About Trips
Overview
Our global health outreach trips are at the heart of DOCARE International’s mission of bringing osteopathic medicine to medically under-served communities around the world. For over 50 years, DOCARE’s volunteers have brought much-needed health services to people with insufficient access to care. Early DOCARE teams flew their own airplanes to serve the Tarahumara Indians in Northern Mexico (who have since been made slightly famous by Christopher MacDougall’s 2009 book Born to Run).
DOCARE International has since expanded our care to populations around the world. We’ve conducted global health outreach to Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Over time, we have made return visits to many of our destinations including Nicaragua, Guatemala, Kenya, Peru, and many more.
International Clinical Rotations for Rotating Students and Residents should find details and additional documents available on the Rotations page. Here, you will also find information related to short-term Himalayan Health Exchange opportunities.
Each year, we provide opportunities that welcome volunteers from nearly every medical professional group and academic program.
Preparing to Participate
Providing healthcare abroad can be a deeply enriching experience and a powerful opportunity to grow. To help you plan and prepare for your trip, we present this page.
Short-term global health outreach volunteers’ travel preparations should expect this information to supplement detailed information they receive from trip directors after signing up via our upcoming trips page.
To begin, please read this Overview of the Global Health Experience (PDF) from past-President, Kelli Glaser, DO
Travel Preparations Checklist and Health and Safety Overview
Please see the Pre-Trip Planning and Travel Preparedness for International Activities presentation (PDF). In addition, please download these one-page guides to trip planning, health, and safety:
- A comprehensive Checklist for Volunteers on DOCARE Trips (PDF)
- Additional Health and Safety Advice for Volunteers on DOCARE Trips (PDF)
- Packing List (PDF)