Volunteer Gain valuable clinical experience as a physical therapist abroad.

• Associate volunteers commit to volunteering for a minimum of 6 months at a World Spine Care clinic.

• Clinic supervisors commit to volunteering for 12 months or more. Managing a clinic is an excellent leadership opportunity.

Continuity is critical for quality patient care. Because of this and the cost and time required to train new clinicians on World Spine Care protocols, volunteers must commit to at least 6 months.

Volunteers in Botswana must also follow a registration process, which can take up to 6 weeks before they are able to treat patients.

For Clinic Supervisors who commit to 1 year, we provide:

• Flights to and from the site, as well as one round-trip flight home during your volunteer year.

• A vehicle for local transportation related to clinic duties.

• Your accommodation, food, and general living expenses.

Volunteers are responsible for any additional expenses, such as travel on the weekends.

Volunteers are also responsible for their license/registration in their home country and health/travel insurance while they volunteer.

North American volunteers in Botswana have the option of applying for the Dr. Shannon Bloch Volunteer Grant. If selected, you will receive funds to offset the cost of your outstanding student loans, up to $10,000 per year.

Volunteer Associates are responsible for their flights, travel/health insurance, license/registration in your home country/province/state, and visa and/or passport fees.

While we provide housing, Volunteer Associates are expected to contribute approximately $150USD/week to cover the cost of accommodation, food, and other living expenses.

Student loan deferment depends on your home state, province, country, and loan processor. Please check with your lender to determine eligibility for deferment.

Volunteers from the USA

• World Spine Care volunteers are not considered employees of a 501(c)3 organization in the United States and thus do not qualify for federal public student loan forgiveness programs (PSLF).

• Volunteers may qualify for an income-based repayment program with an effective repayment of $0/month. Note that eligibility is usually determined based on your prior year’s tax filing. Check with your lender to determine your options and eligibility.

Volunteers from Canada

• The Canadian government offers grants for full-time students who meet the eligibility criteria during their education years. This grant is available to full-time students in financial need. Students are automatically assessed when they apply for student aid within their province or territory. Learn more at Canada.ca.

We are currently accepting applications for volunteers at the World Spine Care clinics in the Dominican Republic and Botswana. While you get to choose where you would like to volunteer, Spanish is required to volunteer in the DR.

• World Spine Care clinicians are healthcare providers with professional designations. They must be licensed practitioners in their jurisdiction of origin. Our volunteers are commonly chiropractors (DC) or physiotherapists (PT). We will also accept medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, and other professionals with advanced training in diagnosing and treating spinal disorders.

• Clinicians must be qualified to practice independently, order diagnostic imaging (X-ray, CT, MRI), assess, diagnose, and treat musculoskeletal conditions following best practices.

Due to our agreements with Ministries of Health in the countries where we provide care, all treating volunteers must be licensed in their country of origin. We continue to work with chiropractic and physical therapy educational institutions to explore future options for student involvement.

In Botswana, knowledge of the local language (Setswana) is helpful but not required.

In the Dominican Republic, we do not currently have patient translators, so we are seeking Spanish-speaking volunteers.

• Dominican Republic: World Spine Care maintains a 3-bedroom apartment for clinical volunteers.

• Botswana: World Spine Care maintains a house for clinical volunteers.

While each day is different, World Spine Care clinicians tend to see patients from morning to mid-afternoon. Our clinics tend to be popular with a regular flow of patients, including new patient assessments and follow-up visits. Clinicians are responsible for administrative tasks related to clinic operations such as data entry. Volunteers may also be involved with other community programs, such as Straighten Up, Scoliosis Screening, and the Yoga Project. (Volunteers are invited to submit proposals for other community programs they would like to start.) Weekends are yours to rest and recover, explore, or travel.

Watch the videos about A Day in the Life in Botswana and the World Spine Care Volunteer Overview to get a sense of what it will be like to volunteer.

The Global Spine Care Initiative, our research arm, published a series of articles describing our model and clinical pathway. The following articles would be helpful to read:

• The Global Spine Care Initiative: classification system for spine-related concerns

• The Global Spine Care Initiative: care pathway for people with spine-related concerns

• The Global Spine Care Initiative: model of care and implementation

You can also view our clinic volunteer training videos as an introduction.

Volunteers agree to provide care within the established model of care, focused on the diagnosis and treatment of back, neck, and other musculoskeletal conditions (e.g. hip, shoulders, etc.). Volunteers may provide education or advice to address yellow flags or comorbidities related to MSK problems. World Spine Care volunteers will not provide treatment for non-musculoskeletal conditions.