Volunteers for Intercultural and Definitive Adventures is a 501c3 registered non-profit organization whose mission is to provide and sustain health care to underserved communities throughout Central America. Our VIDA team at UW-Madison recruits student volunteers and gathers medical supplies/donations to then travels overseas to perform these medical, dental, and veterinary medicine brigades. Tea
ming up with doctors, veterinarians and dentists of Central America we are able to provide healthcare to hundreds of patients each trip. With VIDA we organize three trips to Central America per year: one trip during January and two trips during the summer. Students from any pre-heath/health major are welcome to apply to one of the three programs offered on each trip (Medical, Dental and Veterinary). While VIDA is popular for pre-med, pre-vet and pre-dental students, the program is also a great learning experience for those pursing nursing, physician-assistant, pharmacy, physical therapy, nutrition, public health and more! Along with providing free basic medical, dental, and veterinary care, students will also have the opportunity to experience the culture by taking salsa dance lessons, eating local cuisine or touring historical sites as examples. Some trips offer a short home-stay which is another great way to better understand the culture and community. There will also be an emphasis on Public Health and Education for the clinic patients and community members. There are no language requirements or course requirements to participate and we welcome students at any point in their college education!
