Program Dates: July 5th – August 18th, 2010
Program Fee: $1799
(including all group meals, transportation, accommodation, excursions, etc.)
(excluding flight)
Fundraising Donation: $1000

Building off the enormous success of our Discovery trip, Operation Groundswell is excited to announce OG West Africa Medical 2010. This six-week medical-themed adventure is geared towards medical students and anyone interested in the health profession.

Following a week-long group orientation, each participant will have the opportunity to spend two weeks in a rural placement and two weeks in an urban one. Placements will include teaching hospitals, hospital laboratories, medical NGOs, HIV/AIDS organizations and more.

During the placements, all participants will live in small groups with host families. On the weekends, trip leaders will take participants on small group trips. For the rural volunteers, the trip will visit the Pikworo Slave Camp, the first stop on the historical slave trade route along with the Zenga Crocodile Pond and a quick trip into Burkina Faso for lunch. For the urban volunteers, the trip will visit Cape Coast/Elmina’s slave castles, the final stop on the slave route in Africa, along with Kakum National Park and the world-famous canopy walk.

After completing both placements and the weekend trips, participants will begin Independent Travel Time (ITT) – a staple of all Operation Groundswell programs. All participants will be given detailed travel guides and information on the best places to see and how to stay safe. You can travel independently if desired but most participants choose to travel in pairs or small groups. During this time, participants are not under the auspices of the organized program and are entirely responsible for themselves. Participants will be given emergency contact numbers of the trip leaders during ITT for advice and any safety concerns.

At the end of ITT, the group will reconvene at Green Turtle Ecolodge, also known by former OG’ers as “paradise”, for a relaxing trip debrief known as the ‘Disorientation’ prior to flying home.

Each participant will be encouraged to investigate an aspect of health care in Ghana prior to departure and to propose in his/her application form one or two potential independent or small-group projects (e.g., conducting educational workshops with a particular population, procuring medical equipment to a rural health clinic). Trip leaders and other participants will be able in contact before departure to discuss and coordinate these projects as needed. While on the ground, participants will be encouraged to interview doctors, nurses, other health care professionals, NGO workers and patients about their project or topic of interest. Participants may choose to continue their projects during ITT and/or upon their return to Canada, either independently or in small groups. They will be encouraged to think critically about their learning and to adapt their projects accordingly.

OG Medical is designed to offer a ground-level perspective on global health issues. As well, it has been crafted to inspire and engage future leaders towards thinking about potential solutions to global health issues and about their personal role in making these changes become a reality.

For more info on how to apply, please visit the Apply page