I received an email last week from the organisers of an event which seems very interesting. A volunteerism opportunity abroad for US Medical students and professionals, this seems like a good way for the USMLE fighters to spend couple of weeks abroad after they have gone through the challenges of interviewing and matching. Please note that I am not endorsing this personally as I have NOT experienced this opportunity but on the surface it seems like a nice way of working abroad, getting some experience under your belt and traveling the world.

November 14, 2014                                                                                                                                                                                                  Contact:  Cathe Kruger
Mobile 929-250-8121
Email: Cathe@phelophepa.org

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE LARGEST MOBILE HEALTH CARE FACILITY IN THE WORLD

NEW YORK, NY (November 14, 2014) – The South African Phelophepa Health Trains are looking for US medical students, university faculty and other medical professionals to take part in a causative US Pilot Volunteer Program.

The US Pilot Volunteer Program has been initiated to test the feasibility of establishing a long term volunteer and work abroad program for US medical personnel. The program will expose the volunteers to the work of the Phelophepa Trains in delivering primary health care to thousands of rural South Africans, many of whom have never before seen a medical doctor.

Cathe Kruger, Executive Vice President of American Friends of Phelophepa says “the volunteer opportunities serve as a wonderful means to open up the dialogue between medical students and professionals across borders and for the facilitation of international idea sharing. While the volunteer program is a wonderful success in South Africa, we need to move forward and broaden this opportunity for global volunteers.”

Out of the volunteers who apply, two will be selected to travel to South Africa (all-expense-paid) where they will take part in a two-week work-abroad program, alongside other local and international volunteers and medical staff. All accreditation of the volunteers and registration with medical authorities in South Africa will be done through the Transnet Foundation and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth.

The launch date of the Pilot Volunteer Program is November 14, 2014 and will run for approximately one month.

For more information on the Pilot Volunteer Program, please visit: http://www.trainofhope.org/medical-volunteers-needed/

ABOUT THE PHELOPHEPA TRAINS

Each of the two 18-car Phelophepa Trains have six on-board clinics – eye, dental, health, pharmacy, psychology and educational clinics – all fulfilling the vision of providing primary health care to villagers in rural areas of South Africa where there is only one doctor for every 5000 people.

Through it’s ongoing operation, the two Phelophepa Trains have reached over 23 million people, delivering not only primary health care, but also treating & educating people through “outreach programs”, providing life saving services to the underprivileged  & marginalized rural population in SA.

This extraordinary accomplishment earned it the Prestigious United Nations Public Service Award for Excellence in Public Service Delivery, in 2009.

To find out more about this remarkable cause, please visit www.trainofhope.org