Group of medical professionals in a hallway

Medical Mission Trips with Mission of Hope

Get an In-Depth Look at Mission of Hope and the Medical Volunteer Opportunities They Provide Around the World

Group of medical professionals in a hallway

Medical mission trips are a unique and practical way for healthcare professionals and students to volunteer their time and talent to provide healthcare in the world’s most impoverished places. Medical missions are a great way to gain valuable, hands-on healthcare experience and open your eyes to how medicine is practiced all over the world.

The organizations that arrange medical mission trips range from large, multi-national operations to more modest but equally rewarding efforts coordinated by local charities and organizations. Mission of Hope is a large organization that partners with local medical professionals and the surrounding community to bring basic health information and access to healthcare to those in need.

(Click here to see our full list of the best medical volunteer opportunities and medical mission trips)

What is Mission of Hope?

Founded in 1998, Mission of Hope is a faith-based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides medical, dental, prosthetic, and optometrical services free of charge to the poor communities in the Caribbean and southernmost Florida. Mission of Hope is dedicated to the idea that entire nations can be transformed one life at a time by focusing on fulfilling the nutritional, educational, spiritual, and medical needs of every life they encounter.

Mission of Hope operates year-round mobile medical clinics to bring exceptional medical care to those who do not have regular access to the physicians, dentists, optometrists, and pharmaceuticals they may need. Thanks to the relationships they’ve established in these communities over the years, Mission of Hope clinics are organized and operated through local churches. Mission of Hope also operates its own brick-and-mortar clinic, a prosthetics lab, medical outreach programs, and community health initiatives to meet the needs of the underprivileged population by providing free access to healthcare.

Medical mission trip volunteers help with the staffing and operations of these year-round clinics, and trips can be tailored to match your skillset with the needs of the community you serve. Additionally, you can complete your CME (continuing medical education) hours by serving on a Mission of Hope medical mission trip.

Mission of Hope Mission Statement

As on organization following Jesus Christ, Mission of Hope exists to bring life transformation to every man, woman, and child. With campuses in the Caribbean, we partner with local churches to transform lives through church advancement,  nutrition, education, and medical care.

Where Does Mission of Hope Serve?

Mission of Hope is a national and international charity that places volunteers side-by-side with local medical professionals. Mission of Hope operates in a range of settings that include its mobile and brick-and-mortar clinics, hospitals, and assisted living centers.

Depending on how much time a volunteer can dedicate, medical mission trips can last anywhere from 1–24 weeks in destinations that include:

  • Haiti
  • Dominican Republic
  • Key West, Florida

What Kinds of Medical Professionals Does Mission of Hope Need?

Mission of Hope medical mission teams are typically comprised of a mix of medical and non-medical volunteers. Here is a list of medical professionals Mission of Hope is currently accepting:

  • Physicians
  • Physician Assistants
  • Registered Nurses
  • Licensed Practical Nurses
  • Certified Nursing Assistants
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Dentists
  • Dental Assistants
  • Registered Pharmacists
  • Physical Therapists
  • EMTs
  • Paramedics
  • Students

Medical professional smiling at elderly patient

Mission of Hope Volunteer Requirements

The application process for Mission of Hope medical mission trips is very straightforward, but thorough. The process begins by filling out the online application form and paying the $25 reservation fee. You’ll then be required to show copies of your diploma, medical license(s), a clear photo of your face, and a passport that is good for at least six months after you medical mission trip ends.

After examining your application and documents, Mission of Hope will work with you to do what they can to tailor the trip to suit your goals and qualifications.

Volunteers are responsible for obtaining all required vaccinations, including for COVID-19, prior to embarking on their mission trip. Volunteers traveling to Haiti or  the Dominican Republic are also required to be vaccinated for Tetanus toxoid (Td or DT). Mission of Hope also strongly recommends immunizations for Typhoid and Hepatitis A/B.

Apart from English, volunteers have no language requirements, as medical interpreters will be on hand to facilitate communication between you and the patient.

What Benefits Does Mission of Hope Provide?

As is common practice with many organizations sponsoring medical mission trips, Mission of Hope asks volunteers pay a fee that varies by destination to cover certain trip costs. For medical mission trips, those fees cover the following expenses:

  • All meals
  • Lodging
  • In-country transportation
  • Medical translators
  • A day at the beach

Mission of Hope has a housing campus in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. There, team members reside in modest, bunk-style housing, separated by gender into separate rooms, each with twin bunkbeds. Bathrooms include running water and showers. Linens and a pillow are provided, but volunteers will want to bring their own beach and bath towels. Key West volunteers stay in air-conditioned bunk-style rooms, separated by gender, on Mission of Hope’s 110-foot ship True North.

What Expenses Am I Required To Cover?

In addition to the modest reservation fee and trip fee, there are many expenses that are the volunteer’s responsibility to cover during your medical mission trip. These expenses include:

  • International airfares
  • Wi-Fi fees
  • Inoculations
  • $5.00 Tourist fee (Haiti only)
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses
  • Toiletries
  • Entertainment
  • Meals during excursions

There is also list of medical supply needs that is the responsibility of each volunteer to acquire and bring with them on the mission trip Mission of Hope will provide the medical supplies list to volunteers upon assignment. The list is based on each volunteer’s level of licensure. For example, RN, EMT, Paramedic, PT, LPN, and LVN volunteers will be asked to bring a collection of about 25 supply items that can range from bottles of calcium carbonate tablets and ibuprofen to tubes of antibiotic ointment and boxes of blood glucose strips.

Beautiful nurse typing on a laptop

How to Get Started

Like all medical mission trips, the application process to volunteer with Mission of Hope is a multi-step process that takes a little time to complete. Start by visiting their website to familiarize yourself with the organization’s overall mission, the type of work they do for the communities they serve, as well as their scheduled missions.

Mission of Hope has a year-round presence in Haiti and Dominican Republic. As a result, they have numerous medical mission trips scheduled each year, so finding a trip that suits your schedule should be relatively easy. Once you find the medical mission trip you want, click that trip’s Reserve Now button and take your first step toward a rewarding, life-affirming trip to help the less fortunate.

Click here to learn more about Mission of Hope.

Start Your Career in Healthcare by Earning Your Degree or Diploma

Advancing your healthcare career is a great way to earn a more competitive salary*, but the rewards go far beyond the money and increased responsibility. By becoming a medical assistant, registered nurse, or earning a BSN degree, you’ll play a key role in restoring health to the patients you serve. If this sounds like the kind of challenge you’re looking for, then the perfect place for you to begin your journey could be at Provo College or its sister school, Eagle Gate College.

The Medical Assistant Program at Eagle Gate College can be completed in as little as 9 months and provides the necessary training for entry-level positions as a medical assistant in a healthcare facility such as a clinic, physician’s office, or urgent care facility.

Or, if you’re ready to take the next step towards becoming a registered nurse, you can start by enrolling in our BSN program. If you already hold an ADN, then you can earn your BSN degree online in as few as 20 months through the Eagle Gate RN-to-BSN program.

Finally, if you’re interested in helping injured or disabled people restore their strength and mobility, we encourage you to explore our Physical Therapist Assistant program.