-ground team that works with the communities to perpetuate the health care between the brigades. We also offer other programs such as clean water, public health and dental program so that we offer the communities that we work in with a holistic model for sustainable healthcare. And I’ve had constant communication with the community leaders to perpetuate the health care when the groups aren’t volunteering.
Is it safe?
There is always a risk associated with any international travel and community work. Risk experts within the international volunteer industry approximate that an organization may experience one catastrophic incidence such as death or permanent injury for every 100,000 volunteer months spent in-country. Most common are from car accidents and or extra-curricular activities participated in outside of programming. Each Global Brigades grantee entity in Honduras and Ghana have a strong track for risk practices and do regular staff meetings to ensure emergency policies are known by every coordinator.
Safety and Security Details
The number one question of our brigaders and their families is "how safe is it"? Global Brigades has extensive security measures to ensure all brigade members and staff are safe, secure and comfortable working in local communities. Since the entire list of security measures and detail is quite extensive, we invite you to visit the Global Brigades security detail section of their website available by clicking the button below. Clicking on the flags will direct you to the respective country for our brigade. The website has the Honduran flag set as default, but Ghana is also available.
Have there been any major incidences?
The most common ailment on a brigade is upset stomach, experiencing cold/flu like symptoms, or sprained body parts. In the past, there have been a few cases where Global Brigades volunteers have broken body parts or contracted malaria or other like tropical diseases. There is one report of a permanent injury. There have been two reported incidents of female volunteers being advanced on unwillingly by a community member and one hired bus driver from a contracted vendor (which was fired immediately). No rape cases have been reported. Global Brigades urges all volunteers to remain in their groups at ALL times and only participate in activities that are a part of the program itself. Global Brigades will continue to make safety and risk management its top priority for all its volunteers and although every volunteers’ cooperation when given instruction by their coordinators will reduce risk.
Who will pick us up at the airport?
Every brigade is met at the airport by Global Brigades in-country coordinators wearing Global Brigades shirts. They will have a bus waiting to take the group and all of their luggage directly to check in to accommodations.
What if someone gets lost?
Every student will receive an wallet-sized ICE card (In Case of Emergency) with our coordinators’ cell phone numbers and accommodations’ addresses to keep with them while in Honduras.
Can I drink the water?
Brigaders will always have access to safe drinking water via distilled water cooler stations at each site. The water has been filtered, purified and distilled prior to bottling and distribution at Global Brigades sites.
What if I get sick?
GB in-country coordinators are equipped with emergency medical kits, and always have an emergency plan to get brigade members to a trusted, English-speaking clinic for emergency medical attention. All brigade participants have emergency travel insurance, which is included when signing up and paying the full amount for the trip.
How do I call home?
Upon arrival in Honduras, an email from Global Brigades will be sent to the emergency contact you designated on empowered about your safe arrival into the country. Besides this communication however, communication to your parents and friends will be limited for your cell phone as is will not work in Honduras and we have virtually no internet access. This being said however, you may purchase an international service plan with your cell phone provider to stay in contact with your family on a daily basis. This expense is individual and is NOT included in the travel cost estimates nor is covered by Global Brigades.
Will there be anyone supervising the students?
There will always be at least one and generally two adult advisors on each brigade. A trained Global Brigades Coordinator will lead the week-long brigade, as well as a trained logistics coordinator. In addition, we encourage students to invite at least one faculty and business advisor to participate in the brigade.
What are the in-country travel arrangements?
Once a student arrives into the country, all transportation and lodging is provided. Global Brigades ensures that students are taken to and from lodging, projects sites and any other brigade activities conveniently and safely. Should you have any questions regarding in-country travel logistics, please contact your GB advisor.
What safety precautions are in place for the students?
Safety is of the utmost importance to Global Brigades and we pride ourselves in taking numerous measures to ensure the entire brigade experience is pre-screened and rigorously evaluated for student safety and security.
How will meals work?
Meals will generally take place either on the project site or at our lodging compound and are in the form of traditional local style cuisine. Students are required to provide specific dietary needs upon registration (online) for their brigade.
Who can our families contact if we are unable to be reached?
Upon the safe arrival of each student, a notification email will be sent to each “emergency contact” listed by the student on the Global Brigades registration site. This email will confirm the student has arrived and is the safe hands of trained Global Brigades staff. Any further communication will be limited and "No news should be taken as good news"
What if I need medical attention? What hospital/clinics are available?
Global Brigades maintains an emergency plan for each brigade, meaning access to a local clinic, hospital and available physician is secured prior to confirming a project site.
Do cellular phones work in our host country? What about using email as a way to communicate?
Most U.S. cellular phones do not work in overseas unless an international phone plan is pre-arranged. Students will have limited access to email during their brigade but brigade leaders can make arrangements for those who need to be in contact with a student on a specific date and time.
How much money should my child bring?
It is suggested that each student bring $50-$100 to the actual brigade to cover any additional activities, meals, or gifts the student wishes to purchase during the brigade. This amount is suggested and not required. It is also highly recommended to bring smaller bills. Keep in mind there is a $40 USD exit fee to leave Honduras.
References:
FAQ USCS-GMB: http://members.ucscbrigades.org/faq.html
FAQ Global Brigades: http://globalbrigades.org/programs/medical/faq
FAQ Global Brigades: http://globalbrigades.org/programs/medical/faq