Plan My Gap Year - Volunteer in India from $360

The people I met in India made the overall experience. The other volunteers, the patients we treated, and the pmgy staff at the house in Faridabad will always remain close to my heart. The day trips and weekend trips I experienced were incredible and the medical project was such an eye opener. I really enjoyed watching surgeries and having a hands-on experience giving medical care. Many patients I treated cannot afford or access medical care and to say I have helped the lives of many of these individuals makes me very proud. Vishy and the other staff at the pmgy house were extremely welcoming and made me settle in very quickly. When you are volunteering, although we have a hands-on experience, we are always under the watchful eye of one of the two doctors that take us to the medical projects. They made me feel more confident at taking blood pressure and doing blood grouping, and they were always there if we needed any help. When I arrived at the house in India, I very much felt like I was entering a community. From the volunteers and all the staff working at the house, to the children and other people from the slums, I was made to feel at home. I have made memories that will last a lifetime and some life-long friends. From my short time in India, I have decided I will go to many other pmgy locations as it is a great way to travel and meet new people.

Trustworthy, helpful and well-organized company.

I completed the 3 week medical volunteering program in India. Over the 3 weeks I learned so much from clinical skills to Indian culture. You truly get a first hand experience of India’s healthcare system while simultaneously being immersed in their amazing culture. I always felt safe and well looked after by the pmgy team during my trip, despite being thousands of miles away from home they made me feel very welcome and at home in india. I would recommend at least 3 weeks to thoroughly get a good experience and explore the country a bit.

PMGY India Medical
I initially chose PMGY because it was cheaper than other volunteering organisations.

I found that they had good pre-departure support compared to other similar organisations, offering Zoom meetings and responding to emails in a timely manner. The volunteer handbook was also good and comprehensive.

There were pre-departure support webinars which didn't really add much to our knowledge as they had to cover many different countries and projects in the 1 hour. They did provide chance to ask any questions, although it would be easier to just ask via email.

Arriving in India was a culture shock. I'd recommend adding the local coordinator (Vishy) on WhatsApp so you can communicate with someone you can trust in case anything goes wrong (ie flight delay etc). Normally there is a guy at the airport ready to collect you and drop you straight to the accomadation.

Accomodation itself is good and basic. Nothing too fancy but it is quite homely. I had a small issue with bedbugs the first few nights but they changed the mattress immediately and everything was fine from then on. If you have any issues or problems, just ask the people there and they'll fix it.

The food and drinking water there was fine and safe, no issues.

I did medical. I travelled to several slum clinics and provided basic medical care. There were also surgeries to observe in hospitals and clinics of different specialties to go to. A lot of things are organised the morning of so don't expect a neat weekly schedule; If there's a placement you want to attend, do ask Vishy.

There are chances to practise IM / IV injections, although these aren't everyday and depend on your skill / confidence etc. Everyone (even non-medical students) will get a good chance to take blood pressure and glucose.

Personally, I thought the slum clinics were the most beneficial placements. You really felt like you were doing stuff and not just watching. I would have loved for there to be more clinics to attend, especially in the evenings.

Weekend trips are good and there are more options than just the 2 in the handbook. Also, there are lots of chances to do touristy stuff in the evenings after placement, so if there's a place you'd like to visit, then maybe research and plan it beforehand.

One of the best experience of my life! Great team that always take care of us and made us never get bored and watch as much as possible! I Will repeat for sure!
I'm a medical student 4rth year thats why I joined the med project, we went to see every day new different placements in where we gave medicine, took blood pressure and sugar rate to everyone that went there, also we get to see surgeries. In the afternoon the staff usually organiced something to do and during the weekends we did lots of trips around india!

I truly had the best time in India. The pre-departure support which PMGY offers is amazing and I felt very prepared for my trip! When I booked my trip I got added to a Facebook group to chat with my fellow volunteers which really gave me peace at heart. This was my first solo trip but the volunteer handbook helped so much for my preparation. In India Vishy and the other staff members are always there to organise everything and help you with your money exchange, sim-card etc. I did the English teaching project which was so rewarding. The kids are so sweet and it was an amazing experience to teach them and they taught me so much as well. Teaching was definitely my favorite part of the day, however even the afternoons were filled with activities to discover India and its culture. For any potential volunteers I would say just do it! Go and see what happens. It will be craziest adventure but so so worth it!

I decided to join medical volunteer programme in India for almost 3 weeks.
It was my first time in Asia and I had so many worries before leaving.
My experience was beautiful, much more than I would have imagined. Vishy and Simar welcomed us like family, accompanied us to every destination, and always made sure everything was ok. They took care of each of us and even made special requests.
During the day there are many activities where you can decide where to go and if you need something they are always available to accompany you everywhere. We visited a lot over the weekend and also had the opportunity to go to an Indian wedding. It was magical.
I felt at home despite the different culture.
Nilesh cooked for us together with others and always made sure we had eaten by always offering us snacks.
It was a fantastic experience that taught me a lot. The children, the medical work, and the whole team from India were fantastic. Thank you all for making me feel at home, safe and giving me the best experience of my life.
I hope to go back there and meet them again.
I would recommend India 100000% to anyone that is thinking to do this magic experience.

Hello!
Overall my experience was very positive. I assisted in the school as a teacher, helping children to learn English and also provide support and help with the children at the orphanage. It was a very fulfill experience because I was able to experience a different culture and be emerge myself in it. I enjoyed being part of this program. It has completely opened my eyes when it comes to volunteerism and I have become more outgoing and open to new experiences. I was in India for 2 weeks during the month of November and being with the staff throughout the state made me know them better and understand their life more and more. I made amazing friends and explore things that I never thought of doing.

PMGY has the most helpful service and you can see it from the beginning of the trip to the very end. I was given enough information to know the project and the people involved. I felt very safe because I understood that they had my back. I also want to note that I traveled to Peru on March 2019 and thanks to the travel insurance I have purchased with the program I was provided exclusive medical assistance when I experienced altitude sickness. I was hospitalized and then stayed in a hotel until I recovered then paid tickets to travel home, and all of this covered by the insurance. I truly appreciate the support and efficiency that the offered me. I will continue to travel with this company, because they have guaranteed me a safe and adventurous trip and that is exactly what I got.

Great experience!
* Good predepature support and informative volunteer handbook to refer to
* Excellent in-country support
* Accomodation is very basic but clean.
* Taught English and worked with Disabled pupils.

* Advice for future volunteers: the house in January is very very cold! A sleeping bag is definitely needed and slippers/thick socks along with warm lounge wear.

Plan your time well and the activities you want to do as time flies when you’re there. Ask Vishy about the weekend trips available and he will help you to organise them. A weekend in Amritsar was my favourite weekend trip to see the India/Pakistan border ceremony!