What if I’m not a U of A student, can I still attend a brigade?

Alumni and students from other universities above the age of 18 are allowed to brigade with us. For these members that are not able to attend our on-campus events will be required to pay an additional cost of $200 to cover their portion of fundraising. You may need to set up deviant flight information if coming from another location and all payments will be made through our online system. You are required to attend the departure meeting (Date/Time TBA) so please make arrangements to be in Tucson or with us for that time. We still encourage you to keep up to date with our events and attend meetings if possible - we go over a lot of critical information so it will be helpful for you.

 

I don't even know how to work a stethoscope; am I qualified to go on a brigade?

Yes, absolutely! We teach you everything on the job, as needed. You will learn to do blood pressure, heart rate, and other triaging requirements during club meetings and then a more targeted training the night before clinic begins. This is what makes GMB such a good stepping stone for pre-health students; it gives you the exposure to healthcare that you cannot do in the states without proper certifications!

I don't even know how to introduce myself in Spanish; am I qualified to go on a brigade?

Yes, absolutely! We teach you the most relevant phrases that you'll need in clinic, and will partner you with someone whose Spanish complements yours (a fluent speaker, if you are a novice), so at least one person will be able to converse with patients. We also have wonderful translational staff working with us from Global Brigades to supplement our understanding as we work in clinic. You'll never be left alone to flounder!

I joined GMB late. What can I do to catch up?

We are so excited that you are going to travel with us! The first step will be to pay your $25 membership fee to Riem (cash, check, Venmo). Depending on how late you have joined/how close you are to the brigade, there will be a different point requirement/fee to make it fair for everyone who has put in so much work to make this trip possible.

*If you joined within 6-weeks of the brigade date, you will be required pay a fee of $75 and complete the modified point system: 3 meeting + 1 departure meeting, 3 social or community outreach, 2 fundraising, and 1 medical fundraising point.

 

When will I know where we are staying, etc.?

Based on Global Brigades policy, the organization will assign us to a specific community roughly 2-3 weeks before we travel. Our flight details will be released as soon as they have been booked. The organization will arrange which compound we are staying in, travel distance and accommodations to- and from- our clinic, and food and clean drinking water. As soon as we receive this information, we will relay it to you all. Unfortunately, there will not be Wi-Fi access or internet capabilities during this time. Also, we will have security guards with us at all times, to ensure the utmost safety for brigaders.

 

How do I prepare my travel arrangements?

As a group, Global Brigades coordinates our flights for us. As long as your passport information is provided to us at a reasonable time, we can sign you up to travel with our group to your respective country. We book flights for the cheapest rate based around the approximated date posted on the Brigades Opportunities page. We strive to minimize flight costs and receive a pretty great group discount!

 

What can I expect on travel day?

At the airport, we will do a group check-in and you will receive your boarding passes then. You will pack all your clothing and personal items as your carry-on items, because your check-in bag will be used to transport the medications we fundraised to the country. Remember, you will be wearing primarily scrubs at clinic, so bring the scrub top you received at the packing party! We will travel as a group! There will be some people on deviant flights (those who book later), but don’t worry, we will all meet up together at the compound where we will be staying.

 

What if I can’t pay for a brigade?

Although we are making efforts to fundraise, we unfortunately do not have anything such as scholarships to directly take away from your personal costs. As mentioned above, there is the $250 scholarship for the most active member at the end of year (getting immersed into the organization and accomplishing the most points throughout the year). However, this scholarship is retroactive to any of the travel deadlines. We do encourage you to share your Fundraising Page on social media, to family and friends, and ask them to help support you in your endeavors. All payments are tax-deductible, and they can simply donate on behalf of you. If you would like to discuss potential fundraisers that you could host individually to raise money for your own travel costs, please feel free to reach out to the fundraising chairs (ua.gmb.fundraising@gmail.com) for ideas, or Google “individual fundraising ideas” for something feasible to you! These can be extremely successful in minimizing out of pocket costs if you get a little creative!

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I didn’t make all my points. What do I do now?

Spring Break Traveling Members: You will need to pay a reimbursable deposit for your missed points before we can give you your plane ticket. Again, 1 point = $10. You will pay the amount of points that you are missing on March **, and will then have until April 26 to accomplish these points and receive 100% reimbursement for the points that you did.
Summer Traveling Members: Your due date for points is the last meeting: April 26. If you have not (a) finished your points or (b) paid the $10/point late fee, we can not hand you your plane ticket.
Non-Traveling Members: Your due date for points is the last meeting: April 26. If you have not (a) finished your points or (b) paid the $10/point late fee, you may forfeit your right to the “first come, first serve” policy for future years’ GMB - Undergraduate brigades, and cannot be recognized as an active member for the 2016-2017 academic year.
*If you join less than 6-weeks, you will be required to pay a fee of $200 in addition to the regular cost. You are still required to attend the departure meeting and any other events that you can participate in - attending certain events within the time will lower the fee. Please contact Riem (ua.gmb.treasurer@gmail.com) for individual situations.