DISEASE

While working to help alleviate AIDS is a well-publicized (and important) issue, hunger, lack of clean water, and various other diseases also affect the health of the world’s population on a large scale. Opportunities are available in a wide array of settings, from hospitals to school clinics, healthcare offices to out in the field, digging wells to create clean water supplies. While you don’t need to be a doctor to help, if you’re studying medicine, getting your bearings by working or volunteering abroad would add a lot of value to your MD résumé.

HALF FULL: CLEAN WATER VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS

Our world is royally screwed when it comes to water. One out of every eight people in the world don’t have access to sufficient drinking water—that’s nearly a billion people. Some women and girls in less developed African countries walk four hours each day to retrieve water, a hike that leaves them wide open to heat strokes and attacks by humans or animals. The time it takes to just get water makes it difficult to find time for schooling, and what they do end up retrieving often resembles porta-potty slush—sometimes because it is. One out of every four people in the world (two fucking billion people!) doesn’t have a toilet. More people have cell phones than have toilets. This lethal combination of water shortage and contamination affects 840,000 people a year. Half are children. These numbers are no doubt hard to swallow.

While the task of fixing this seems overwhelming, there are many organizations fighting the global water crisis. Wells are dug, boreholes are constructed, pumps are installed, pipes are laid, and new water-purification methods are constantly being tested and implemented. When looking to volunteer with an NGO (nongovernmental organization), be sure they have funding transparency and ask about their sustainability plans. A water pump that breaks after nine months does a community no good if they have no mechanic, parts, or money to fix it. Here are a couple nonprofits to get your search started.

WORLD WATER CORPS

World Water Corps (WWC)—the field division of Water for People (WaterForPeople.org)—researches communities and locations in developing nations that have a safe-water crisis. Data is collected and analyzed intensely to ensure a sustainable location is set up within a dedicated community. WWC not only makes it a point to engage the communities, but also relies on them 100 percent to dig the wells themselves and construct the latrines. It becomes a personal investment for everyone in the community, and not just a handout. WWC is on-site to monitor the entire operation, but in reality it becomes a project by the community, for the community. They have projects in developing nations worldwide and take volunteers to help with data collection, monitoring, and analysis of fieldwork. If you’re more hands than numbers, start your own fund-raiser with Crowdrise, a WWC partner that helps turn your marathon, mountain climb, or quirky idea into moneymaking machine for the cause.

WATER.ORG

Cofounded by Matt Damon, this organization raises awareness and funds for areas of the world that do not have safe drinking water or sanitation. They organize fundraisers and solicit donations, emphasizing that every small amount can help—just $25 can give someone water for life. Then they partner with local NGOs to organize and fund a sustainable water solution project that involves the community. The organization appeals to wallets, and we all know yours is empty. Instead, check their website for info about which current and future local NGOs they are sponsoring. Hit up those NGOs and find out how you can get on the ground and get your hands wet.

WATER MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL

This top-rated nonprofit has implemented safe water solutions in over forty-nine countries for more than two million people. While it is a Christian Engineering Ministry, you won’t be doing any Bible-thumping. Fieldwork is completely dedicated to engineering and implementing sustainable safe water projects, and they already have an impressive track record of doing so. WMI (WaterMissions.org) is well funded because god-gobblers love giving to charities, and they are on track for being a global safe water-solutions leader. They conduct internships abroad and at their headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina.

RAIN CATCHER

Operating on the principle that “there is no shortage of water given by nature—only a shortage of water being received efficiently by us,” RainCatcher (RainCatcher .org) harvests, filters, and distributes rain-water on-site to those who need it. They work on a one-to-one principle: a $1 donation gets one person clean water to drink. Volunteers come in the form of ambassadors—or individuals that start creative campaigns, like Push-ups for Uganda, a fund-raising project started by Tyson Mayr where he would do 10,000 push-ups in ten countries in exchange for funds raised for the program. The organization seeks ambassadors to create fund-raising campaigns that let them turn rainwater into liquid gold.

OTP Tip: Tyson Mayr is the current “Global Water Ambassador” and the sexiest Australian we’ve ever met. Tyson passionately volunteers to help the organization by bringing awareness to current projects and strongly believes in “travel with a cause.” You can be just like him; don’t forget leg day.

WORKING WITH THE RED CROSS

In 1859, thousands of Italian, Austrian, and French soldiers died at the Battle of Solferino, some because they didn’t have access to immediate medical care. Moved by the carnage, Swiss businessman Henry Dunant worked to set up national relief organizations, known as Red Cross Societies, for soldiers returning from war. Dunant’s movement spread, and, in the 1880s, the red crescent emblem was introduced and used alongside the iconic red cross. Today there are 188 individual Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies.

These national societies make up one part of the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. The movement also encompasses the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Combined, these organizations form the largest humanitarian network in the world.

Working or volunteering with Red Cross Red Crescent is as real as it gets. Their main mission is to provide aid through the protection of life and health—and to uphold the dignity of those affected by armed conflict and other disasters. Each branch of the movement has specific objectives, carried out by completely independent teams of employees and volunteers.

NATIONAL SOCIETIES OF THE RED CROSS RED CRESCENT

Millions of Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers work in their home countries across the globe. Among other things, the American Red Cross (ARC) provides assistance for victims of natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes. Volunteers work closely with survivors and members of the greater community. This type of volunteering is an essential test run to see if a career in international humanitarian work is up your alley. There are ARC opportunities in communities all across the States.

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES

Founded in 1919, the IFRC acts as a parent organization to Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies across the world. Job postings change depending on need, but they range from a Reporting Delegate to a Health Coordinator to an IT and Telecommunications Guru. You’ll need experience working with humanitarian organizations (like the American Red Cross) if you want to apply. Postings are located everywhere, from Switzerland to Senegal, Bolivia to Bangladesh. The IFRC doesn’t assign international volunteer opportunities, or coordinate exchanges between national societies.

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC)

More than 12,000 people work in eighty countries under the umbrella of the ICRC. The Committee coordinates field missions meant to alleviate the suffering caused by armed conflict, and deploys workers to emergency zones at the drop of a hat. ICRC staff members are trained professionals who apply for posts around the world as psychologists, surgeons, translators, and agricultural engineers. They work with local law enforcement to maintain international human rights law and visit detainees and prisoners of war. The ICRC also oversees a program to maintain water supplies and sanitation in conflict zones under its Water and Habitat Unit.

While the intention of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement is always to do good, individual organizations have faced criticism for negligence and lack of forethought. The American Red Cross has faced fire for mixing up samples from blood drives, and individual chapters were caught not using 9/11 fund-raising money for its intended purpose. International Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations have been tainted with similar corruption. On the other hand, because Red Cross and Red Crescent staff consists of highly trained professionals and local volunteers, any one of their organizations offers on-the-ground, hands-on, and rewarding work. Despite corruption allegations and human error, Red Cross and Red Crescent work is committed to a deep-rooted understanding of the community it serves. It’s a prestigious gig and can be a perfect fit if you’re looking to settle down abroad.

BEST MD YOU CAN BE

Get your premed requisites out of the way while prodding the world and having a damn good time doing it. All the cultural knowledge you’ll gather through foreign barhopping, city-touring, and sightseeing will do wonders for your bedside manner later in life. Before you commit most of your twenties to hitting the med school books, check out our list of the best places to be while you’re chasing your MD.

LONDON

Pound for pound, London is becoming the strongest sale for studying abroad. Its history, style, entertainment, and entire experience will have your mind radiating with culture shock while the luxury of the same spoken language will keep you feeling comfortable enough to ask the waiter exactly what’s in that scary-looking plate (hint: it’s pig’s cheeks). Specific premed programs are set up in King’s College—with focuses on biomedical sciences and clinical experience—and University College London, which hones in on international health policy studies.

COPENHAGEN

The Danish lifestyle is sweet as ever, and studying here is the best way to take a bite out of what the country’s got to offer. The Danish Institute for Study Abroad (Disabroad.org) makes your transition to living and studying in Denmark easy, and Copenhagen’s easygoing and friendly way of life makes it fun. Plenty of medicine and health-policy programs offered by Denmark International Studies will keep you on your premed path, while the city’s utopian transit system and easy intercountry connectivity will keep your more travel-minded path well trod, too.

AUSTRALIA

Shake up your collegiate career by taking your studies Down Under. Not just cool for cuddly koalas and kangaroos, Australia’s got plenty of sights to see and places to backpack while fulfilling the educational requirements to keep Mom and Dad (or whoever’s floating the bill) satisfied. With one of the largest research institutions in the country, you can study grand-scale subjects like health and society or cultural studies in health at the University of Melbourne. Head to the nation’s capital to study medicine with a close-to-home approach and sign up for classes at the University of Sydney, which offers courses in community and indigenous health.

INDIA

The birthplace of ayurveda and the frequent source of everything that’s weird and interesting about alternative medicine, India is a great place for a med-head. Various programs are available in beachy Kerala, where you can watch locals prepare medicinal plants and smell the healing scents of ancient alternative medicine. For a more Western approach, check out the medical healthcare internships offered by Gap 360 (Gap360.com), a well-established company offering programs in various areas of study.

WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR AIDS RELIEF RIGHT NOW!

Most prevalent in Africa and Asia, HIV/AIDS disease has affected every population around the world and continues to claim the lives of millions of people annually. While we’re no longer in the midst of the ’90s wave of awareness campaigns, there is still much work to be done to help those affected.

ADVANCE-AFRICA

Available in Ethiopia, Malawi, Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania, or Kenya, these programs run for a minimum of two weeks. You can choose to work as a teacher at an orphanage or with an HIV/AIDS medical program. Med students and aspiring doctors are in top demand for the medical programs, and volunteers have the opportunity to do either lab research or hands-on medical work. In Kenya, Advance-Africa (Advance-Africa.com) offers travel programs that allow volunteers to assist in the remote villages of the Maasai tribe.

WORLDWIDE HELPERS

This UK-based company (WorldwideHelpers.org) has connected over 37,000 do-gooders with low-cost or no-cost volunteer opportunities around the world. Creating a free account with the organization gives you access to hundreds of great projects. Among them are a variety of HIV/AIDS education and community outreach programs in Africa.

AIDS RELIEF FOR CHINA (ARFC)

If you’ve got your own ideas about how to combat AIDS, ARFC (Arfcusa.org) is a charity that hooks up people on a mission with the funds necessary to make it possible. In 2004, ARFC worked with the Pen Pal Kids Club to connect rural kids affected by HIV/AIDS with urban volunteers. In 2008, ARFC began facilitating Heart Talk support groups for gay men in more than thirty Chinese cities. You can either contact ARFC about volunteer opportunities with existing programs, or pitch your own charitable idea and apply for an ARFC grant to make it a reality.

GLOBAL VOLUNTEER NETWORK (GVN)

This organization was started in 2000 by a New Zealander who felt volunteer opportunities were far too limited by program fees. While GVN (GlobalVolunterNetwork.org) isn’t directly focused on AIDS relief, they do offer many programs in the field and aim to place volunteers directly into communities in need of their specific skills. The Remote Orphan Care Project in rural Uganda is good for camp-counselor types, where volunteers help to organize games, assist with basic schooling, and provide age-appropriate AIDS education. The HIV/AIDS program in Kenya is a crash course in psychology, where volunteers help with homecare visits and counsel community groups. With all kinds of projects in sixteen countries, GVN’s network includes some of the most interesting and hands-on volunteer opportunities in the world.