Medical Mission Work

[wisemakl]

I will be attending the University of Toledo starting in the fall. I have always wanted to do medical mission trips and I asked each school about any rotations abroad and related experiences. I am wondering if any working PAs have experience doing mission work outside of the US and how that works regarding a physician. Obviously, developing countries have no where near the level of medical governing bodies like the US, but I am wondering if you have to have some physician that is committed to "oversee" your duties on mission trips to protect your licensure in the US?

 

Just hoping someone could shed some light on how this all works! :)

[EMEDPA]

do a search here on the pa forum for "Haiti" to see several threads. also join pa's for global health. they maintain a database of overseas positions (paid and volunteer) for pa's.

[mm2124]

Hello,

 

congratulations on your school acceptance!

 

I posted a similar thread several months ago: I believe this link works:

http://www.PhysicianAssistantForum.Com/forums/showthread.php/33860-International-employment-volunteer-opportunities-as-a-PA?highlight=international

 

I actually went on a trip that was posted by one of the other forum members, by an organization called CapeCares. I went to Honduras for a week and saw many patients had had a really wonderful cultural experience. No electricity or running water, and my first patient had an insect body in his sebaceous cyst, but it was truly a memorable experience.

 

Here is the website: http://www.capecares.com/

 

I also had a chance to travel to Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras. we actually went to a clinic where there were PA students from the United States doing family medicine rotation! They said they were having an amazing experience there. When you start planning on doing an elective or family rotation, I would consider looking into this as well! It looks like you have to fill out an application, and also most likely check with your school.

 

Here is the link: http://www.clinicaesperanza.com/

 

I hope this helps! Let me know if you find any other interesting opportunities internationally :)

 

Martha

[fireguy]

one of the FP docs that works part tim win the ED with me does several mission trips a year. His group has been to peru, Bangladesh, Ghana, North Africa, Amazon basin to name a few. I am going with him this fall to Ghana.

 

http://www.rmo.org/

[jmj11]

I challenge you as a new pa to make it part of your life's work to make it easier for PAs to be accepted around the world. I've worked in several countries in Asia and the Middle East. Because the PA concept is so poorly understood internationally, we don't have the opportunities in humanitarian work like we should. Years ago I worked in Oman, UAE and Egypt . . . but none of those counties would allow me to work there today, unless I worked like a MA (or nurse). I've had many discussions with medical people in those countries and have gotten no where.

 

So, make it your passion to make the PA profession more international. There are a lot of knowledgeable and competent PAs with a big heart (most of us do it for the love of patients, not for the love of money).