Panama
Medical Brigade Information Session
California State University Fullerton��Chapter Leader - Arcelia Salazar��
3/28-4/3
�Together, we’ll prepare you for a safe, impactful, and life-changing Brigade.
Your Chapter Leaders
Your Success Advisor
Meet The Team
We will keep you updated!
Agenda
Our Mission
Inspire, mobilize, and collaborate with communities to achieve sustainable health and economic goals.
Belize • Guatemala • Honduras • Panamá
Ghana • Greece
Communities around the world equipped with the resources and capacity to thrive.
The world’s largest student-led movement for global health!
Where We Work
Our Vision
Why Global Brigades?
1. Partner with local communities�2. Create sustainable health systems�3. Empower students to lead global impact
Why It Matters
Celebrating Two Decades of Student-led Global Health
20 Years Of Empowered Communities & We’re Just Getting Started!
I am very grateful for the incredible work done by Global Brigades during the medical brigade in our community of Caserio Centro, San Jose Poquil. The overall medical care provided was of excellent quality and attention from the professionals was very good. In addition, the dental station was a great help to many of us who do not have access to dental care.
Global Brigades also provided us with medicines and vitamins. I am sure these medicines and vitamins will be of great benefit to our community health. Thank you Global Brigades for caring about our community and for providing us with help and support. Thank you for your generosity! - María Luisa Simón, Caserio Centro Community, Guatemala
And why for you?
Build clinical experience, cultural competence, and
leadership skills that will set you apart as a future health professional.
For students aspiring to careers in healthcare, few experiences are as powerful as a Medical Brigade. You are actually going into a community in need and making an impact. You gain real-world clinical exposure, develop cultural competence, interact with patients and providers. You can show medical schools your commitment to serving those in need. Having seen this first-hand, I can say that Global Brigades offers the kind of �transformational experience that shapes both your application, and your career.�
— Dr. Sahil Mehta, Founder, MedSchoolCoach
Panama
3.5 billion people face barriers to essential health services
Many can’t afford care or live far away from quality facilities�
Rural and underserved communities are impacted the most
The Challenge: Access to Health Services
Almost half of the world’s population lacks the care they need.
“Health is a human right, yet millions are left behind.” – World Health Organization
When you volunteer with Global Brigades, you join an international movement working hand-in-hand with local staff and community partners to build lasting health equity.
Our Holistic Model delivers:
Our Sustainable Solution
On Campus
Abroad
Our Story: Started by students. Driven by impact.
Leading the very first Brigade as a student changed everything for me. I saw firsthand the kind of lasting impact �we could make, not just in the communities we partnered with, but in shaping ourselves as future health professionals. Global Brigades doesn’t just offer an experience; it empowers students to lead, to collaborate with local experts, and to witness what sustainable, community-driven healthcare truly means in action.
�-Dr. Shital Vora, Co-Founder, Global Brigades
Panama: Quick Facts
Population: 4.5M
Indigenous & Rural Panama
77% �Between the ages of 15-64
Urban vs. Rural
Significant healthcare disparities
Panama Landscape
Known for the Panama Canal, Caribbean coastlines, and vibrant Indigenous cultures
Day 1 | Travel Day | Welcome to Panama! Upon arrival, you’ll travel to your lodging and meet your in-country team you'll be working alongside this week. Today is about settling in, connecting with fellow volunteers, and beginning your journey with Global Brigades, grounded in collaboration, cultural respect, and a shared commitment to health equity. |
Day 2 | Research Day | Travel to a partner community to conduct home visits and assessments, gathering valuable data that informs long-term public health planning and supports the development of sustainable healthcare solutions. This is your opportunity to listen, learn, and contribute to research that centers the voices and needs of the community. |
Day 3-5 | Clinic Days | Each day, you’ll collaborate with local healthcare professionals while rotating through clinic stations, gaining hands-on experience, deepening your cultural understanding, and contributing to dignified, community-focused care. Every interaction is a step toward building sustainable healthcare systems, together. |
Day 6 | Public Health Day | Come ready to get your hands dirty! Please bring work gloves, as projects may include:
This day is a powerful reminder that health doesn’t begin or end in a clinic. |
Day 7 | Travel Day | After a powerful week of service and learning in Panama, gather for one last breakfast as a team before heading to the airport. Return home with new perspectives and a lifelong connection to the movement for health equity. |
7-Day Panama Sample Brigade
* Included each day: Three meals, free-time, transportation, and various amenities dependent on lodging; based on 26–39 volunteers.
1
3
Intake
Consultation (3-5 vol)
2
Triage�(6-8 vol)
4
Dental (cleanings OR extractions) (2-3 vol)
5
*Dental (extractions, cleanings, & fillings)
(3-4 vol)
6
*Rapid Lab Tests
(3-5 vol)
7
*Physiotherapy�(2-3 vol)
8
Charla�(3-4 vol)
9
Pharmacy�(6-8 vol)
10
Data Informatics�(3-4 vol)
*Additional stations are added if group lands in the
Empowered or Scaled level, with 26+ volunteers
Clinic Stations- Panama
Your team will rotate through the different stations, gaining valuable clinical and non-clinical experience.
Your Impact Commitment
Donation Goal for Panama: Every volunteer helps bring sustainable healthcare to hundreds of patients.
What Your Contribution Supports:
Investment Per Volunteer:
Step 1: Express Interest�Fill out the MyBrigades registration form today, your first step toward impact.
Step 2: Prepare Together�Join group meetings for logistics, training, and cultural prep, and fundraise with your Chapter, individually and as a team.
Step 3: Make Global Impact�Travel with your Brigade and experience why this is more than a trip — it’s a movement.���
Ready To Join The Movement?
I went on a Medical Brigade earlier this month, and it was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I can't convey with words how fortunate I am to have been able to grow with my fellow brigaders and understand healthcare needs in rural Panama. The brigade itself made me reconsider specialities and my future medical focus. I am also glad that their wellness will improve through assistance of the other brigades, sustainable brigade partnerships, and the holistic model.�- Priya Ahuja, Marquette University
CONTACT US:
Arcelia Salazar
Chapter Leader�arcelia.salazar9@gmail.com
Presentation title here | Month Day Year
Q&A
Thanks for �joining our session!
Global Medical Brigades expands access to year-round healthcare by partnering with local communities—hiring in-country doctors, supplying essential medications, and training Community Health Workers already embedded in their communities to improve long-term health outcomes. With the support of passionate international volunteers, we deliver sustainable, high-quality care while cultivating a global movement of future health professionals committed to equity and advocacy. Because every person deserves dignified healthcare—rooted not in circumstance, but in solidarity.