Honduras: The Holy Family Surgery Center (which encompasses a surgery center and clinic) and Moscati Center (volunteer accommodations and conference center) are located on the property of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), a children’s home and our local nonprofit partner located about an hour outside of the capital city of Tegucigalpa. 

Dominican Republic: The surgery center, clinic, and volunteer accommodations are located on a property connected to Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), a children’s home and our local nonprofit partner located about 45 minutes outside the nation’s capital, Santo Domingo. Medical missions take place onsite and, in some cases, in temporary field clinics set up in the surrounding community neighborhoods, called bateys.

Typically, 1 week in duration, Saturday to Saturday. Some missions may end on a Friday or Thursday. Your approval email will contain the official dates. 

An average mission has approximately 45 volunteers. We can host up to 60 volunteers.

Volunteers stay in our conference center, the Moscati Center, which is about a 10 to 15-minute walk from the surgery center and clinic. All rooms have a private bathroom, and most have 4 single beds. Volunteers can make roommate requests on their applications. Due to limited space, volunteers may not be roomed with their spouse, share rooms with other volunteers they do not know, or stay with our local team members.  

Honduras is hot and humid year-round. The average high temperature nationwide is 90°F and the average low is 68°F. June-November is considered the rainy season. December-May is considered the dry season. Mornings and evenings can be cooler (60°F) December-March. Dress on the ranch and in Honduras is conservative, and most people do not wear shorts. If you choose to wear shorts, they should come at least to the mid-thigh, and tank top straps should be 2 fingers width. Casual clothing is fine, but you should bring a nicer outfit if you plan to attend the optional Catholic mass on Saturday (shorts and short skirts are not permitted at mass).  

The surgery center is located approximately 1 hour northeast of Tegucigalpa on the 2,000-acre property of the children’s home Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH). We remain on the NPH property for the entire trip, apart from traveling to and from the airport. The NPH ranch is gated and patrolled 24/7 by a team of security guards, who are also continually monitoring the safety of the country and surrounding towns. Emergency medical and evacuation insurance is purchased for all participants. We have never experienced a security incident during a medical mission. 

Participants are required to stay on the ranch property. Sightseeing is not included in the medical mission.  

• Saturday: Arrive and settle in, optional afternoon mass with the NPH community 

• Sunday: Surgery center tour and orientation and ranch tour 

• Monday-Friday: Surgery and clinic all day, dinner and programming in the evening   

• Saturday: depart 

In the Dominican Republic, volunteers will stay in the OWS visitor center, which is connected to the surgery center and clinic. Accommodations are simple, and volunteers will share bedrooms with other clinical and nonclinical volunteers. Due to limited space, volunteers may not be roomed with their spouse, share rooms with other volunteers they do not know, or stay with our local team members.   

The Dominican Republic has a hot and humid tropical climate with daily high temperatures around 90°F year-round and low temperatures around 70°F. Air conditioning is not available in volunteer accommodations or field clinic locations. Volunteers will be provided with fans in bedrooms and clinics but may want to bring a personal battery-operated fan. Volunteers should dress modestly, as cultural standards in the Dominican Republic are different than those in the U.S. Shorts and skirts should reach to the knee, and straps on shirts must be at least 3 fingers wide. Comfortable, broken-in walking shoes are a must, and light, cotton clothing is recommended. For surgical missions, scrubs will be available. It is recommended to bring close-toed shoes.   

NPH Dominican Republic is located between Santo Domingo (57 miles) and Punta Cana (69 miles) and about 5 hours from the Haitian border. Visitors travel to and from the airport by OWS’s private vehicles, which are operated by OWS’s licensed drivers. NPH Dominican Republic has unarmed security guards that do rounds in the evenings and cover the front gate all day. Emergency medical and evacuation insurance is purchased for all participants. We have never experienced a security incident during a medical mission.  

Primary care missions will involve trips off-site to provide care in the surrounding communities. Schedule permitting, off-site meals or other activities may also be planned for the group on early days or the last day of the mission. Any travel off-site during the mission must be organized by OWS. All other leisure or tourism activities off-site must take place before or after your mission.  

• Saturday: Arrive and settle in, tour of NPH Children’s Home, Dinner, General Orientation  

• Sunday: Clinical and general volunteer orientation presentations from local clinical and hospitality team, Optional Mass, electronic medical record and optometry training, Lunch, OWS Site Tour, supply and equipment preparation  

• Monday-Friday: Patient care in central clinic, surgery center, or off-site field clinics/ community health project sites all day. Dinner and programming in the evening  

• Saturday: Depart  

Primary care is offered by volunteer providers during medical missions and by full-time local physicians at both sites. Primary care providers manage acute and chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, upper respiratory infections, musculoskeletal pain, allergies, type 2 diabetes, urinary tract infections, anemia, and skin infections. They also perform pre-op clearances and develop surgical optimization plans with patients. 

Honduras: Surgical consults and surgeries are available in the following specialties: ear, nose, and throat; general surgery; gynecology; surgical oncology; ophthalmology; orthopedics; total joints; spine; and urology. Most medical missions include 2-3 surgical specialties, with specialties spaced throughout the year to ensure consistent patient access. Additionally, our dental clinic provides year-round preventative and restorative dental care, supported by volunteer dentists and our local dentist. 

Dominican Republic: Surgical consults and surgeries are provided in the following specialties: orthopedics, general surgery, ophthalmology, and ear, nose, and throat.   

One World Surgery has local physicians who provide follow-up care for primary care patients with chronic conditions via clinic and home visits. Through our patient assistance program, we also provide financial and healthcare navigation support for patients with urgent needs to access care from the local medical system. Local physicians also perform post-operative consultations in our on-site clinic for surgical patients and can address any complications.  

Honduras: Our patients come from all over Honduras and some neighboring countries to access surgical care. Most primary care patients live in the capital city, Tegucigalpa, or nearby communities. Additionally, we serve children under the care of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos. 
 
Dominican Republic: Most of our patients come from the communities surrounding our facility. These communities, called “bateys,” are primarily inhabited by Haitian immigrants and their descendants. Many work in the sugar cane fields, or other manual labor jobs. In 2018, our health promoters performed a needs assessment on nearly 10,000 residents in 2,542 households of the patient population and found the following: 55% had completed less than primary education, 31% had no access to a toilet or latrine, 42% had no access to a health clinic, 46% had an inadequate floor, and 36% had an inadequate roof.  

Yes, a team of local interpreters specialized in medical Spanish work with volunteers during every mission.

All medical volunteers must be currently licensed, working in their profession, and have at least 1 year of experience. All medical volunteers must submit proof of current license/certification (if required by their profession) in order to practice in the mission. Volunteers who are retired or not currently working in the field may serve in support roles.

Yes! Please see country-specific age requirement information below. 

Volunteers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult for the entire duration of travel, including traveling on the same international and domestic flights. Children under 13 must be accompanied by a nonclinical adult at all times during the mission. If you are a clinical participant, you must bring another adult family member or friend to help supervise all younger children. This includes when walking around the ranch, in the surgery center or clinic, and when participating in workstations and other activities. One World Surgery staff and other medical mission volunteers are not able to provide supervision. One World Surgery allows children 13 and over to walk around the ranch and participate in general volunteer activities on their own. If you are not comfortable with this, you should bring a nonclinical adult to accompany them.  

Please note that some stations have minimum age requirements. Volunteers must be at least 15 years old to observe surgery inside an OR and to support as a clinic scribe. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old to scrub into surgery. Volunteers must have medical knowledge to scrub into total joints orthopedic cases.  

For more information, please check out our Attending a Mission as a Family Packets – Honduras or Dominican Republic. 

Dominican Republic: Children ages 16 and up are welcome to attend until the Surgery Center is officially open in 2024; exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis. Please contact medicalmissions@oneworldsurgery.org if you are seeking an exception.

Yes! Non-medical – called general volunteers – are essential to the success of large medical mission trips. General volunteers will rotate between different workstations in the surgery center and clinic and on the NPH ranch (Honduras) or field clinics (Dominican Republic). For more information, please check out our General Volunteer Packets – Honduras or Dominican Republic. 

We require various medical professionals for our surgical missions, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, CRNAs, surgical techs/nurses, OR circulators, Pre-op nurses, and PACU nurses. We also welcome physical therapists, surgical first assistants, x-ray technicians, EMTs, MAs, CNAs, and sterile processors.  

Medical specialists, such as dentists, cardiologists, dermatologists, pharmacists, optometrists, and audiologists, are encouraged to participate and should contact the Medical Missions team to find a mission that aligns with their skills. Other medical professionals should reach out to medicalmissions@oneworldsurgery.org before applying to ensure there is a suitable role for them on the trip. 

Typically, we have just enough volunteers for each area, and we rely on each medical volunteer’s specific skillset. Medical volunteers usually serve in the same role all week and will not have the opportunity to observe surgeries. Because we are committed to providing safe and high-quality care, medical volunteers will only perform skills in which they are trained and experienced. For example, a nurse with primarily PACU experience will not serve as a scrub in the OR.  

Patient care is only provided by trained medical professionals, and we will never sacrifice patient safety to provide a volunteer with a learning opportunity. We also expect all volunteers to participate fully in the service aspect of the trip. Pre-med students and students of other health professions will serve as general volunteers, rotating among different opportunities in the surgery center, including administrative tasks, cleaning the ORs and helping in the kitchen. Occasionally, students may have clinical training and experience (i.e., EMT, CNA) that they can use to contribute to a different role on the mission, such as assisting in pre-op. If your expectation is that you will be able to spend the entire trip shadowing a physician or observing or scrubbing in on surgeries, this may not be the right experience for you. 

Volunteers are never permitted to perform duties that exceed their skills, training, or licensure. Current medical students will be permitted to participate in medical missions in the following ways: 

• Shadowing physicians in clinic and assisting physicians, as needed (NOTE: Separate translators will not be provided for medical students.) 

• Acting as a scribe for the physician; writing notes from the consult legibly in the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system. 

• Observing/Scrubbing during surgeries (NOTE: Medical students will be required to adhere to all observation policies, including signing up for scheduled observation shifts. Students will only be permitted to perform tasks within their current level of training.) 

• Helping the circulators find supplies for the ORs

Medical Students interested in performing additional functions during the mission may submit a training plan to One World Surgery’s Clinical Operations Director for approval. Please email medicalmissions@oneworldsurgery.org for a sample training plan. Student volunteers must be attending the mission with a clinical mentor and submit the training plan in collaboration with the clinical mentor.

Because our medical missions are, above all, service trips that require a team effort, medical students will also be asked to participate in general volunteer duties. If your expectation is that you will be able to spend the entire trip shadowing a physician or observing or scrubbing in on surgeries, this may not be the right experience for you. 

For more information, please check out our General Volunteer Packet – Honduras or Dominican Republic. Surgery center stations in Honduras and Dominican Republic include turning over ORs, washing instruments, taking out the trash, serving meals, assisting with laundry, and assisting with administrative projects.  

Honduras: In addition to the above duties, other opportunities on the ranch include helping in the kitchen or on the farm. 

Dominican Republic: In addition to general volunteer projects during surgical missions, volunteers may assist with field clinics or community health projects. In field clinics, general volunteers will support with patient registration, vital signs, and the pharmacy. General volunteers may also participate in Community Health Projects in the surrounding communities, helping to improve the living conditions of One World Surgery’s patients. Examples of projects include housing construction, gardening, and sanitation projects.  

Yes, in most cases you can still submit your application. If you are a provider, a copy of your passport is required 10 weeks prior to the mission so that we can submit your documentation and credentials to the local ministry of health.  

Due to limited transportation resources and the distance of the airport from our location, we limit additional airport pick-ups and drop-offs when possible. Additionally, all first-time participants are required to attend orientation on Sunday afternoon. Please contact medicalmissions@oneworldsurgery.org to confirm if a late arrival or early departure is possible. The volunteer is responsible for covering the cost of additional transportation (typically $100-$200). 

At this time, volunteer opportunities are only offered during scheduled medical missions. 

Typically, we do not have opportunities for volunteers to stay beyond the mission week. Occasionally, longer term opportunities may be available for medical volunteers. Contact medicalmissions@oneworldsurgery.org for more information.

Applications are accepted year-round on a first come, first served basis. Providers must apply 10 weeks prior to the trip so their medical credentials can be verified and submitted to the local ministry of health. Applications for other volunteer positions may be accepted up to two weeks before the trip for critical roles. We recommend applying at least 4 months before the trip to ensure you receive all trip reminders and have adequate time to prepare. Applications for the following year typically open in the late summer.

All participants must submit a new trip application each year. The application process involves two steps. First, visit oneworldsurgery.org/apply to start your application. Create an account and then click “+start new application.” You can use the same account for multiple applications, including for family members.  

Once you’ve filled out your basic information and submitted your application, it will be reviewed by the Medical Mission team. Providers are required to submit their credentials during this stage. If you apply for a trip scheduled within the next three months, you will receive a response within two weeks. For trips scheduled more than three months in advance, expect a response in three to four weeks. Once approved, you will receive an email with instructions to complete follow-up forms and waivers, where you’ll submit your flight itinerary, emergency contact information, and other required details. Applications must be fully completed five weeks before the mission.

Surgical Trip Program Costs  

 Volunteers are responsible for their program fee (covers housing, meals, ground transportation in country, and emergency medical/evacuation insurance) 

• $1000 for first participant  
• $500 for additional family member (parent, spouse, or adult child) 
• $250 for additional family member (child under 18) 

Additional costs include: 

• Flight costs  
• Any additional travel costs (i.e., recommended immunizations, baggage, cost of applying for/renewing passport) 

Primary Care Trip Program Costs   

The majority of primary care trips are sponsored by corporate or foundation partners, have a different cost structure, and are closed to the public. Please contact medicalmissions@oneworldsurgery.org if you would like to inquire about attending a primary care medical mission trip.

Scholarships that cover program fee expenses may be available; including through OWS (for critical clinical roles), partner organizations, and for members of ASCA (Ambulatory Surgery Center Association) and AST (Association for Surgical Technologists). Check out our scholarship page for more information.

One World Surgery partners with Empowered.org to offer a simple fundraising solution for volunteers to raise funds for their program fee and/or flight costs. View our fundraising guide to learn how to set up a fundraising page.

Flight costs typically range from $500 to $1,400 roundtrip. Flight costs vary depending on time of year, departure airport, and time at which flights are booked.  
 
One World Surgery has partnered with Diversity Travel, a travel management company that provides access to humanitarian fares, which are more flexible tickets with added benefits (e.g., additional baggage allowance). See details on booking with Diversity Travel here. 

Honduras: Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your date of entry. Ideally, it should be valid for 6 months past your entry date.

Dominican Republic: Your passport must be valid for the duration of your trip. We recommend having at least 6 months of validity remaining. Additionally, your passport must have at least one blank page for entry. 

U.S. passport holders can stay in Honduras for up to 90 days and in Dominican Republic for up to 30 days without a visa. If you hold a passport from another country, please check visa requirements with the nearest Embassy or Consulate. 

Honduras & Dominican Republic: Covid-19, Hepatitis A and Typhoid are the recommended immunizations, but they are not required.  

Honduras: If you are travelling directly from a country with risk of Yellow Fever transmission (the U.S. is not one of these countries), you will be required to show proof of Yellow Fever vaccination.  

Participants are responsible for booking their own flights according to the guidelines found in their application approval email and trip informational packet.  

Honduras: Participants fly into Palmerola International Airport (XPL) in Comayagua, Honduras on the 1st Saturday of the mission and depart on the 2nd Saturday of the mission (or whichever day is indicated in your approval email). Participants are expected to arrive between 11am-2pm and depart between 12pm-4pm.  

Dominican Republic: Participants fly into Las Americas International Airport in Santo Domingo (SDQ) on the 1st Saturday of the mission and depart on the 2nd Saturday of the mission (unless another day is indicated on your application approval email). Participants are expected to arrive and depart between 1-4pm.  

Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) is a children’s home with 9 locations in Central America and the Caribbean. Our facilities in the Dominican Republic and Honduras are also located on the property of NPH homes. Visit the NPH website to learn more.  

Any activities with the children (i.e., games, joining the volunteers for dinner) are scheduled by the local OWS team. It is never appropriate to walk into the children’s homes or school unannounced or to invite children into the visitor center. Those who sponsor a child at NPH can arrange a visit through our local team. Children are in classes during the week and have after-school routines (i.e., homework, chores). We respect these daily routines in order to maintain a sense of stability for the children. Volunteers will not serve as direct caregivers or teachers. These duties are filled by trained, long-term, Spanish-speaking staff for the benefit and safety of the children.

We often need help transporting supplies and medications from the US. Volunteers are asked to reserve a checked bag for transporting supplies if possible. The OWS Supply Chain Manager will contact you ahead of your trip to confirm your ability to carry supplies and your delivery address. We appreciate your support!  

One World Surgery accepts pre-approved donations of medical supplies, medications, and equipment. This list outlines items that are urgently needed for medical missions.  

• All goods must be safe according to United States standards.  

• Equipment for donation should be fully functioning, include all relevant and associated parts, and ideally come with all an instruction manual.  

• The Honduran government requires that any medications and medical supplies you bring must have an expiration date at least 9 months after your arrival in the country.

Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos requests donations of school supplies or clothing for children ages 2-21. Upon arrival, please hand in your donations to our hospitality team to ensure they are distributed appropriately. Please do not bring small gifts or candies to randomly distribute, as this can cause jealousy and teach the children to expect gifts from visitors. Please do not bring items that are not pre-approved and on the product donation form. 

Please submit your donation request here or contact michael.fry@oneworldsurgery.org for a product donation form. his form must be submitted at least 45 days before your scheduled medical mission visit to ensure proper approvals and paperwork. For any questions or more information, please contact Michael Fry, Supply Chain Manager.  Most donations will be transported to Honduras and Dominican Republic via volunteers’ checked luggage. Do not attempt to ship anything directly to Honduras.