Medical Explorers on Foreign Missions : Omega Leo Medical Explorers : Texas State University

Skills Medical Explorers Bring to Foreign Medical Mission Trips

Medical Explorer have skills beyond most pre-health undergraduates. Their volunteer activities in Texas ensure their proficiency in the following skills.

Patient intake - Blood pressures, blood sugar, pulse, respiration, height, weight, etc.
CPR instruction - we provide older CPR manikins to leave with trained instructors
First-Aid
Trauma bleeding - Stop the Bleed
Vision testing - using eye charts
Cleaning, sterilization, and autoclaving dental instruments
Portable x-ray
Strong in blood-borne pathogens

Medical Explorers trained in the operation of the Vision Spot machine — Medical Explorers trained in the Vision Spot machine

A Note to Our Student Members

If interested in international medical mission trips, please understand that those we recommend are our strongest Medical Explorers. Ensure that you have experience and strong skills in all of the above areas. Some may require training beyond our Level One classes. Ask a senior advisor for more about advanced training and volunteering.

Passorts are essential and can take six months to receive.

Ethiopia

We've had one of our Medical Explorer certified Emergency Medical Technicians join a crew for Ethiopia. Nick served beside two physicians, who were there to advise him if needed. Nick came home saying he treated over 200 patients himself. After a while, he reported, “it became routine.” He further said the opportunity was amazing. He served as a valuable addition to the mission crew.

Medical Explorer measuring blood pressure

Panama Blood Pressures

Patients waiting for eye glasses first saw Kyler for blood pressure. They wanted the glasses, so they had to visit a small clinic never visited; preferring their local shaman or medicine man. Most pressures were normal, but two had extremely high blood pressures. This is a growing problem on these islands. The islanders have abandoned their traditional fish diets and eat primarily processed food.

Panama CPR Instruction

We collect older CPR manikins that cannot be used in the U.S. and our Medical Explorer certified CPR instructors train a new CPR instructor from among leaders on the islands, leaving all manikins and supplies.

The older manikins are discouraged for CPR instruction in the U.S. We're careful to instruct the new CPR instructor in important requirements for “high quality CPR.”