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Cambodia

Medical Volunteer Program in Cambodia

Medical Volunteer Program in Cambodia is specially designed for medical and nursing students who are looking to gain valuable international exposure in a hospital placement.

Highlights

  • Opportunity to volunteer at a public hospital in Phnom Penh
  • Learning and sharing medical knowledge and skills
  • Gain valuable exposure in an international hospital environment
  • Exchanging inter-cultural experiences between locals and volunteers/interns
  • Explore Cambodia and visit Angkor Wat on weekend
  • Explore some amazing sights that Cambodia has to offer on weekends
  • Meet other medical and nursing students from around the world
Medizinische Freiwillige en Kambodscha

Overview

The healthcare system in Cambodia faces significant limitations in terms of equipment and infrastructure. While there are several private hospitals in urban areas, many low income patients are unable to afford the treatment and services there. Consequently, public hospitals become the primary option for those that need medical attention.

Our local partner team in Cambodia have cooperated with public hospitals for healthcare placements. This offers a variety of different experiences and perspectives of the medical care system in Cambodia from other countries.

The program is suitable for medical and nursing students looking to gain valuable exposure in an international hospital environment.

In addition to working with doctors, volunteers will also encounter nurses and nursing students across different departments. To maximise your learning experience, it is important for the volunteers to be proactive during their placements. Volunteers are encouraged to engage actively with the hospital staff and seek opportunities to learn and understand the hospital environment.

Participants in the medical program can give a preference of 3-4 departments from the following departments :–

  • Outpatient Department

  • Emergency Department

  • Medical Intensive Care- Unit

  • Intensive Care-Unit for Surgery

  • Abdominal and Thoracic Surgery

  • Traumatology and Neurological surgery

  • Plastic Reconstruction surgery

  • Urology Surgery

  • Internal Medical Department

  • Gastro-enterology Department

  • Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dentistry

  • Imaging Department

  • Pharmacy Department

  • Laboratory Department

  • Opthalmology Department

  • Maternity Department

  • Gynecology Department

  • Oncology Department

  • Neurology

  • Pediatric Department
     

Sample Placement Profile - Pediatric Hospital

The largest pediatric hospital was established in 1974 and is run by the government.  The hospital offers the following services -

  • General and specialized consultations (Neonatology, hematology / Pulmonology, Nephrology / Gastroenterology / Diarrhea and malnutrition / Infectious diseases and dengue fever / Stomatology / Physiotherapy / Dermatology / Endocrinology)

  • Surgery (Abdomen, Urology / Traumatology, Orthopedics / Neurology / Plastic Surgery / Maxillofacial Surgery)

  • Paraclinical (Laboratory / Radiography and ultrasound)

  • Immunization (BCG / Polio / DPT (Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) / Measles / Hepatitis B / PCV)

  • Maternity and Gynecology
     

Note: Volunteers joining the Medical Project in Cambodia will have to devote a minimum of 2 weeks for the program. Departmental allocation shall depend on the discretion of the hospital, program duration and availability in the hospital. Participants doing the program for 2 weeks will be allotted to shadow in one department only. Final placement allocation is at the discretion of the local team. The above mentioned placement is a sample placement profile and final placement can be at a different hospital too depending on the local circumstances.


Volunteer Work Schedule

Volunteer Work Schedule

As a volunteer for the Medical Program in Cambodia, your general schedule would be:

Sunday - Arrival at the destination (Phnom Penh) 
An orientation session will be conducted by the local coordinator, covering the major topics such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behavior, food, and other suggestions for things to do in Cambodia.

Monday - Orientation and Welcome Lunch
Morning :
8:00-11:00: Orientation at office
11:00-12 noon : Bring to buy local Sim Card or necessities at market or currency exchange at market or Bank
12:00-1:30 pm : Welcome Lunch and orientation/advice by the team to set up the Grab App or Local TukTuk App and how to use it.

Afternoon:
1:30-4:30 pm: City Tour
4:30-5:00 pm : Traveling back to Office or Volunteer House

Tuesday: All volunteers will be brought to work at their respective placement and begin volunteer placement

Tuesday  to Fri - Volunteer work

Weekends - Free to explore the city / Head out to discover Siem Reap

Breakfast - 06:30 am onwards

Working hours at the placement - 09:30 am to 11:00 pm and 01:00 pm to 04:00 pm

Lunch - volunteers get two hours break in between work hours. You can either choose to return to the accommodation for lunch or you can carry packed lunch to the placement

Dinner - 07:00 pm onwards

The same work schedule continues from the second week onwards (Monday - Friday).

Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating on.


Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

  • The major tasks for volunteers in the medical program in Cambodia is to shadow the professionals and assist them whenever needed. Depending on your skills, you'll be assigned tasks. You can shadow and observe the doctors and nursing staff in treatments and procedures.

  • Volunteers are encouraged to be proactive and take keen interest in the procedures and treatments so as to get the best out of the experience.

  • As a short-term volunteer intern, do not expect to participate in the work as a professional or staff member would.

  • All volunteers are encouraged to be open minded and flexible and note that language barriers within the team can pose challenges in communication and task completion.

  • Some tasks may be reserved exclusively for healthcare professionals, limiting you to observing and providing assistance with small and specific tasks.

  • Participants can choose their department preference but the amount of work may vary from department to department and depending on the needs of the moment.
     


Project Requirement

Project Requirement

Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the program. Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Medical and Nursing students can apply for this program. Participants joining the Medical program need to provide additional documents such as Resume/CV, Passport copy etc, details of which will be provided.

Participants must be physically fit and in good health at the time of joining the program. Participants should have no criminal convictions and should provide a clean criminal background check before joining the project. 

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Living

Living

Airport Transfer
Volunteers are picked up from the Phnom Penh International Airport by a local representative of the team in Cambodia.Upon arrival, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and taken to the volunteer accommodation in Siem Reap. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the Sunday night before your program orientation

Orientation 
The program orientation begins on the first and third Monday of the month and volunteers need to arrive in Phnom Penh on the Sunday before orientation.

Orientation and briefing of the volunteers is conducted by our local team in Cambodia team at the volunteer house or team office. During the orientation information is provided about Cambodia history, safety, culture differences, expectations, working conditions, your project placement as well as weekend travel opportunities in and around Phnom Penh.

After the orientation volunteers are given a local tour of Phnom Penh city and also taken for a welcome meal.

Accommodation
Volunteers in Phnom Penh are provided accommodation in the shared volunteer house, host family or in a family operated centrally located guesthouse in Phnom Penh.

The volunteer house is conveniently located in the heart of Phnom Penh City near the Russian Market and Boeung Trabek market. The house provides volunteers with a comfortable, simple and relaxing place to live. Presently, the volunteer house can accommodate more than twenty volunteers in five rooms. Rooms in the house are on a shared basis with generally 3-5 volunteers sharing a room together. Rooms have fans and AC. If the volunteers need any help or assistance they can always come to the local team office, which is in the same building and literally right next door. Wifi Internet is available at the volunteer house.

Participants also have the option to choose to upgrade to a single private room at an additional charge at the guesthouse accommodation. In case of non availability at the volunteer house during busy periods, participants are provided accommodation in a guesthouse.

For those participants wishing to stay at a home stay, host family accommodation is also available.

All the locations provide a welcoming family or staff of helpful individuals who will always be available to help with any questions or issues you may have.

Laundry can be done from a laundry service and usually costs $0.5 - $1/Kg.

Meals
Cambodian cuisine is a fusion of cuisines from other countries in South East Asia such as Vietnam and Thailand. Cambodian food is light and healthy and is not very spicy and hot.

During your stay at the volunteer house, food will be provided at a restaurant which is 3 minutes walk from the house.

The menu will offer for selection of the foods you prefer :-

  • Breakfast: Usually starts from 6:10 AM -7: 30 AM, foods such as Baguette or slide bread with Butter jam or honey, peanut butter, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs, omelette or fruit plate.

  • Lunch: Usually starts from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, foods such as soup or stir-fried with a main dish consisting of rice, noodles, fresh vegetables, chicken, beef, or pork, volunteers eat with the other volunteers at a restaurant near the volunteer house with other volunteers.

  • Dinner: Usually starts from 5:40 PM – 7:00 PM, food is similar to lunch, so you typically come together to eat with others.

Participants staying in the guesthouse and host family accommodation are provided meals there itself.

During your Free Time
Phnom Penh has a lot to offer and you will always find something of interest to do and see during your free time. There are a lot of temples, museums, and historic sites to visit such as Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, Royal Palace, National Museum and Wat Phnom. You can also join the local Khmer cuisine cooking classes if that interests you!  Volunteers work from Monday to Friday and you will have the weekends free to relax and explore the country. The local team can also assist and suggest some options of destinations to visit. Other popular places to visit outside Phnom Penh are Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Kep.


Dates

Dates

November

17

December

01

15

Available

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Booked Out


Costs

Duration
Program Fee
Choose your currency
2 Weeks $795
3 Weeks $945
4 Weeks $1095
5 Weeks $1295
6 Weeks $1405
7 Weeks $1545
8 Weeks $1700
Extra Week $250

Please Note: An application fee of is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment.

What are you Paying For?

  • 24 hrs Assistance and support from staff
  • Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
  • Pick up from the airport
  • Orientation and Welcome lunch/dinner
  • Food 
  • Accommodation in volunteer house, host family or guesthouse
  • Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)
  • Certificate of Participation(On Request)

What's NOT Included?

  • Airfare
  • Return Trip to Airport 
  • Local Transportation
  • Visa Fees
  • Vaccinations

FAQ's

Application and Program Details

Are there any necessary requirements to participate in the Cambodia volunteer programs?

Does VolSol provides discount if I choose more than one program or if I am a returning volunteer?

Can I volunteer as part of a group?

When should I apply for the volunteer programs in Cambodia?

When do I need to arrive in Cambodia for my program? What will happen once I arrive here?

For how much time will I volunteer every day?

How long will it take to process my application? Will my application be accepted?

Does VolSol provides with a reference or a certificate after program completion?

Health and Safety

What immunizations/vaccinations will I need for traveling to Cambodia?

Do I need to buy a health insurance?

How safe is Phnom Penh in general?

Accommodation and Living

Will there be more expenses once I arrive in Cambodia?

Can I know more about the accommodation and food arrangements?

Where can I change my money in Phnom Penh? Are there ATMs in Phnom Penh?

Can vegetarians be accommodated?

Would I have free time during my program? Can I do sightseeing during my program?

Flights and Visa

Do I need a Visa to volunteer in Cambodia ?

What are the recommended inexpensive airline options to fly to Cambodia?

Connect with Past Volunteers

How can I connect with past Volunteering Solutions Cambodia alumni and other former and current volunteers?


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