Use these resources to find a team. Review pre-trip and travel guidelines that cover health, culture and security issues with country-specific information. Conduct research on the specific country you will be visiting in advance of your departure.
Find organizations with opportunities to volunteer, build teams or place specialists within teams. The links on this page are listed without preferential order. To recruit volunteers, add your organization’s name to this list
Face to Face Humanitarian Program (Volunteer opportunities are only available to members)
Service Opportunities for Students and ResidentsResidency Programs with International Rotations
Humanitarian EffortsInternational Outreach
Volunteerism Networking DatabaseGive Back: Volunteer
Operation Giving Back (OGB)
SAGES Humanitarian Mission Registry
Guidelines include recommended pre-departure training, what to expect on your medical mission and travel checklists to consider while preparing for your trip.
A Template for National Guidelines for Pre-Departure Training(Applicable to all medical volunteers (not just medical students) – Covers personal health, travel safety, cultural awareness, language competencies, ethical considerations)
Smart Traveler Enrollment ProgramTravel AdvisoriesTravel Checklist
Our pre-departure Training Course includes one-hour learning modules with readings and quiz questions on the following topics:
Access the course by logging in with a Google account here: https://classroom.google.com/w/MTc0MzkyMTMzNzNa/t/all
The class code is h59phl
Country-specific and health information to consider while preparing for your trip, includes travel advisories, country profiles, visa and immunization requirements and disease risks.
American College of Surgeons – Operation Giving Back: Volunteer ToolkitAustralian Government Smart TravellerCanadian Government: Country Travel AdvisoriesCountryReports Culture Crossing Guide (Community built resource for cross-cultural etiquette)Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: Country ProfilesInstitute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: Global Health Data Exchange SearchLibrary of Congress Country StudiesUK Government Foreign Travel AdviceUS Customs and Border Protection Program: Global EntryUS Department of Health and Human Services: World Regions InformationUS Department of State: Country Information
CDC Travelers’ Health: Immunizations, Medications, etc.Gideon – Infectious Diseases of HaitiNational Network for Immunization InformationWorld Health Organization: Diseases with Risks to TravelersWorld Health Organization: International Travel and Health (Multiple subsections on travel alerts, disease specific information, disease distribution maps)World Health Organization: Vaccines for Travelers
Safe surgery helps save lives, relieves disability, and prevents death from neglected common conditions. The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist helps improve the safety of surgery and avoid potentially preventable surgical complications.
Americares is committed to advancing safe surgical and anesthesia care. Through our Safe Surgery Initiative, we aim to improve access to safer surgery in low-resource settings by increasing the number of operating room staff that have access to and are trained in the use of pulse oximetry and the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.