Medical Volunteer Program in Cambodia

Overview

The healthcare system in Cambodia faces significant limitations in terms of equipment and infrastructure. While there are several private hospitals in urban areas, many low income patients are unable to afford the treatment and services there. Consequently, public hospitals become the primary option for those that need medical attention.

Our local partner team in Cambodia have cooperated with public hospitals for healthcare placements. This offers a variety of different experiences and perspectives of the medical care system in Cambodia from other countries.

The program is suitable for medical and nursing students looking to gain valuable exposure in an international hospital environment.

In addition to working with doctors, volunteers will also encounter nurses and nursing students across different departments. To maximise your learning experience, it is important for the volunteers to be proactive during their placements. Volunteers are encouraged to engage actively with the hospital staff and seek opportunities to learn and understand the hospital environment.

Participants in the medical program can give a preference of 3-4 departments from the following departments :–

Outpatient Department
Emergency Department
Medical Intensive Care- Unit
Intensive Care-Unit for Surgery
Abdominal and Thoracic Surgery
Traumatology and Neurological surgery
Plastic Reconstruction surgery
Urology Surgery
Internal Medical Department
Gastro-enterology Department
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dentistry
Imaging Department
Pharmacy Department
Laboratory Department
Opthalmology Department
Maternity Department
Gynecology Department
Oncology Department
Neurology
Pediatric Department

Sample Placement Profile - Pediatric Hospital

The largest pediatric hospital was established in 1974 and is run by the government. The hospital offers the following services -

General and specialized consultations (Neonatology, hematology / Pulmonology, Nephrology / Gastroenterology / Diarrhea and malnutrition / Infectious diseases and dengue fever / Stomatology / Physiotherapy / Dermatology / Endocrinology)
Surgery (Abdomen, Urology / Traumatology, Orthopedics / Neurology / Plastic Surgery / Maxillofacial Surgery)
Paraclinical (Laboratory / Radiography and ultrasound)
Immunization (BCG / Polio / DPT (Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) / Measles / Hepatitis B / PCV)
Maternity and Gynecology

Note: Volunteers joining the Medical Project in Cambodia will have to devote a minimum of 2 weeks for the program. Departmental allocation shall depend on the discretion of the hospital, program duration and availability in the hospital. Participants doing the program for 2 weeks will be allotted to shadow in one department only. Final placement allocation is at the discretion of the local team. The above mentioned placement is a sample placement profile and final placement can be at a different hospital too depending on the local circumstances.

Volunteer Work Schedule

As a volunteer for the Medical Program in Cambodia, your general schedule would be:

Sunday - Arrival at the destination (Phnom Penh)
An orientation session will be conducted by the local coordinator, covering the major topics such as safety, culture, language, places to visit, behavior, food, and other suggestions for things to do in Cambodia.

Monday - Orientation and Welcome Lunch
Morning :
8:00-11:00: Orientation at office
11:00-12 noon : Bring to buy local Sim Card or necessities at market or currency exchange at market or Bank
12:00-1:30 pm : Welcome Lunch and orientation/advice by the team to set up the Grab App or Local TukTuk App and how to use it.

Afternoon:
1:30-4:30 pm: City Tour
4:30-5:00 pm : Traveling back to Office or Volunteer House

Tuesday: All volunteers will be brought to work at their respective placement and begin volunteer placement

Tuesday to Fri - Volunteer work

Weekends - Free to explore the city / Head out to discover Siem Reap

Breakfast - 06:30 am onwards

Working hours at the placement - 09:30 am to 11:00 pm and 01:00 pm to 04:00 pm

Lunch - volunteers get two hours break in between work hours. You can either choose to return to the accommodation for lunch or you can carry packed lunch to the placement

Dinner - 07:00 pm onwards

The same work schedule continues from the second week onwards (Monday - Friday).

Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the particular project the volunteer is participating on.

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

The major tasks for volunteers in the medical program in Cambodia is to shadow the professionals and assist them whenever needed. Depending on your skills, you'll be assigned tasks. You can shadow and observe the doctors and nursing staff in treatments and procedures.
Volunteers are encouraged to be proactive and take keen interest in the procedures and treatments so as to get the best out of the experience.
As a short-term volunteer intern, do not expect to participate in the work as a professional or staff member would.
All volunteers are encouraged to be open minded and flexible and note that language barriers within the team can pose challenges in communication and task completion.
Some tasks may be reserved exclusively for healthcare professionals, limiting you to observing and providing assistance with small and specific tasks.
Participants can choose their department preference but the amount of work may vary from department to department and depending on the needs of the moment.

Project Requirement

Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the beginning of the program. Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Medical and Nursing students can apply for this program. Participants joining the Medical program need to provide additional documents such as Resume/CV, Passport copy etc, details of which will be provided.

Participants must be physically fit and in good health at the time of joining the program. Participants should have no criminal convictions and should provide a clean criminal background check before joining the project.

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Cambodia Medical Volunteering - Cambodia

Living

Airport Transfer
Volunteers are picked up from the Phnom Penh International Airport by a local representative of the team in Cambodia.Upon arrival, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and taken to the volunteer accommodation in Siem Reap. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the Sunday night before your program orientation

Orientation
The program orientation begins on the first and third Monday of the month and volunteers need to arrive in Phnom Penh on the Sunday before orientation.

Orientation and briefing of the volunteers is conducted by our local team in Cambodia team at the volunteer house or team office. During the orientation information is provided about Cambodia history, safety, culture differences, expectations, working conditions, your project placement as well as weekend travel opportunities in and around Phnom Penh.

After the orientation volunteers are given a local tour of Phnom Penh city and also taken for a welcome meal.

Accommodation
Volunteers in Phnom Penh are provided accommodation in the shared volunteer house, host family or in a family operated centrally located guesthouse in Phnom Penh.

The volunteer house is conveniently located in the heart of Phnom Penh City near the Russian Market and Boeung Trabek market. The house provides volunteers with a comfortable, simple and relaxing place to live. Presently, the volunteer house can accommodate more than twenty volunteers in five rooms. Rooms in the house are on a shared basis with generally 3-5 volunteers sharing a room together. Rooms have fans and AC. If the volunteers need any help or assistance they can always come to the local team office, which is in the same building and literally right next door. Wifi Internet is available at the volunteer house.

Participants also have the option to choose to upgrade to a single private room at an additional charge at the guesthouse accommodation. In case of non availability at the volunteer house during busy periods, participants are provided accommodation in a guesthouse.

For those participants wishing to stay at a home stay, host family accommodation is also available.

All the locations provide a welcoming family or staff of helpful individuals who will always be available to help with any questions or issues you may have.

Laundry can be done from a laundry service and usually costs $0.5 - $1/Kg.

Meals
Cambodian cuisine is a fusion of cuisines from other countries in South East Asia such as Vietnam and Thailand. Cambodian food is light and healthy and is not very spicy and hot.

During your stay at the volunteer house, food will be provided at a restaurant which is 3 minutes walk from the house.

The menu will offer for selection of the foods you prefer :-

Breakfast: Usually starts from 6:10 AM -7: 30 AM, foods such as Baguette or slide bread with Butter jam or honey, peanut butter, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs, omelette or fruit plate.
Lunch: Usually starts from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, foods such as soup or stir-fried with a main dish consisting of rice, noodles, fresh vegetables, chicken, beef, or pork, volunteers eat with the other volunteers at a restaurant near the volunteer house with other volunteers.
Dinner: Usually starts from 5:40 PM – 7:00 PM, food is similar to lunch, so you typically come together to eat with others.

Participants staying in the guesthouse and host family accommodation are provided meals there itself.

During your Free Time
Phnom Penh has a lot to offer and you will always find something of interest to do and see during your free time. There are a lot of temples, museums, and historic sites to visit such as Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, Royal Palace, National Museum and Wat Phnom. You can also join the local Khmer cuisine cooking classes if that interests you! Volunteers work from Monday to Friday and you will have the weekends free to relax and explore the country. The local team can also assist and suggest some options of destinations to visit. Other popular places to visit outside Phnom Penh are Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Kep.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia- Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Dates

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Available

Filling Fast

Booked Out

Costs

Duration	Program Fee	Choose your currency
2 Weeks	$795
3 Weeks	$945
4 Weeks	$1095
5 Weeks	$1295
6 Weeks	$1405
7 Weeks	$1545
8 Weeks	$1700
Extra Week	$250

Please Note: An application fee of is charged over and above the program fee as an application payment.

What are you Paying For?

24 hrs Assistance and support from staff
Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
Pick up from the airport
Orientation and Welcome lunch/dinner
Food
Accommodation in volunteer house, host family or guesthouse
Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)

What's NOT Included?

Airfare
Return Trip to Airport
Local Transportation
Visa Fees
Vaccinations

FAQ's

Application and Program Details

Are there any necessary requirements to participate in the Cambodia volunteer programs?: In Cambodia, the minimum duration of our programs is 2 weeks. Volunteers who choose the NGO Support Program need to participate for a minimum duration of 5 weeks.

You must be 18 years and above when you arrive at your project placement in Cambodia.

Participants enrolled in the Childcare and Teaching Project need to provide a Criminal Background Check Report as well.

Volunteers need to have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Cambodia is a country of different culture and traditions, though it is modernized but the cultural sensitivities need to be kept in mind before volunteering here.

Volunteers should be energetic and enthusiastic to make a difference.

Must be in good health.
Does VolSol provides discount if I choose more than one program or if I am a returning volunteer?: If you are planning to come for multiple programs during your trip, you will have to pay the application fee just once. Your application fee is valid for a year's time (from the date of application). You will not have to pay the application fees again if you come within the mentioned time frame.

For our returning volunteers, $50 discount is provided for the application fee for their next VolSol program.
Can I volunteer as part of a group?: Volunteering in a group is always a good idea and it’s highly encouraged. We recommend our volunteers to come with their colleagues, friends or families.
Volunteering in a group improves productivity and it’s also safe when you venture out for sightseeing after your work. Also, we can design special group programs for groups of 5 or more. Our programs are designed to be safe, affordable and offer a great group volunteering experience to the volunteers.
In our experience of more than 17+ years we have enabled and facilitated volunteer program placements for student groups- college groups, university groups, high school groups, group of families, group of couples as well as a group of colleagues.
When should I apply for the volunteer programs in Cambodia?: There is no deadline for registering your program. However, as we have limited spots available in our programs and we usually facilitate on first come first serve basis, we strongly recommend all volunteers to book their programs well in advance. We have volunteers booking their programs even one year in advance. So, it is a good idea to book the program as early as possible and reserve your spot. We also allow volunteers to change their program dates if they inform us before 45 days of program’s commencement.
When do I need to arrive in Cambodia for my program? What will happen once I arrive here?: The programs in Cambodia start on 1st and 3rd Monday of every month and participants need to arrive on the Sunday prior to that.

Volunteers are picked up from the Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) by the in-country coordinator or representative. Those volunteers who are arriving overland or are already in Cambodia will be picked up from the bus station or at a meeting point decided beforehand. Please do inform the in-country coordinator if your? flight is arriving late.
For how much time will I volunteer every day?: VolSol volunteers usually work for 5 to 6 hours a day, however, it is dependent on your program type. You will have the weekends to travel and explore the country.
Our in-country coordinator will guide you about the nearby places which you can explore during the weekday evenings as well.
How long will it take to process my application? Will my application be accepted?: After you complete your application, your personalized ‘My Account’ will be activated.You will need to upload your CV/Resume along with your photo in the same. Our backend team and the placement site takes around 10-12 days to review your application. After we review your CV and documents, your booking is confirmed and updated in your ‘My Account’. Some projects need a mandatory criminal background check and the same is mentioned in the project info of your program. Approval of your application depends on your qualification and eligibility criteria for each project.
Does VolSol provides with a reference or a certificate after program completion?: Yes, we will provide you with the Certificate after successful completion of your program. The certificate is provided on request.

Health and Safety

What immunizations/vaccinations will I need for traveling to Cambodia?: If you are traveling from a country with a risk of Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) transmission, you are required to show proof of Yellow Fever vaccination.

Apart from that, travelers are recommended to take the following vaccinations:

Hepatitis A and B

Typhoid

Tetanus

We would also request you to consult your travel doctor before going to Cambodia.
Do I need to buy a health insurance?: Yes, for all participants it is mandatory to have a travel medical insurance. To provide the best option to our participants, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage in collaboration with a leading insurance provider at a very nominal price.
How safe is Phnom Penh in general?: Cambodia as a whole is a safe place for tourists in general. Our volunteer accommodation and placements are located in a safe and friendly neighborhood in Phnom Penh. However, as in any other big city, you need to be vigilant when venturing out alone and drinking with strangers and also take general safety measures. All volunteers are recommended to follow safety procedures and guidelines provided by the in-country coordinator in the orientation session.

Accommodation and Living

Will there be more expenses once I arrive in Cambodia?: Your program fee covers everything - from your food, accommodation, airport pick-up, orientation, pre-departure information, and in-country staff support. You will need to cover your personal expenses, such as traveling, telephone, shopping, sightseeing etc.

Local Transportation to the projects is not included in the program fee. You can expect to spend around $5 to $12 per day for the transport. On an average, we recommend around $100 per week for your personal expenses.
Can I know more about the accommodation and food arrangements?: In Cambodia, accommodation is provided in the volunteer house, a family run guest house in central Phnom Penh or with a Cambodian host family depending on your preference, availability and the final project allocation.

Staying with a local host family is exciting and a very good opportunity for the volunteers to get to know the traditional customs, culture and ‘way of living’ of Cambodians. Our volunteers usually stay with middle-class families.

All host families are carefully selected and approved by the local staff and have past experience of hosting international volunteers. All accommodations have running water and electricity available.
At guest house accommodation, 2-3 volunteers share a room, on same gender basis. Each room has its own bathroom with western-style facilities and showers. All rooms have fans and a separate bathroom is attached to every room. Air-conditioning is also available for an additional cost.Volunteers can have the opportunity to relax, to eat and to socialize with other volunteers on the second floor of the guest house.
The communal area for the volunteers is set up there.The guest house has a very family friendly atmosphere and participants enjoy their stay there.The house is a great place to meet and interact with other like-minded volunteers from different parts of the world. The accommodation has Wifi service available and laundry service is also available at an additional charge.
Volunteers are provided with three meals a day. Cambodian food is light and healthy and is not very spicy and hot. It is a fusion of different Southeast Asian cuisines and meals usually comprise of Rice, Vegetables, Chicken, Beef, and noodles.
Where can I change my money in Phnom Penh? Are there ATMs in Phnom Penh?: You can change money at any bank or at the airport by showing your passport. There are ATM's located all around the capital city of Phnom Penh. It is recommended to check and keep yourself updated with the current exchange rates.
Can vegetarians be accommodated?: Yes – please do ensure that you inform the local team about your food preference and they can ensure that you are able to order the best food! Also, please do mention your specific food preference in the application form as well.
Would I have free time during my program? Can I do sightseeing during my program?: Your weekends and evenings will be free for you to indulge in some sightseeing and explore in and around Phnom Penh. You can visit the temples of Angkor near Siem Reap city in the west, the beaches of Sihanoukville and coastal towns along the southern coast and also the jungle villages along the countryside. (Of course, one just can’t afford to miss visiting the ruins of Angkor Wat when in Cambodia!)

We encourage our volunteers to travel. We have designed various weekend tours which can be booked under the Add-on Tours section in your ‘My Account’.

Your in-country coordinator will also help you book and organize the tours once you are in the country.

Flights and Visa

Do I need a Visa to volunteer in Cambodia ?: Citizens of most countries can receive a 30-day tourist Visa on arrival. You can apply for an E-Visa before going to Cambodia. For volunteers planning to stay in Cambodia for more than 30 days, business Visa is recommended.
What are the recommended inexpensive airline options to fly to Cambodia?: Phnom Penh International Airport (Airport Code: PNH) is well connected with flights from major Asian and Middle Eastern destinations.

Most volunteers coming from Europe and North America have a layover in South Korea, Qatar, Vietnam or Thailand and then take a connecting flight to Phnom Penh.

The following carriers operate regular flights to Phnom Penh –

Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Tigerair, Dragon Air, Bangkok Airways, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air China flights, Thai AirAsia and SilkAir.

Connect with Past Volunteers

How can I connect with past Volunteering Solutions Cambodia alumni and other former and current volunteers?: We encourage volunteers to get in touch with former Volunteering Solutions participants and also other program participants joining our projects. You are recommended to join the Volunteering Solutions Facebook Page or Facebook Group and connect with other participants and our team.

To read alumni interviews from past participants, visit the Meet a Volunteer section on our website.

To view feedback reports and testimonials from Volunteering Solutions Cambodia program participants, click here.