How can I join an existing brigade from a university I'm not attending?
If you'd like to join an existing brigade, please complete this form by clicking "Apply now." It won't be submitted until you click "Submit" so you can easily browse the medical brigades accepting independent volunteers at the moment. You'll see the university you'll be joining, their brigade dates, and brigade country. After you let us know your preferred choices, we'll connect you with the brigade leader and the GB staff member working with the chapter in case you have questions about logistics.
What is a donation goal and what does it include?
When you complete the form linked above, it will show you how much money you'd have to fundraise to attend a brigade. This is what we call a donation goal (DG). The DG includes:
- The support you will offer the community when you go on brigade
*Part of your DG allows us to follow up with our community partners all year round to continue offering healthcare services and medication* - Airfare
- Accommodation while on brigade
- All of your meals
- Transportation to and from the airport
- Transportation to and from our communities
- PPE
- Insurance
Does the donation goal include flights?
Yes! Donation goals include airfare for US based volunteers. If you'd prefer to book flights on your own, that's not a problem.
How long will I be on brigade?
You can expect to be on brigade for 7–8 days or a week.
Should I be worried about language barriers?
No, we always have translators on-site.
What will I do on brigade?
At the core of our brigades are the clinic days where you will rotate through different stations while you shadow local healthcare professionals. We have a triage station where you'll gather the medical history of a patient. In the general consultation room, you'll watch as our doctors diagnose our community members. We try to make it as interactive as possible so feel free to ask questions to our doctors and community members. We have an OBGYN station to conduct pap smears. Prostate exams aren't as common due to the stigma they carry in these communities. There's a pharmacy station where you will help with the supply of medication. We have a charla station where you'll facilitate a workshop on a health-related topic (e.g. chronic disease, stress...etc.). You'll also get involved with data informatics to help us keep a medical record of our patients.
A dental station is found in Guatemala, Hondura and Panama brigades. In Honduras, we have an optometrist on-site while in Greece, there's an ophthalmologist at our Athens clinic. In Panama, we also have a physiologist on brigade.
*Stations and specialties may vary from country to country.