• Laos Project
• Malawi Project
• Children in Disasters
• HIV/AIDS

Volunteer Opportunities

The greatest resources we can give to help improve health care in Laos are human resources.

This is the philosophy of Health Frontiers, and therefore we consider the contributions of all volunteers extremely valuable. There are many ways to get involved, suitable to varying levels of experience and time availability. If you have one week or one year of your time to dedicate to teaching enthusiastic residents, please consider coming to Laos. Rotations are also available to Pediatric and Internal Medicine residents.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

In collaboration with the Haitian Pediatric Society and Rose Charities, Health Frontiers is organizing volunteer pediatricians to support L'Hôpital Université d'Etat d'Haiti (HUEH) by assisting with inpatient and outpatient clinical work and teaching of the pediatric residents.  

Duties include working with Haitian pediatric colleagues in Port-au-Prince in the care of children in inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as teaching pediatric residents during daily rounds, bedside care, and lectures according to the volunteer's expertise.  A minimum of 1 week is required, however 2-4 weeks is ideal.  Volunteers are required to be board certified in Pediatrics or third year Pediatric residents with the recommendation of their program director.

For more information please contact Dr. Marlene Goodfriend at marlenegood@hotmail.com with your dates of availability and any special interests, and please include your CV and two references.

Download Information on Volunteering in Haiti  [Word Document] 

Bwaila Hospital, Malawi

Health Frontiers will begin supporting care of mothers and children at Bwala Hospital with a full-time volunteer obstetric provider in 2010.  We are seeking an extraordinary volunteer pediatric provider than one who might consider volunteering a year or more of his or her life to the work at Bwaila. This could be a profound learning experience, initially supporting both the desperate patients and the overwhelmed staff. It would likely evolve into staff training programs, and could conceivably move toward the volunteer facilitation of a formal professional training effort, akin to what the long-term volunteers have done with the project in Laos.

For more information on volunteering in Malawi, contact Dr. Kristine Torjesen.

Vientiane, Laos

Volunteer Dr. Chris Davis teaches intubation
skills during an Emergency Medicine Conference.

• Resident Rotations
• Pediatric and Internal Medicine Coordinators
• Links to Useful Information
• Contact Us

Dr. Denise Bothe, Developmental and Behavioral
Pediatrician from Case Western University,
examines a child in with developmental delay
in the Well Child Clinic.

Numerous physicians have volunteered as teachers in the residency programs, sharing their expertise and experience with the Lao physicians. Both generalists and sub-specialists are welcomed.

Most short-term volunteers come with a specific area of interest or a topic on which they will teach the residents and/or teachers. Other opportunities include joining bedside rounds and participating in educational activities including case conferences and journal club. Visiting physicians do not provide any direct patient care, but instead collaborate with Lao physicians to help manage patients seen in the hospital.

The time that volunteers contribute is entirely flexible; volunteers have come for a few days up to one month or more. Short-term volunteers are responsible for their own airfare, food and housing. However Health Frontiers can assist with logistics of housing, transportation and arranging a visa.

Resident Rotations

Pediatric or Internal Medicine residents with an interest in international health are strongly encouraged to consider a one-month rotation in Vientiane. This is an excellent opportunity to be immersed in the culture and health care system of another country, within the structure of a residency program. The residents are eager to learn from and collaborate with visiting doctors, and work very hard despite limited resources. Health Frontiers will arrange for the visiting resident to be matched with a senior resident with good English language skills. The rotating resident is expected to work closely with the residents during their work hours, collaborate on patient care and participate in all of their educational activities. Prior international health experience is not required; however, the abilities to demonstrate adaptability, independence and cultural sensitivity are all very important.

The Pediatric and Internal Medicine Coordinator Positions

These are one-year volunteer positions filled by volunteer physicians from the United States. Responsibilities include bedside and didactic teaching of the residents, residency program administration, faculty development, and administration of Health Frontiers in Laos. Health Frontiers provides a small living and travel stipend for long-term volunteers.  Contact Melanie Anspacher to for information and future availability of these positions.

Useful Information

This section provides links to useful information for planning your volunteer experience in Laos.

Information for Laos Volunteers (Updated September, 2009) 

Health and Safety Advisory for Laos Volunteers (Updated September, 2009)

Recommendations for Teaching in Laos

    Quick Links:   

CDC Travel Health Website for travel to Southeast Asia

State Department The latest safety information and travel recommendations

Donations

Many volunteers ask what they can bring that would be helpful to the Lao physicians, including textbook and medical supplies. Please refer to our Wish List for ideas on what is needed.

Contact Us

For more information on any of these opportunities, please contact Melanie Anspacher, Laos Project Director.