These volunteer opportunities, designed especially for doctors, can energize your medical career and help you enjoy a change of scenery. Learn new skills, ward off burnout and boredom, and get a chance to work with different populations with these service opportunities.
The American Red Cross often needs health and mental health volunteers in areas affected by disasters, and they welcome doctors, nurses, and other health professionals. If you’re interested, take a look at their volunteer eligibility criteria and apply online. You can also reach out to your local American Red Cross chapter for more information. If you’d prefer to volunteer closer to home, they might need help in your community.
A private international association that assigns volunteers to healthcare teams around the world to aid in areas of natural or man-made disasters or armed conflict. Often these teams are in remote areas, and there are strict requirements, but the impact is large and very meaningful, making this a great volunteer opportunity for physicians.
Focus on delivering healthcare to remote areas, often by boat. They provide care as well as teach skills to reduce dependency on outside programs. There are medical, dental, veterinary, and community development roles available. Volunteer groups of 10-20 participants, some of whom can be underage, can serve for as short as one week in an Immersion Program.
Provides medical, dental, and surgical volunteers as well as non-clinical support for both emergency and education initiatives, including public health projects and special services.
Serves hundreds of destinations in a wide variety of fields and project interests, not just medical. IVHQ collaborates with local people, which reduces costs and improves sustainability. It was founded with the mission “to make volunteering abroad more responsible, affordable, and accessible for all.” Their programs serve volunteers of all ages, with different travel styles, alone or with a group.
The MAVEN Project is a national non-profit organization that connects volunteer doctors to primary care providers (PCPs), often via telehealth to support underserved patients. Their website lists a variety of opportunities in the US and Puerto Rico, including 2 here in Virginia: Culmore Clinic in the Falls Church area and the Loudoun Free Clinic in Leesburg.
Healthcare professionals and non-clinical volunteers provide care for the state’s underserved population. With approximately 70 clinics in Virginia, there is bound to be one in your community, and many clinics accept volunteers for just a few hours per month! If you prefer to travel outside of Virginia, checkout the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics and search for the location that interests you!
Serving as a mentor to a current medical student can be a rewarding way to help prepare new physicians for their future career. Contact your alma mater or a local medical school to see if they have mentorship programs. National organizations such as American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Physicians have mentorship programs – your local chapter should be able to add you to their growing list of possible mentors. (Chapter webpages often list additional local volunteer opportunities.)
The traditional Peace Corps program is a longer time commitment and accepts volunteers with a wider variety of education and experience. Peace Corps Response is a shorter time commitment and requires volunteers to have specific degrees or certifications – these volunteers are more specialized – in addition to language and cultural training.
