1. Do I need to know Spanish before the trip?
2. What’s included/not included in the price?
3. Is Ecuador safe?
4. Are there any absolute requirements?
5. What do the fundraised money and donations go toward?
6. Where will I stay?
7. Can I come earlier/stay longer?
8. Will I have any spare time?
9. As a premed/medical student, what will be my experiences in the hospitals?
10. What vaccines will I need?
11. Will I be able to call or email home?
12. From what schools have previous participants come?
1. Do I need to know Spanish before the trip?
While all levels of spanish are encouraged to join, medical students in particular must have a basic beginners level. If you have no previous knowledge of spanish, you may come one week early (the beginning dates noted on the program description page) for an intense spanish immersion course. During this week you will not be working in the hospitals, but complete a 20 hour intense course in beginning spanish.
2. What’s included/not included in the price?
The total price includes a nonrefundable application fee, pickup from Quito international airport, roundtrip transportation from Quito to Baños, housing, Spanish classes, weekend trips/activities (and associated lodging, food-except for beach trip, transportation, museum fees), travel health insurance, and complimentary beginner salsa lesson.
For those of you electing to enhance your experience by staying in a native homestay family, your price also includes 2 homecooked meals a day and laundry.
Not included are airfare, meals in Baños (exluding homestay students), meals during the weekend beach trip, alcoholic beverages, personal shopping/souvenirs, internet and phone use, and exit airport tax upon returning to US.
3. Is Ecuador safe?
While much safer than its neighbors, Peru and Columbia, large cities such as Quito have higher reports of petty crime. Pick pocketing is very common in crowded areas of the capitol city, so good travel sense is a must. Armed robbery is unusual. In Quito avoid walking alone at night and take extra care in crowded areas such as the Trolly and Ecovia buses.
Baños however is much safer and you don’t typically see any of the problems associated with the “big cities”. However, one should still never leave valuables unattended, as students have had their unattended digital cameras and purses stolen while unattended. Please visit the US department of state website for travel warnings at http://travel.state.gov/travel.
4. Are there any absolute requirements?
Program participants must be at least 18 years old with a valid US Passport. US citizens are allowed a maximum visit of up to 90 days without a visa. Non US citizens should check with the Ecuadorian Consulate to see if a visa is required for country entry. All participants must be willing to fundraise for either monetary donations or donated medical goods.
5. What do the fundraised money and donations go toward?
Donated money will go towards our projects focused on improving the health and wellbeing for impoverished individuals of Ecuador that would not otherwise have access to medical necessities and social services. This includes, but is not limited to, payment of medical office visits, hospital stays, medications, physical therapy supplies, learning tools for children, diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, laboratory work, emergency food, emergency shelter, emergency non-food hygiene goods, and purchasing of needed medical equipment for health facilities. A small portion will be used towards business expenses, but this is kept to under 10 percent of all funds. Donated goods will be given to local health facilities.
6. Where will I stay?
Students will be placed in either local home-stay families or in local hostels in town, all within walking distance of the town center, Spanish schools, and one of two hospital sites. Students are placed in very comfortable and clean single, double, or triple private rooms with private baths.
7. Can I come earlier/stay longer?
All participants must arrive on the specified program start dates. Students are welcome to extend their stay paying for all associated additional expenses themselves, but will not be guaranteed accompanied airport drop-off outside the specified pickup or return date.
8. Will I have any spare time?
All evenings are free. There are planned weekend excursions each weekend which are included in the price. You are always free to not participate in these excursions; however no refunds can be given for activities that you electively choose not to participate in.
9. As a premed/medical student, what will be my experiences in the hospitals?
Your hospital and clinic experiences will inevitably vary according to your level of experience, comfort level, Spanish level, and the particular doctor you are working with. Pre-med and 1st year students can expect a more observational role but should have the opportunity to learn to take accurate medical histories, learn physical exam techniques, help with ER triage, and learn the techniques of scrubbing into surgery cases. 4th year students should take on a more hands-on role once comfortable with physical examinations, office procedures, laboring patients, and surgery cases. Being proactive will to a large extent dictate what experiences are presented to you.
10. What vaccines will I need?
Please visit the CDC website (Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov) for up-to-date information on recommended vaccines for Ecuador. All students that may be exposed to blood and bodily fluids should be vaccinated for Hepatitis B. It is recommended that all students receive Hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever, and Yellow Fever vaccinations. Malaria pills are recommended for the trips to the Jungle and beach.
11. Will I be able to call or email home?
There is an abundance of internet cafes and phone cabins in Baños. Current rates are about $2/hr of internet use and 10 cents/min calls to the US. There is also the recommended option of purchasing a cell phone for as little as $35 and buying prepaid phone cards. Incoming text messages and phone calls are free.
12. From what schools have previous participants come?
- University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Medicine
- Stony Brook Medical School
- Temple University
- Drexel Universeity College of Medicine
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
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