Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What kind of experience do I need, or do I need to be a medical student to be on a team?

A: Any undergrad or graduate in eligible. We also have team members who are not students. You do not need medical experience to be on a med team. Spanish is not required but is always helpful. If you are planning on an extended program in a Spanish speaking country you will need to be knowledgeable in Spanish.

Q: Will I be safe?

A: Although there can be no guarantee of safety when traveling anywhere, including the U.S., risks can be managed and minimized. ISL has a reputation for safety for the following reasons: 1.) We don't travel in any politically dangerous situations. 2.) We only work in areas our full-time staff and families live/work. 3.) Our staff to student ratio is one of the highest in the country, 4.) We travel with medical teams to make medical services available to our students as well as those we serve, 5.) Unlike other programs, there are no strangers in our program. Almost all staff, even drivers, cooks, and guides, are part of our network. However, since many of our destinations will be off-the-beaten-trail, "high maintenance travelers" need not apply!

Q: Should I be concerned about safety during my trip to Nicaragua?

A: Nicaragua is a democratic country and the elections were carried out with a very good degree of democratic respect for elections. President Ortega has been very moderate in his announcements since the elections, and he is very desirous of a good relationship with the U.S. U.S. leaders in Nicaragua are saying that the U.S. respects the Nicaraguan people's vote and will work with the new government. This is not the 80`s all over again. Even those who were opposed to him now seem to feel comfortable in supporting many of his proposed efforts in the greater interest of the country. In this spirit, ISL will be expanding, not reducing commitments to Nicaraguan programming, including some facilities development.

Q: What kind of housing do we stay in?

A: Housing varies from hotels to field stations to home stays (a student favorite) and retreat centers (similar to church camp facilities in the U.S.). You will always have a bed and a shower, we don't camp out on the ground or the floors of church buildings, as in some programs. Bear in mind, however, this is not a tourist trip so the housing is basic and the travel schedule is intensive.

Q: How does the sponsorship program/financial aid work?

A: Americans today want to help the poor, but often don't because they're not sure just how much of their gift will actually get to where its supposed to go. For this reason they will welcome the opportunity to sponsor you, someone they know, to "go and serve" on their behalf. Good Samaritan Missions (one of our partner organizations), will provide you with an individualized sponsorship request letter and the necessary envelopes to mail to your church, friends, family, neighbors, etc. Funds generated will be applied to your costs. You'll receive a listing of those that sponsored you for proper accounting and personal thank you to them. For more financial aid options information, click on the "Funding Your Trip" link above.

Q: How do I get academic credit and pay tuition?

A: There's usually no extra tuition if you register for your course as an independent study as part of the next regular term. You will need to arrange the approval of this seminar as an independent study course with a professor from your home school. We can help by being in direct contact with your professor and providing resources, outlines, etc.

Q: How much does this program cost?

A: One of the key advantages to the ISL program is the availability of financial aid and sponsorship help. Our students cost ranges from $985 - $1,985 (depending on the program see "2007 Team Schedule and Costs" for specific trip costs), but many receive financial help to cover the cost. In other words, some students only pay the $65 application fee and their airfare.

Q: What's included in the above cost?

A: Two meals per day, all lodging, land/water transport, guides, tips, museum/event fees, field academic program costs, border costs, security costs, project supplies.

Q: What's not included in the base cost?

A: Passport costs, personal recreational expenses during "free-time " periods, an average of one meal per day, trip insurance, and round trip airfare to your destination. Routing for each team is listed on the 2007 Team Schedule and Costs.

Q: How is my program fee used?

A: ISL is pleased to be able to provide our programs for less than the cost of comparable programs, due to maintaining lower overhead costs. Basically, we are offering comparable travel opportunities for 10-12% less than other university level program costs of equal length and quality. As with all programs, the primary cost is not simply food and lodging in the field, but the overall overhead costs to make the program available.

It would be an accounting impossibility to provide a detailed cost list for any particular team as many expenses are not incurred per team. Staff salaries, for example, are paid bi-monthly, not per team. Likewise, how would you begin to assign how much of the utility bills for the ISL office was used for any particular team?

We do want participants to be as comfortable as possible with how we manage our programs and funds. In general, therefore, you can assume about half of any program fee is used for ground expenses (food, lodging, transport, fees, guides, translators, team leaders expenses, border costs, etc.). The other half would include program expenses (staff salaries, medical supplies, project supplies, printing, mailing, insurances, office equipment and maintenance costs, web and internet expenses, communications, rents, utilities, aid to student reps, of travel costs for ISL staff making university presentations, professional organizational membership costs, legal expenses, etc.). Our salary costs are fair for our staff but not above average.

ISL also maintains a very active assistance/donor program, having contributed over $100,000 last year in aid in various forms to the underserved in many locations. This assistance would include interest free loans for housing improvement, medicines, eyewear (over $30,000), training for local health personnel, gifts of equipment to medical facilities in the countries we serve, construction and materials, direct aid to families in crisis, student grants and loans to deserving students in developing countries, etc., etc..

In summary, we are very proud of the fact that we are able to do all of the above and keep our costs to students below average AND be active aid providers to the local people we serve. Thanks for making it all possible!

Q: What kind of shots, vaccines, and inoculations will I need?

A: Contact the Center for Disease Control website for up-to-date recommendations for the particular country you are traveling to. For teams to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama, Malaria treatment can be obtained upon your arrival in Costa Rica for $20. All travelers should have an up-to-date tetanus shot. Students serving in our pre-health program and clinics consult the "Getting Ready to Go" guides located under the downloads section on the ISL home page. Note that there are more inoculations required for Africa.

Q: Will I be able to contact my loved ones while traveling with ISL?

A: Normally, we are able to get students to a phone and phone cards within the first few days of our trips to check in with family/friends. We often are able to offer periodic e-mail access in the cities. Other contact is unpredictable and should not be promised. We always have access to emergency communications, if necessary. The ISL office can always make emergency contact, as well.

Q: Will we receive a detailed itinerary?

A: Since this is not a tourist program you will not receive the usual "canned", predictable itinerary but rather a team travel schedule which will change as the project needs of those we serve change and other logistical events (weather, etc.) dictate adjustments. No two ISL programs are exactly alike as we are continually reassessing needs of our field clinics/projects and our program partners and preparing/scheduling our teams accordingly. Team members receive a tentative itinerary prior to departure and receive a detailed itinerary upon arrival in their destination country.

Q: May I bring a friend not from my school?

A: Absolutely, as long as they comply with all expectations required of all students.

Q: Do I have to take this course for academic credit?

A: No, you can just come and enjoy the experience!

Q: What happens if my trip or flight is cancelled for any reason?

A: Contact your trip cancellation insurance company for a refund or other help. ISL (as well as other student travel programs) doesn't "insure" trips or flights. It's very important, regardless of where you travel, to purchase the appropriate insurances. See your "Getting Ready to Go" guide or click on Useful Resources on the ISL home page for insurance options and leads.

Q: I'm signed up for a team but I'm getting more donations children's vitamins and meds than I can fit in my one mission/service supply bag. Now what?

A: First of all --good job!! Unfortunately, supplies cannot be sent down separately as the import costs (not to mention shipping costs) are prohibitive and half of it will be stolen before it arrives anyway. Distribute your excess to fellow team members from your area. Our office can provide that information. Prioritize what you do bring: 1. Meds. 2. Children's chewable vitamins. Of what you can't arrange to transport, send meds and vitamins by UPS to ISL. Best, most effective, option: ask your generous friends/family to send a donation of money instead to Good Samaritan Missions so we can use the funds to buy needed meds on site.

Q: How do I get a letter of reference from ISL and is there any information ISL needs from me?

A: To get a letter of reference you will need to contact Pepper at info@ISLonline.org with your request. All students requesting a letter of reference need to return a brief trip evaluation, which is sent to each ISL trip veteran immediately after their trip.

Q: Can I get a letter of reference from the doctors or my team leader?

A: ISL offers a letter of reference based on the reviews of our staff and doctors, but not from them directly. Its simply a matter of logistics and time limits. Our local doctors write evaluations after each group and these evaluations are consulted in the writing of the letter sent out by the ISL home office. However, after your post trip ISL evaluation has been received and approved, you may request a recommendation from field staff through info@ISLonline.org, as a special request. If you can demonstrate, through an official document from the organization you need the letter for, that THEY REQUIRE a direct letter from a physician/dentist and give us 60 days, we will consider the request and make every effort to help you out. Otherwise, ISL is happy to provide you with an official letter as outlined above.

Q: What is your relationship to the local health system?

A: We have grown into a methodology over the years that is predicated on a close working relationship with local health officials. We serve the same areas repeatedly so they can ask us to bring specific resources "next time", we utilize local medical professionals at every stage of planning and operation, we are continually guided by their directive with respect to where we work and what we do. Most importantly, we only use locally licensed professionals for leadership. If and when we incorporate a U. S. professional into the team, they serve under the direction of our local partners.

Q: How much humanitarian and medical care will I be able to do on the trip?

A: ISL is an educational agency first and a humanitarian aid organization second. It is our mission and purpose to provide for students and professionals a hands-on opportunity to learn while serving. We are not provided funding from outside sources to be able to distribute goods or services, including health related, on a large scale. However, by providing these learning-service teams, ISL does provide significant aid to a very large number of people each year.

An example: clinics provided by health related teams will only attempt to serve 30-40 persons per clinic in order that 1) each patient is given quality care time with the doctor and 2) the students are afforded quality learning time with the patient and doctor. This is why meds are only prescribed when related to a student/doctor exam involving a student. By operating in this manner, we continue to be a growing and self-sustaining organization which can, therefore, consistently provide more services to more people over a longer period of time. In this way we do not become one of the “here today-gone tomorrow” international organizations that frustrates so many in the developing world. To put it another way, we serve slower but longer! Or to put it another way, we are into quality, not quantity.

We ask students and other team members to be patient therefore when we are not able to see as many patients as we may want to in any community. It is not as simple as “let´s just stay and work more”. We simply don’t have the resources to serve unlimited numbers of people. We do, however, produce: 1) health services for almost 25,000 people in nine countries annually, but equally important, we provide 2) an educational experience that inspires hundreds of graduated ISL veterans in the international health field and THEY see additional thousands annually! With our approach we are having a multiplyer effect on the efforts to serve the underserved around the world. It works!

Q: What services are maintained when the team leaves?

A: Because we visit the same places repeatedly, we can often plan for follow-ups. We also provide resources for training local persons the health officials have designated for up-grading or new training in several areas. As mentioned above, we are also able to bring "what's needed next".

Q: What services are offered by the team?

A: Primary medical (no surgery), veterinary, dental, optical. Our efforts are preceded by careful "Village Triage" under the direction of local health officials to determine the needs and how best to meet them in a given area with the resources we have at hand at that point in time. We start with a basic public health model but intensify it by including more hands on screenings and referrals and "pre-diagnosis" in each home visited.

Q: Which of the sample itineraries for Costa Rica and Nicaragua will I be on?

A: ISL teams are truly humanitarian and so each team's itinerary is based on the needs at the time of travel and so the actual routing will be determined by the team leader just prior to departure. The sample itineraries are only to give you an idea of what your trip will be like.

Q: If I am an ISL veteran, can I return to an ISL work site to donate my time?

A: Other than just signing up for another program, the best way to 'Get back into the field' is to become an ISL Representative.

Q: I'm a Vegan and follow a strict diet, will I be able to find appropriate meals or do I need to bring my own food?

A: Team members who have special dietary needs are responsible for bringing sufficient supplements with them to compliment the locally available foods. Obviously, it is not possible to expect cooks to prepare special meals for each variety of vegetarianism and other special diets. In some situations, since this is not a tourist trip, we are doing well just to get basic, safe food and drink! One student, a vegan, offered the observation that getting what she needed in terms of food was "not a problem, just a challenge". Central Americans eat more gallo pinto, known to us as rice and beans, (which together make a complete protein!) than you can imagine. They also have side dishes of refried beans or black beans, which are great for energy and protein. Most meals also contain at least one cooked vegetable and some of the best fruit you can find. You can purchase vegan tortillas, and fresh and dried fruit at the store. Bring items like CLIF and LUNA protein/energy bars, for the few situations where a vegan alternative is not available, for example, fast food places. Also, instant oatmeal packets, but this may not be the best option for people who don't like eating oatmeal mixed with luke warm water. Trail mix and nuts are great to bring along because they will travel well and don't spoil in the heat.

Q: I signed up for one of your trips and I wanted to know what the weather was like so I know how to choose my clothing. Can you help me?

A: The best way to get accurate information on the weather is to check out our country climate links located under the "useful resources" section.

CME/CEU Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I see that many of your medical programs are aimed at students but you also mention opportunities to obtain CME's as you serve for medical professionals. I am interested in learning more about this option.

A: We offer high quality programming for professionals, but are still trying to work out the accreditation issues involved in offering formal CME credits. So at this point CEUs are by "independent study". You will have to see about having this experience certified by the continuing Ed officer at your hospital. We can provide documentation of clinic time and instruction in field village triage, medical Spanish, and parasitology.

Q: What trips do you think would be best fit for our residents?

A: They would get to see the most patients and the greatest variety of cases in Nicaragua or Tanzania.

Q: Would having staff Pediatricians along on the trips improve the experience or change the experiences available?

A: It is not necessary, but would enhance the experience. There are some legal issues involved, however, in having U.S. physicians work in other countries. We need to have a copy of your license and diploma sent ahead of time in order to get permission from the local authorities. However, we always have fully licensed physicians from the local culture working with our groups both for legal reasons and because we believe that we can give better care when those who really know the culture, diseases, and treatments available are an integral part of our team.

Q: How would the program for our residents change from the experience for students?

A: It would be much the same, but can be made more intense, for instance, with extra classes in Spanish for Medical Professionals, Tropical Medicine, Natural and Indigenous Medicine, Public Health, Health Systems in Central America, etc. Also, in certain locations we can include rotations in hospitals where there is an opportunity to attend to such things as emergencies, well child clinics and even births.