Project Types

Academic

Academic projects involve primarily teaching and training situations. Volunteers will need to prepare to lecture in formal settings, such as hospitals and doctor training colleges. Powerpoint or other overhead-type projection media will be very helpful. Volunteers may also accompany local doctors on rounds or consult on patient care and procedures, but no formal preparation should be required for this secondary activity.

Credentialed academicians and health care trainers have the potential to travel into even the most restricted areas of the world to share their expertise. By incorporating academic projects into a comprehensive strategy this simple beginning can result in relationships that provide more invitations into closed countries. These project requests represent opportunities in which teaching or training are the primary expectations of the medical missions worker.

Clinical

Clinical projects involve primarily hands-on practice of medicine. Volunteers will need to prepare to see patients and to be directly involved in patient care. Volunteers may also teach local doctors one-on-one while seeing patients, but no formal preparation should be required for this secondary activity.

In many places, the provision of health care is seen as the greatest need by village and government leaders. By working in a clinical setting medical missions workers can gain access to places and peoples who do not have any other access to the gospel.

Development

Development projects involve community development, such as construction, distributing food or health kits, and work that improves the living conditions of a community. These projects may frequently include non-medical people.

Hybrid

Hybrid projects involve aspects of both Academic and Clinical projects. Volunteers will need to prepare to lecture in formal settings, as well as see patients and be directly involved in patient care.

Locum Tenum

Locum tenum projects involve filling in for missionary medical staff that will be away from an established medical practice.

Site Preparation

Site preparation projects utilize non-medical personnel in a variety of tasks, including prayer and data gathering. Usually, these projects take place when a new work is being started, or a new phase of a medical work is about to begin.