Hello Harvey students,
If you think that serving those in need is a crucial part of medicine, you might as well be willing to devote some of your free time and become a volunteer!
But where to go?
You can actually have the opportunity to be a member of ABIO PAVIA and subsequently volunteer in the departments of Pediatrics and Neuropsychiatry.
Some more information about ABIO Pavia and your potential role:
ABIO Pavia is an Association, which its purpose is to study, promote and implement initiatives aimed at welcoming children who need hospitalization and their families. It aims to minimize the psycho-affective traumas related to the hospitalization of the children and works with volunteers who have followed training courses, and without a therapeutic task, fit discreetly and willingly among the health worker, the sick children and their parents/guardians.
Requirements and difficulties:
Being a volunteer demands both communication skills and commitment and those qualifications are fundamental for ABIO Pavia. Thus, a basic-average level of Italian language is necessary, along with the time commitment of at least 3 hours per week in the hospital.
However, you can find out more detail, if you join our first informing meeting on Wednesday 21st of November, which does not assume your further participation, however, in case you want to be volunteers, the attendance is mandatory.
Last but not least, we have contacted the members of the association explaining our limited time and we were met with particularly welcoming will to be more lenient on the students regarding shifts in the hospital, as long as they are regular.
We are attempting to accomplish a long-term collaboration with this association and we strongly believe that this will be a motive for international students to start learning the italian language; an important qualification for the clinical years. Furthermore, through experience, we will acquire the demanded compassion and flexibility for our future profession.