Not ready to move to the developing world? Consider a short-term trip.

I had a chance to write some reflections for an organization / website called MedicalMissions.com about a year ago. They were planning an online seminar and publishing a series of short reflections about short-term involvement in missions. This reflection is really geared toward people in medicine, but I think it can apply to ANYONE visiting ANYWHERE new for ANY purpose. If you want to read more from other long-term workers or other people who have participated in short-term trips, there are tons of resources on the MedicalMissions.com website. I have also attended their Global Missions Health Conference (once, a long time ago) which is a great conference to learn more about opportunities to serve (medical and otherwise) around the world! Before arriving in Kenya as a mid-term medical missionary myself, my experience with short-term medical missions (and missionaries) was limited. In one mission trip, I had been on a one-day pharmacy outreach to diagnose and treat acute and chronic illnesses with a “gift” of seven days’ worth of medication; I had also watched specialists performing life-changing surgeries during a one-week outreach to patients in an extremely rural setting where they would otherwise have never had access to those procedures. For better or worse, I had intentionally decided not to participate in short-term medical missions during my residency, so that I could focus on developing my knowledge and skills before entering long-term service. So, in my first three months in Kenya, as I struggled to get my bearings in a new country/culture/language/hospital, I viewed short-terms in a variety of ways: as important encouragers and sustainers, as liabilities, as time-givers and time-consumers, as free babysitters, as potential future partners or financial supporters, and as the important final link in the all- important Hot Wheels and chocolate chip supply chain. Then, abruptly, there were no more short-termers. In the initial phases of the COVID pandemic, as a new physician, I have to be totally honest – the break from short-termers gave me time to really establish my footing and get my focus within my practice. But after a few months, the path between my front door and the Maternity Ward started to lose its luster and became tiring. A few months later, our long-term colleagues began to leave, for a variety of primarily COVID-related reasons, and the incoming volunteers were minimal. Within 18 months of the start of the pandemic, I became the second-longest serving clinical physician (Kenyan or foreign) at our hospital. Being without short-term volunteers for so long served to highlight the importance, as well as some of the challenges, of integrating short-termers into a long-term medical missions strategy. Due to COVID, I can say that my experience with short-term medical missions remains limited. But thanks to some absolutely amazing short-term volunteers, I can tell you some characteristics that stood out and made for really positive experiences. - Come for as long as you can. Remember that you when you arrive you will be tackling jet-lag, absorbing a ton of new information, and that orienting you takes a large investment in time and energy. The longer you stay, the better the return on investment – for you and the hospital. - If you’ve been somewhere already, return to the same place. You’ll know the hospital, workflow, records system – and more importantly, the people and eventually even the patients. - If you’re coming to serve, make yourself a servant. You may be asked to perform ACLS and save someone’s life in the emergency department. More realistically, you may be asked to cover outpatient clinic for a couple of hours while I catch up on homeschool with my kid. Both of those scenarios are a huge help; only one makes a good story. So ask yourself, are you coming to serve, or to collect stories? - Be gracious with your host-physicians. When we moved to Kenya, we were told to resist the urge to suggest changes for 6 months. Instead, our sending agency advised us to observe, take note, and try to understand the rationale behind things that we didn’t like or understand. Well- meaning questions or off-handed suggestions from a short-termer can put a mid- or long-termer on the defensive, especially early in their career when they too are trying to figure out the system in which they work. If you have genuine concerns or recommendations, save the comments for a time when you can have a serious conversation – not between outpatient visits or on morning rounds. - Be honest with yourself and your host about your skills and comfort levels. We’ll find a way to use your talent, but knowing in advance helps us to put you in the right place to help our community.