Ukrainian Medical Council

About HVO

 

Health Volunteers Overseas in a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve global health through education.

HVO accepts qualified health care professionals with the expertise and dedication to share their knowledge with health providers and those-in-training in resource-scarce countries.

While volunteering overseas has many challenges, HVO volunteers regularly report their assignments as a significantly beneficial experience. Along with the knowledge that they have improved the availability and quality of health care in developing countries, many HVO volunteers report improvements in their own practice and professional satisfaction. Many develop lasting professional connections with their colleagues overseas and come away with an improved understanding of the challenges health care workers face around the world.

 

 

Who works for HVO?

 

HVO sends qualified professionals overseas to train local health care providers in: anesthesia, dermatology, hand surgery, hematology, internal medicine, nursing education, oral health, orthopaedics, oncology, pediatrics, physical therapy and wound care. These highly skilled and experienced volunteers come from both private practice and university settings, with a significant number of retirees as well.

 

 

Projects locations

 

HVO manages clinical education projects in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Currently HVO supports over 85 projects in more than 25 countries. Each project is different depending on the educational needs and health infrastructure of the country.

 Visit http://www.hvousa.org/ourwork/our-global-reach/ to learn more.

 

 

What will you do while overseas as a volunteer?

 

HVO is a teaching and training organization. HVO volunteers train local health care providers, giving them the knowledge and skills to make a difference in their own communities. Volunteers are involved in a variety of activities – teacher training, developing or updating curricula, providing continuing education workshops, and mentoring students and residents. They may lecture, serve as clinical instructors, conduct ward rounds, and demonstrate various techniques in classrooms, clinics and operating rooms. The ultimate beneficiaries of the volunteers’ efforts, of course, are people in need of health services, both current and future patients.

 

 

When to apply?

 

HVO does not develop a schedule of “mission” trips and recruit volunteers to serve during those dates. Instead, it works with you and the site to determine the optimal time for your assignment. HVO doesn’t have a schedule that you can review on the HVO website.

To receive regular updates of unexpected openings you should subscribe to HVO’s monthly e-newsletter

http://www.hvousa.org/join-our-mailing-list/

 

 

HVO’S PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

 

http://www.hvousa.org/ourwork/programs/

 

By specialty:

 

Anesthesia
Dermatology
Hand Surgery
Hand Therapy
Hematology

Internal Medicine
Nurse Anesthesia
Nursing Education
Oncology
Oral Health

Orthopaedics
Pediatrics
Physical Therapy
Special Projects
Wound & Lymphedema

 

 

VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT PROCESS

 

There are multiple steps to the placement process and often more than one approval is required. The process varies slightly from country-to-country and project-to-project. Final approval can take several months.

 

 

First steps

 

To begin the placement process, you must submit your CV and the SVI.

Supplemental Volunteer Information Form (SVI).

Please note that all volunteers with confirmed assignments must be members of HVO.to begin the process.

 

 

What happens next?

 

1. Once your CV and SVI are submitted, a recruiter will contact you to discuss volunteer opportunities.

2. After discussions with a recruiter, you will decide which location(s) to pursue. The recruiter will then forward the proper documents to the project director(s).

3. Stay in touch with your HVO volunteer recruiter about where your application is in the process, but please do not contact project directors prior to submitting your CV and SVI.

4. If the decision is made to move forward with a site, then the project director(s) will contact your references to verify your credentials and suitability for the project (You should notify your references that they will be contacted by the project director).

5. Your paperwork will be forwarded to the site for review and approval.

6. Once approved for an assignment, you will then work with the HVO volunteer recruiter to finalize dates and other administrative tasks.

7. All volunteers with confirmed assignments must be members of HVO. Membership dues are a critical source of funding for HVO and help defray the high costs associated with recruiting, preparing and placing volunteers.

8. After you have been scheduled (and your membership is current), you will receive access to the HVO KnowNET and a confirmation email from HVO will be sent about 4 to 6 months before your assignment date.

 

 

Membership in HVO

 

Become a member of HVO

http://www.hvousa.org/get-involved/become-a-member-or-renew/

Dues provide the financial support needed to sustain our programs and projects, and answer requests for support from our colleagues overseas. Members receive a biannual newsletter which includes updates on project sites, as well as a monthly e-newsletter, the Net Connection, with information on volunteer openings and special needs.

Members also have access to the HVO KnowNET - a web-based platform that serves as a virtual community for HVO members, volunteers, project directors, and colleagues at the sites. The HVO KnowNET has extensive resources to assist volunteers as they plan their educational activities.

 

Membership fees:

 

Physicians & Dentists - $150

Nurses & Allied Health Professionals - $70

Those-in-Training - $40

 

Contact the HVO    

        

If you’d like to speak with an HVO volunteer coordinator and learn more about the experience of previous volunteers, visit http://www.hvousa.org/contact-us/

You can also join HVO’s secure website

http://www.hvousa.org/get-involved/become-a-member-or-renew/

or call the HVO office at 202-296-0928.

 

For help and consultation on recruitment process:

contact Ukrainian Medical Council by phone +38(050) 405-03-47, or

visit our office in Kiev.

 

 

Source: http://www.hvousa.org/

To find out more about HVO visit their official web page.