GLOBAL HEALTH INITIATIVE

Welcome to the DR! GLA staff will meet you at the airport (Puerto Plata – POP or Santiago de los Caballeros – STI) and take you to the Home Base located about an hour away. We’ll get settled in, have our first Dominican meal together, and then launch into some team-building activities.

Our first full day begins with a walking tour of Las Cañas, followed by program orientation and an introduction to our service work. We’ll join a brief medical Spanish workshop, complete a swim test, enjoy dinner, and end the evening with a guided discussion on global health to set the context for our work ahead.

Use your medical Spanish to assist doctors at the clinic by helping patients register, take vitals, and move through care stations. In the afternoon, play pickup soccer with local youth by the beach. The day ends with mentor group discussions, reflection on community health, and your first leadership activity.

After several days of service, unwind at Dudu Lagoon with swimming, relaxing, or volleyball, then visit Playa Preciosa to enjoy its secluded white sands and turquoise waters.

Travel to the mountain city of San Francisco de Macorís to tour a medical university and take part in a Q&A with healthcare professionals. Then explore the city’s colonial center with time for light shopping before returning home. The evening is free to relax, connect with friends, and reflect on your first week in the DR.

Today, we will assist at our final pop-up clinic, helping guide patients through the stations, shadowing the doctors, and making sure everything runs efficiently so as many community members as possible can be seen. In the afternoon, we’ll take shade under a tree to learn about the prevalence of water-borne diseases in the communities we’re serving and the importance of sanitation projects.

Tour a public hospital one day and a private hospital the next, both serving rural communities, with time to speak directly with local doctors. Then help build a long-term rural healthcare clinic through hands-on construction work. In the evening, compare public and private healthcare systems and take part in a leadership reflection activity.

Today, we’ll embark on an exhilarating zipline adventure, soaring through the treetops and enjoying breathtaking views of the tropical landscape. After ziplining, we’ll relax by the pool before returning to the Home Base for a cultural night where we’ll learn the rhythms and beats of the DR and learn the steps of typical dances, such as bachata and merengue.

We’ll continue where we left off in the construction of a rural healthcare clinic as we learn sustainable building techniques from local professionals. In the evening, we will engage with our peers as we reflect on our accomplishments and discuss how our actions address a larger global health issue.

On our final day in the DR, enjoy snorkeling in the crystal-clear Caribbean, swimming among tropical fish and coral, and relaxing on the beach. The program concludes with a farewell dinner to celebrate your accomplishments and reflect on the experience.

¡Buen Viaje! Alas, our Dominican adventure must come to an end! After breakfast and final goodbyes, we’ll travel to the airport together to board our flights home. At the airport, GLA staff will help you check in and see you off for your journey.