Physical Therapy Placements in Bolivia with Projects Abroad

  Bolivia

• Other Cities in Bolivia: 
Rural Areas

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 3-6 months and 7-12 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: Year Round / Rolling - Starts

Description: Bolivia is a fantastic place to spend time volunteering or interning on an international medical placement in South America. Volunteering on a Medicine & Healthcare project in Boliva can be done as part of a college summer break, a gap year, a career-break, or during a vacation. As a Medicine & Healthcare volunteer you will gain a great deal of valuable work-experience alongside some of the most skilled doctors in the country. The facilities are generally of a decent standard, on a par with many hospitals in the west.

Whether you are a student joining us before going to a physical therapy school, or already have physical therapy knowledge and experience, the doctors in Bolivia are eager for you to be involved. Enthusiasm and a willingness to learn - and also to help staff with their duties - will ensure that your experience is second to none.

At the Burns Unit there is also a lot of scope for volunteers who are qualified as, or wish to become, physical therapists. If you already have a certain level of expertise, we can find a suitably specialized role for you.

Working in the Burns Unit can be shocking and volunteers need to be well prepared. Situations where patients are badly burned, and treatment is painful and uncomfortable can be very hard to witness, especially when you are new on the placement. However, by helping here you will start to understand the problems faced in Bolivia, and your presence and assistance will make a difference to both the patients and the staff.

The Burns Unit can only take interns who are committed to working with them for three months or more.

Highlights: Bolivia is a fantastic option for your volunteer project or internship abroad. Landlocked Bolivia occupies the heart of South America. Its attractions include Andean Peaks, tropical Amazonian forests, bustling cities and peaceful traditional communities. Bolivia will give you a real taste of this varied continent, usually a long way off the tourist trail.

Squeezed between five other countries, it's unsurprising that Bolivia's history is full of border disputes. Consequently, Bolivian culture is a melting pot of Amerindian and European. On any visit to Bolivia you will encounter local festivals and activities; people might be throwing water-balloons at each other, or there could be street processions full of color and vibrancy.

All accommodation is organized, paid for and monitored by Projects Abroad. All project placements are regularly visited and checked. We require high standards of supervision and accommodation, which are verified before you arrive in Bolivia.

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.

Qualifications: Interns on the Medicine & Healthcare internship will need intermediate Spanish in order to communicate directly with the majority of doctors and patients. However, we can arrange a translator for interns who do not have sufficient Spanish language skills. Many interns who lack confidence in their Spanish normally take a Language course or join a Teaching or Care project before beginning their Medicine & Healthcare internship. This gives you the opportunity to improve your language skills before starting the medical part of your internship.

Cost in US$: USD 2,995 and up

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Open-minded with a willingness to travel.

Age Range: 16-80

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Bolivia Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 2-5

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

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