Medicine and Healthcare Experience and Observation in the Dominican Republic

I had such a good time here in the Dominican
Republic. Mainly due to many nice people I met
and friends I made during my time with Aldeas de
Paz. They all amazed me by their incredible
heartwarming attitude and their heartwarming
attitude. My workplace at the hospital was really
interesting because I had the opportunity to work
with HIV patients and experience the medical
system of a developing country. The only
disadvantage was the fact that there was
sometimes not enough work for me and my
coworker because we did not have any
qualifications a nurse or a doctor would have had.
However, the people we worked with were very
supportive and willing to get in touch with us and
because of that I made some good friends in the
hospital.
I also enjoyed the free time activities we did
together. There are so many things to do,
especially going to the beaches and the bars!
A huge thank you to the Fundation which gave me
the opportunity to be part of a great team and also

to my coordinators who treated us like friends and
supported us during tough times.

If you think of the Dominican Republic you will think of sun, hot weather, the caribbean and clear blue water. But this island has more to offer than you see as a regular tourist. To get to know the life in the Dominican Republic (DR) and fulfill a clerkship for my university I decided to live and work on the island for roughly a month. In the following I want to describe the experiences I gained.
My journey started with the simple idea of going abroad to get to know the daily life in a country very different to my home, Germany. Moreover I wanted to gain experience in my future carrier as a doctor. Therefore I searched the internet and found through studentsgoabroad.com the Aldeas de Paz foundation in Samana, DR. They offered exactly what I was looking for, a voluntary placement in a hospital in Samana with an accommodation among other volunteers in town. Finding the organisation was the hardest part, after that everything went smoothly; filling in applications, booking the flight and packing the suitcases. The Aldeas de Paz foundation gave very detailed information what to bring, especially as a volunteer in a hospital, such as uniform, gloves, etc. and always answered all questions I had concerning my journey. After getting all the necessary vaccinations, I started to freshen up my spanish skills again, which are very helpful for communicating with the patients.
The day of departure came faster than expected and I flew to the Dominican Republic. After a short stay at the capital I was already in Samana, got picked up by Manfred, the headcoordinator of the foundation and introduced to the other volunteers I will be living with. Just two days later, after I settled in and bought all necessities, I was already introduced to Dr. Flor, which is the head doctress of the hospital. She gave me a tour of the hospital and showed me where I will work in the next weeks. All in all a very smooth and fast start in my new volunteer work.
Working in the DR was a great experience. After getting used to different costums, for example that everybody talks at the same time in a very loud voice, I was able to get to know the doctors very well and became friends with them. The illnesses you see in the DR are different and in most cases more severe than in our western countries, such as infectiouse diseases. Overall working in the DR is very different than working in any western hospital. Even though technology is very advanced in the hospital, doctors rely more on basic observation and palpations skills, which teaches you all the basics, doctors in the western civilization may have forgotten. If you want to take the most out of the hospital experience, it helps if you know some spanish, but moreover you should speak up and say what you want. If you have any concernes ask Dr. Flor or Manfred, both of them are very eager helping you and making the most out of your stay. All in all working in such a hospital is a great experience that broadens your personal as well as medical perspectives on medicine and illnesses enormeously.
But the life in the DR is not just work. Weekends are always free to explore the huge variety the island has to offer. Just to mention some peaks: beaches even more picturouse than any textbook can show, mountains with gorgeouse, breathtaking viewpoints and stunning hikes. As well as great waterfalls and canyons which are hikable, or other adventurouse exercices such as scuba diving, paragliding, etc. Everything is possible in the DR and just a couple hours away from where we lived. To make it even better I was able to explore all of that with the other volunteers, new friends I got to know, who make those places even more remarkable than they are.
The huge blend of cultures within the volunteering group, as well as the culture of the inhabitants of the DR, makes you broaden your view extremly. I was able to get to know the locals well enough, thus advancing in spanish, and become friends with them as well as having friends now all over the world, through our volunteering group.
In summary I want to thank the Aldeas de Paz foundation with all the volunteers and espacielly Manfred and Dr. Flor without whom this project would not be possible. For me it was not just a great experience but I also left parts of me there which makes me sure to say that I will come back again to visit. Thanks Dominican Republic!

I'm Medana, i am from Germany, i did in Samaná one mouth volunteer at the hospital. Was a very interesting experience. I was working with doctors and nurses at the Pediatric, Emergency, Maternity,  Diabetics and Surgery. I was observing them how they work but in the same time i was helping them. I liked  to work in a hospital in Dom. Republic, is more different then in Germany. Was a experience that will help me for the future. I see a lot of things different now. The people here are very nice and friendly. 
I've lived with the host family. They are amazing people, very big and great family. We spend a lot of time together, we did trips together. They help me every time I need it. With them i start to know a lot about the country, culture and the town and i can speak better spanisch now. I hope i can see them soon. I spend also time with the other volunteers, we worked together,  we did excursions, we spend a lot of time together, we had very much fun. Was really nice here. The beaches are so beautiful. Is like paradise. My favorite was Playa Las Terrenas. There are more beaches to visit: Playa Rincon, Playa Las Galeras, Playa Cayo Levantado, Playa Escondida. This are amazing beaches to see.
I had a amazing time here and i want to thank you everyone who was in this project. I hope i can come back one day.

My volunteer work here in Samana has been a time that I will never forget. Prior to coming, I had very little experience in nursing, so I was eager to see what my work in the hospital would consist of. Rather than working in one specific area, I was able to experience many different areas of the hospital, which allowed me to see and learn an immense amount. From taking the blood pressure of diabetic patients to being taught what muscles were being cut in various surgical procedures, I truly enjoyed my time in the hospital. I also learned how to measure a pregnant belly (and interpret these measurements), properly give a shot, and analyze a newborn baby. Additionally, I taught you English to the medical staff at this same hospital. We introduced basic terms needed for everyday day life, as well as useful medical vocabulary and grammatical principles. This was one of the more rewarding experiences I had while in Samana, as these doctors and nurses continued to progress quickly and were always eager to learn and improve. For a week and a half of my months stay, I spent the afternoons working in the Mama Elba school for special needs children. Having a special needs brother myself, this is something I have always been passionate about and loved doing. Through helping them learn how to read and write and playing educationally stimulating games, I formed unique and fulfilling relationships. My time in the Dominican has been an unforgettable experience and one that I am grateful to have.

My name is Christopher Murray, I am entering my 4th year of University in Canada hoping to become a doctor someday, and I have just finished a 12-week volunteer placement in the Medicine and Health Care Program. My intentions with this program were to get some clinical volunteering experience unique to a developing, rural setting as well as to spend some time outside of my comfort zone. After 12 weeks, I am very satisfied with my experience after achieving what I wanted and more.
When I originally decided to come here, I had 4 months to prepare for the trip. Being from Canada, I had almost no exposure to Spanish prior to my decision so that was a major insecurity for me. Coming here, there is a major shock of having to operate in a completely foreign language but that is quickly subdued when you see that the locals are some of the most welcoming, understanding, and patient people you can meet. Many of the shop owners know some level of conversational English so when they realize you are not exactly a tourist, they are more than happy to exchange some conversational tips and practice with you. All you have to do is ask. There are also Spanish classes at both beginner and intermediate levels that are offered and they are absolutely superb for training your ear and building your Spanish grammatical base.
Specific to my program, I felt very accommodated to which I am so grateful for. Dr. Flor and Manfred both made sure that I could function properly wherever I was assigned and most importantly, they reciprocated being available and open to any feedback and ideas I had. In that environment, I felt that I was effective and helpful which was very rewarding and made me waking up on the work days very excited for what was to come.
Living in Samana has been an absolutely wonderful experience. Experiencing Samana reminded me of my docile home town but with a Caribbean twist. As I have mentioned before, the locals are extremely welcoming and nice which quickly made me feel comfortable and welcome. During the weekends, there was always something to do whether it was an impromptu trip to one of the local beaches, dancing at an outside discotheques on the Malecon, or an adventure exploring the island. One of the best aspects about participating with this organization is having volunteers here from all around the world to share experiences with. I absolutely loved the cultural exchanges that took place within the organization and I will always remember the friendships I made here.