Prashanth, Sam, Patrick, and Alex, are four Australian medical center volunteers who account the ups and downs they experienced during their time in Buenos Aires. They shared their insight on topics such as, the professional impact of their decision to come here, some obstacles they came across in placement, observations about the industry, and advice for future volunteers.

 Language Barrier

The presence of a language barrier is the most common apprehension about coming to Buenos Aires. Prashanth explained how the language barrier influenced his experience.

 “It was tough. We did study Spanish before we came here, but it’s one thing to study Spanish than actually be in the heat of the moment. Dr. Navarro does speak a little bit of English, and because it’s medicine, the words are quite similar. The first day, he had all these bones in his office, and we were comparing the names in English in Spanish with the different landmarks in the bones. It’s like a parallel language. You can kind of understand. Drugs often have the same names.”

Regardless of how technical your language use may be in Argentina, finding a common linguistic ground is an exciting learning experience. Additionally, as Prashant leads to before, being among natives is significantly more useful towards learning a language than sitting in a classroom. Consider every conversation with a native to be like a private Spanish lesson.

Building Professional Relationships

During this experience, the guys shadowed Dr. Navarro in the clinic. He was their local coordinator, mentor, and the lead Doctor in the medical facility. Sam explained his relationship with his mentor:

 “It was good. The first time we got there he was quite open and friendly, he made us some mate which was nice. Mate was good! We’ve been making mate at home.”

 Local coordinators are a great resource of volunteer placement, in this case Dr. Navarro was not only open and friendly a professional manner, but he also made sure the volunteers where settling well into the culture as a whole. Dr. Navarro is none for making volunteers feel comfortable throughout their experience.

Daily Tasks

While everyday can pose different obstacles and opportunities in a volunteer experience, some typical daily tasks remained the same. Patrick explained:

 “We would shadow Dr. Navaro and see patients with him. The patient would come in he’d talk a bit to the patient, talk to us a little bit. If we wanted to have a talk with the patient we could try. We would look through the charts. If they had X Rays or stuff like that we could look through. There were different procedures that we could perform.” 

So, daily tasks usually involve presence and engagement with the mentor. Observation hours are crucial in the medical field as you can note not only how diagnoses are made and carried out, but you can also learn about how the Doctor conducts his practice as a whole, including his relationships with his patients and colleagues.

 Career Exploration/ Professional Development

Volunteering abroad can give you experience in your industry that both looks good on your resume, and helps with future decisions regarding your career. When asked if his time in Buenos Aires had provided any insight on his career path, Alex stated:

 “Dr. Navaro is a Traumatologist and I think I want to be a Traumatologist now. Just like him. So he’s an inspiration to me.”

 Clearly, an experience like this is rather professionally insightful.

The four Australians seemed to have had an amazing time in Buenos Aires and in their placement. They got to explore a new city while still furthering their career. Prashanth gave parting words to future volunteers….

“I would tell them go for it. You can have a great time in Buenos Aires or wherever you go, and you can always learn. It is possible to balance those interests. You don’t have to just lock yourself in a library and study the whole time.”

Founded by a group of locals, the independent sala de auxilio is located in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, only 40 minutes away from the city center. Its institution arose from the necessity, in the indigent neighborhood, of quick and efficient health care. The impossibility to undertake private health care, the unaffordable prices, and the extenuating times of Argentine public health were taken over by the independent organization.  During the last economical crisis, the health center made it through thanks to the locals’ dedication and commitment. Today, the sala de auxilio offers small fees, devolving 70% to the doctor in charge and 30% to staff and maintenance. It provides its patients with a wide range of specialized medical services, spreading from pediatrics, to gynecology, dentistry, orthopedics, kinesiology, orthopedics, cardiology, clinical medicine, psychiatry and psychology. The center aims at improving professionally, possibly acquiring surgery and research facilities.

Like in a cooperative, the hierarchy within the members of staff, doctors, nurses and volunteers, is far from being rigid. The vibe of the center is welcoming and friendly, the Peruvian nurse, Ayde cooks lunch for everyone, and the doctor complains when she doesn’t cook and buys pizza instead. Rosario and Tina, two young psychologists, speak about the service provided as a very convenient option for the locals. Ayde confesses that she enjoys working with volunteers, getting to know their languages and cultures, and points out how they all contribute to the warm environment of the center.

One of the sources of the sustainability of the sala de auxilio is constituted by the work of Voluntario Global. The Voluntario Global team in fact helps, by means of its international channels, to furnish the center with qualified volunteers. Among these Arthur, 22, from Belgium, is a young medicine student that has chosen to embark on this project. Having departed over his summer break, Arthur left willing to gain professional work experience and improve his Spanish. Moreover, he states how this format of medical experience allowed him to be of help for a community, to undergo cultural confrontations and, doubtlessly, to travel.

His merging in the job, he explains, has been smooth and gradual. He started by simply listening and following the doctor, and has been progressively given responsibilities, never without the guide of a professional. By the end of the placement, he was proficient with the instruments provided in the center, such as X rays, electrocardiograms, and ultrasounds. His tasks also entailed cleaning and draining wounds, make and remove sutures, removing casts and bandages, apply injections, make suitable auscultations and physical exams.

The center offers the opportunity of trying several different medical fields, which is a great opportunity for a non-specialized student to try himself in different tasks and grasp his own areas of interest. Furthermore, Arthur mentioned how the placement has been very motivational towards the prosecution of his university career, which is completely detached from the professional practice.

Arthur tells of the center as a place where you are very much helped and welcomed. He explains how his colleagues with an elementary Spanish are also helped and never fail to communicate. He jokes with the members of staff, drinks mate in the kitchen in his breaks, and is by now fluent in Spanish. He tells about the relationship with his patients, who are curious to know about his nationality, his origin, and always want to chat.

The focus on the medical formation and interchange is successfully met by the project, as the volunteer acknowledges. The message Arthur left to future volunteers is to leave with an open mind, ready to embrace what they are offered to learn. As a matter of fact, the encounter with community members, the establishment of professional relationships and human boundaries contribute to shape an experience which is comprehensively professional, cultural, and personal.