If You Don’t Have a Global Brigades Chapter at Your University and You Are Unable to Start One, Joining a Brigade From a Different University Is a Great Option.
How can I join an existing Brigade from a university I'm not attending?
If you'd like to join an existing Brigade, complete this form by clicking "Join a Chapter." You will be asked to provide your full name, email, phone number, and the school you attend. After clicking "Submit," you will be contacted by one of our team members to schedule a quick meeting to go over your options and provide a list of potential Medical Brigades available for you to join.
What is a donation goal and what does it include?
The Donation Goal is required by each volunteer to participate in a Brigade. Part of your Donation Goal allows us to follow up with our community partners year-round to continue offering healthcare services and medication beyond your Brigade.
It also includes the following:
- Support you will offer the community when you go to Brigade
- Airfare
- Accommodations while on Brigade
- All of your meals
- Transportation to and from the airport
- Transportation to and from our communities
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Insurance
Does the Donation Goal include flights?
Yes! Your Donation Goal includes airfare for U.S.-based volunteers. If you'd prefer to book flights on your own, that's not a problem.
How long will I be on a Brigade?
You can expect to be on Brigade for 7–8 days.
Should I be worried about language barriers?
We always have translators on-site. That said, it's always a great idea to learn some conversational phrases in the language you'll be exposed to on a Brigade.
What will I do on a Brigade?
Brigades can vary by mission and by country. Generally, on a Medical Brigade, the core is the medical clinic where you will rotate through stations while shadowing local healthcare professionals.
Clinics 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 of our doctors and community members.
At the pharmacy station, you'll help with the supply of medication. We also have a charla station. The word "charla" means "chat" in Spanish, and it's a short lecture where you'll facilitate a workshop on a health-related topic, e.g. chronic disease or stress. This is the educational component of a Brigade. You'll also get involved with data informatics to help us keep a medical record of our patients.
Countries like Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Belize include dental stations with education about oral hygiene and preventative care. In Ghana, we have a vision station. For Brigades in Greece, we have OBGYN, pediatrics, and ophthalmology stations.