Medicine Volunteer Projects in India

Joining a Medicine & Healthcare programme in India is a real eye-opener. You will see a medical and healthcare system that in many ways reflects the West but is interspersed with local influences.

You may find a doctor trained in Europe who will not carry out an operation because of the position of the stars! You will come across tropical diseases rarely encountered in the West and conditions that have not been diagnosed until very advanced stages.

Our medical placements are located in and around the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Our placements include Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Neurology, Dermatology, Urology, Ophthalmology, Dentistry, Diabetology, ENT, Oncology, Radiology and opportunities to observe surgery at busy general hospitals. The medical team also organises visits to other centres in and around Madurai including a centre for traditional medicine, a mental health centre and a leprosarium.

There are also options in centres working with speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy programmes.

A placement specialising in Ayurvedic treatment is also available. Medical placements in India usually involve rotations between different departments, but if you would like to specialise in one area, we can arrange for you to concentrate your time in a particular department at a hospital.

The breadth of knowledge and experience that you will receive in India is quite incredible; you will be working with doctors who enjoy the opportunity to impart their specialised knowledge to enthusiastic students. If you have no experience, Doctors will show you all they can and introduce you to many different cases. If you come with a medical background, you will be given more responsibility and the potential to get more hands-on work.

"The Medicine & Healthcare programme was exciting - I saw a lot of medical complaints that I would never see in the UK. The days were packed with surgery, gynaecology and paediatrics, so I had a great time"
Cassandra Brown, Medicine & Healthcare volunteer in India

Volunteer Physiotherapy in India

If you wish to volunteer as a physiotherapist in India, there are opportunities to work in a range of hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centres. Current options include working at a physiotherapy clinic, Leprosy clinic, hospice or rehabilitation centre.

Volunteer Nursing & Midwifery in India

If you can give your time by volunteering as a nurse or midwife, then there are many opportunities to work in Maternity clinics as well as in multi-specialty hospitals. As a Nursing or Midwifery volunteer, you will mostly observe a variety of births, caesarean sections, gynaecological and obstetric procedures. Though there may be limited hands on work, our volunteers play an important role in providing emotional support to many patients.

Volunteer Dentistry in India

Volunteering as a dentist means that you will be placed in and around Madurai. The supervising dentists at these placements are very willing to teach volunteers about their work and to test the knowledge of those who are currently Dentistry students. For those who are qualified, it may be possible to assist with dental procedures.

Elective Placements in India

You can do an Elective in India in Medicine, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Midwifery or Dentistry.

If you wish to do your elective in India, you are sure to have an unusual yet very rewarding experience. You will shadow one of our supervisors who all speak English and are very experienced at working with western medical and healthcare students. They will be keen to test out your medical knowledge, as well as giving you the benefit of their training and experience.

There is plenty to do in India and as one of our most popular destinations, there will always be a large Projects Abroad volunteer community to spend time with.