Country: Guatemala

Length of Trip: 2 Weeks

Trips per Year to Latin America: Not available

Cost: $1,300

Urban/Rural: Rural

Type of Volunteer: Physician/mid-level provider, Nurse, Pharmacist

Type of Organization: Secular NGO

Type of Clinic: Hospital Based Clinic

Description:

How Medical Mission Teams Work

HELPS Medical Teams are scheduled from January through October every year. The teams are organized by local team leaders in various parts of the U.S. Each team consists of 60-80 volunteers, comprised of surgeons, Ob-gyns, general practitioners, anesthesiologists, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, translators, cooks, engineers, and other types of support personnel needed to assist the team. A volunteer does not need to have medical training to join a medical mission.

After submitting your online application, your information will be forwarded to a team leader, who will contact you while organizing the team. Please indicate on your online application the team/s you would be interested in joining, either by team name or number, so that your application can be forwarded to the appropriate team leader for consideration. The team leader(s) will be glad to answer any questions for you.

HELPS has a full-time staff in Guatemala to facilitate the teams’ in-country experience, and our main offices are located in Addison, Texas.

HELPS medical missions generally last 12 days. The usual planned agenda for a team is to stay in a hotel in Guatemala City the first night, travel by bus to the medical facility the next day, and stay in it while work is being done throughout the week. Sleeping arrangements are dormitory style, using cots and sleeping bags. There are bathroom and shower facilities in the medical facility, and you will be fed all of your meals on-site by the kitchen team. The trip will be completed with a two to three-night R&R stay at a hotel in the resort city of Antigua, and will conclude with a team banquet on the last evening you are there. Some teams follow a slightly different schedule, depending on the location the team plans to serve.

The cost of the trip for 2016 will be $2300.00* ($1300.00* if you purchase your own airfare and required travel medical insurance). The full cost of the trip is considered a tax free donation. All expenses (including air travel and required travel insurance) are covered by the cost, except for a few of the meals you will have on your own during your rest and relaxation time in Antigua. Many of our team members have others donate on their behalf to help defray the cost of the trip. These donations are also 100% tax deductible if the checks are made out to HELPS International.

Organizational Base: Addison, Texas

Other Programs: Surgical teams, preventative health, education, economic development

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