Dr. Athena Hoobler, a pediatric and neonatology physician from Chicago, recently volunteered in Tanzania on a medical mission trip with the Making a Difference Foundation, CompHealth Locum Tenens, and International Medical Relief. Over the course of the four-day medical mission trip, the group of volunteers saw almost 1,100 patients. While…
Category: Tips for Trips
New Year, New Ways to Travel
Covid has changed so many plans over the past 2+ years. I think almost everyone has experienced some sort of event or trip being postponed, rearranged, or just canceled all together. It still seems like every month our plans for medical mission’s change. It’s hard to plan when the world…
Why Should I Give Back (by going a Medical Mission)?
Guest Blogger: Eddie Christensen Making a Difference Foundation Board Member Why Should I Give Back (by going a Medical Mission)? India, Kenya, Haiti, Paraguay, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Panama all sound like fun and exotic places – and they most certainly are. But think deeper. How many people have you…
Disaster Relief Medical Missions
The Making a Difference Foundation is committed to helping you find a way to give back that fits your passion and experience. There are so many different types of medical missions available, and each one is different based the nonprofit partner you choose, the country you visit, and the type…
Video: Day in the life of a medical mission
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go on a medical mission trip? It can be a little challenging to know what to expect if you haven’t gone on a mission. On our trip to Guatemala, in the fall of 2019, we followed around Randy Archibald, a…
My Medical Mission Story: Randy Archibald
Guest Blogger: Randy Archibald Many providers choose to practice medicine as a profession because they want to help people. My passion for working in the medical field began on a two-year mission to Chile I participated in as a young man through my church. During this mission I got pretty…
How to have a great medical mission experience
Guest Blogger: Kari Redfield Most physicians choose medicine as their career because they want to help people. However, the day-to-day pressures and politics of being a doctor can make it easy to lose sight of that goal. A medical mission is a great way to recapture that original purpose, allowing…
Addressing Common Fears
Planning for international travel can be a little stressful. Add in a remote medical mission and it can be downright scary especially if you don’t know what to expect. When we talk to providers who are getting ready for a medical mission, they often share with us some concerns. The…
What to expect on a medical mission
Practicing abroad: What to expect on a medical mission It’s hard to know what to expect on any medical mission, even for seasoned volunteers. Your experience depends on many factors – the type of care needed, the unique challenges of the community, the cultural attitudes on health, and your own…
Choosing a Medical Mission
I’ve had the pleasure of working with healthcare providers for almost six years. These providers have ranged from internists, to cardiologists, to advanced practice providers, and inevitably there was always interest in medical missions. My providers often said they would love to go on a medical mission but did not…