Medical Mission Trips

Medical missions can be moving and rewarding experiences, regardless of your background or qualifications. However, with so many organizations competing for help it can be difficult to sort out which one is best for you.

What is a Medical Mission?

• The main purpose of a medical mission is to deliver care to areas of the world where it is nonexistent or substandard. Reasons for a shortage of medical care can include armed conflict, poverty, a natural disaster or an epidemic. There are faith-based and nonfaith-based missions. Choosing the right organization can make or break your experience. Nonfaith-based organizations focus solely on the medical care of people and believe evangelical fervor can be counterproductive. Faith-based organizations have a dual purpose. They are mostly Christian and feel very strongly about sharing their relationship with God. They want to give medical assistance, but also introduce the local population to Christianity. Their work sometimes includes building a church as well as a medical facility.

History

• Christian medical missions date back to Biblical times. Modern medical missions usually involve building or staffing a health clinic or hospital. The first mission of this kind was in the 4th Century in Turkey. During a famine, Basil the Great of Cappadocia constructed several buildings to serve local people, including a hospital, a hospice and a Christian church. This small community is believed to be the first example of Christians meeting the immediate spiritual and medical needs of others. Medical and other mission trips abroad became more numerous with the growth of commercial air travel in the 1950s.

  Not all medical missions are Christian, however. Doctors Without Borders is the largest and most well-known nonfaith-based medical mission organization. Doctors without Borders was created as a humanitarian project by doctors and journalists in 1971. The goal of the organization is to deliver quality medical care to areas of armed conflict, malnutrition, natural disaster and epidemics, without religious or political agendas. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

Participant Qualifications

• Generally speaking, if you want to help, there is a job for you. Doctors and nurses are in high demand, but other medical professionals also are highly-sought after, including dentists, occupational and physical therapists, radiologists, EMTs and paramedics. There also is a need for nonmedical staff to help with administration, accounting and building. If you are interested in a faith-based mission, your religious views and experiences may weigh heavily on whether or not you qualify to help that organization.

Cost

• The costs of helping vary greatly from one organization to another. Beware of organizations that charge a lot to become involved. Many are inexpensive to work for and most credible organizations will pay your expenses while on a mission. They may expect you to participate in fundraising before your trip, but the trip itself should not be a large expense. If you are considering a mission, don't forget to consider the cost of keeping up your home while you are gone. Short trips are available, but many groups ask a minimum commitment of up to one year. If you are going to be gone for an extended time, consider renting out or selling your property.

Employment with Mission Organizations

• If you want to get involved, but aren't ready to spend an entire summer in a desert or a war zone, consider helping in the home office of a U.S.-based mission. This can be a rewarding and enjoyable career path. There are many websites that specialize in job listings for mission organizations, such as missionfinder.org. Check individual organization websites for jobs. Some overseas positions are not volunteer. Doctors and nurses, in particular, can find work with many of these organizations.