Mission Trip Oppurtunities

[SFAJess]

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Are there oppurtunities for physicians to do mission trips to other countries to provide their services? If so, are there both religious and non-religious mission trips? Does anybody have any info or know where I might be able to find info on medical mission trips?

During my undergrad, I got a invitation for some medical mission trip where you could go to China, South Africa, or Australia as an undergrad, but it cost somewhere between $3000-$5000. I really wanted to do it, but could not afford it. I would like to do something similar to that once I am a doctor, though!

Thanks for any help anybody can provide! 🙂

 

[VPDcurt]

I have been on 4 mission trips - 1 to Ecuador and 3 to the Dominican Republic. I have gone through an organization called Medical Ministry International (www.mmint.org). Best times I've ever had and adcoms are very impressed to say the least. I've already scheduled my 5th and 6th trip too - I want to do this stuff as a physician too - it would be incredible.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

VPD, where have you interviewed?

 

[bewitched1081]

Are there oppurtunities for physicians to do mission trips to other countries to provide their services? If so, are there both religious and non-religious mission trips? Does anybody have any info or know where I might be able to find info on medical mission trips?

During my undergrad, I got a invitation for some medical mission trip where you could go to China, South Africa, or Australia as an undergrad, but it cost somewhere between $3000-$5000. I really wanted to do it, but could not afford it. I would like to do something similar to that once I am a doctor, though!

Thanks for any help anybody can provide! 🙂

all "mission" trips are religious. it is implied in the word mission. but there are trips where you can just volunteer your services. you will get info when you are in medical school.

 

[VPDcurt]

VPD, where have you interviewed?

My files aren't complete yet. Still waitin' on those damn LORs. Why do you ask?

 

[Budder]

Actually, medical "mission" trips are not necessarily religious, as "mission" just means you are on a "mission". If you are interested in these trips, I'd suggest you look them up on the net. "Doctors without borders" is a secular group that does "mission" trips, both short term and long term. If you are a Christian, there are several organizations that would welcome your desires to learn and help out on the field.

One way for you to really get an idea of what a trip would look like would be to find medical workers who've been on the field. These people are wonderful resources and will share with your various organizations you can go with. Have fun researching! 🙂

 

[fullefect1]

Why do you ask?

How would you know that they are impressed about the missions if you haven't interviewed/ they haven't mentioned anything about them to you?

 

[VPDcurt]

How would you know that they are impressed about the missions if you haven't interviewed/ they haven't mentioned anything about them to you?

I have met with various adcoms prior to applying (within the past few months) to discuss my application, to discuss my chances of gaining admission, and so they can recognize my application when it arrives on their desk. They were all stunned at the mission work I had done because they do not see it very often in such depth.

 

[SFAJess]

I have met with various adcoms prior to applying (within the past few months) to discuss my application, to discuss my chances of gaining admission, and so they can recognize my application when it arrives on their desk. They were all stunned at the mission work I had done because they do not see it very often in such depth.

How can one fund a trip? My family doesn't have a lot of money so they really wouldn't be able to help me out. I saw a trip to Bolivia for January that costs $660 for a week and that doesn't include airfare, I think. What kinds of things do people do to raise money to go or do only rich people get to volunteer in other countries? Thanks for the info so far guys!! It's helping a whole lot...as you can see I already found an interesting trip as well as a few others. 🙂

 

[VPDcurt]

I know some people that have raised money through the church. Others, such as residents and medical students, have found ways to request that their school pay for the trip. I'm not exactly sure how to go about doing this. Good luck though. PS - was that an MMI trip?

 

[mango6110]

I did a medical volunteer trip in Kenya Africa last summer, I would check out your school and see if they offer any scholarships, also i fundraised...this link has some good ideas...i did letter wriitng and spoke to my city council and got money to pay for it....my fee was 3500...i raised about 3000...pm em if you want more help

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/signup/fundraisingkit.pdf

 

[CrazyCozak]

Yeah.. through "Doctors without Borders", a French organization (Medicins Sans Frontieres) you can go just about anywhere where they are, and they are everywhere! Technically you volunteer, but they pay you a little amount of money to survive on, pay for the roundtrip tickets and I think they cover meals and board. Generally you'd be gone anywhere from 2 to 6 months.
They only take licensed Drs, i.e. who completed residency, and they don't take all the specialties.
So plenty of time for you to consider 🙂

 

[Pinkertinkle]

I know some people that have raised money through the church. Others, such as residents and medical students, have found ways to request that their school pay for the trip. I'm not exactly sure how to go about doing this. Good luck though. PS - was that an MMI trip?

Personally, I'd have to wait for some acceptances before I judged whether an adcom was very impressed by or were stunned by my EC's.

 

[georgebush44]

I have been on 4 mission trips - 1 to Ecuador and 3 to the Dominican Republic. I have gone through an organization called Medical Ministry International (www.mmint.org). Best times I've ever had and adcoms are very impressed to say the least. I've already scheduled my 5th and 6th trip too - I want to do this stuff as a physician too - it would be incredible.

Ive got a plan, Stan. Let's convert countries that are already predominantly Christian.

 

[VPDcurt]

Personally, I'd have to wait for some acceptances before I judged whether an adcom was very impressed by or were stunned by my EC's.

It is one of the most impressive ECs you can have on an application. How many times have you heard research, habitat for humanity, tutoring, shadowing, etc? It is clearly very impressive and having heard it directly from the mouth of adcoms, I know that it is very impressive. It blows people away when they hear about this stuff. However, you are entitled to your own opinion and I respect that. Best of luck to you.

 

[VPDcurt]

Ive got a plan, Stan. Let's convert countries that are already predominantly Christian.

Say something with substance please.

 

[Gutierrez001]

DO you get to do any type of hands on stuff or just paper work?

 

[VPDcurt]

DO you get to do any type of hands on stuff or just paper work?

Depends on how cool the doctors are on the trip. I've gone with my dad every year so he lets me scrub in on the cases. I've assisted in over 300 surgeries - usually just passing instruments/holding retractors, but I've also done other stuff as well. It also depends on # of docs, med students, nurses, etc. that are on that particular trip. There is essentially no paper work done there so you will always be busy doing something else. It's not like it is here in the states - no records, no insurance, and no hospital administrations to deal with.

 

[nutmegs]

www.imva.org

 

[Gutierrez001]

I am EMT-b cert. do you think they will let me assist in certain , like starting IV?

 

[VPDcurt]

I am EMT-b cert. do you think they will let me assist in certain , like starting IV?

I am EMT-B cert too. It's pretty useless but, like I said before, it all depends on the people that are on your trip. Some docs/nurses are up tight and that can make your whole trip miserable. It's a roll of the dice.