Volunteers are the backbone of our work
From clinical support to education, your contribution helps strengthen care systems from within
Provide hands-on medical care or help mentor local clinicians through remote consultation.
Share your expertise with students and trainees through remote or in-person teaching opportunities.
Join a Global Medicine Elective
Learn global medicine via hands on experience and real-life case studies.
Your assistance helps make this work possible, funding support staff, medications and equipment.
- Who we’re looking for
We welcome physicians with an active medical license. While all specialties are appreciated, we are especially in need of:
Emergency Medicine
Family Medicine
Infectious Disease
Dermatology
Endocrinology
Psychiatry
Internal Medicine (and subspecialties)
Pediatrics (and pediatric subspecialties)
What to expect
Physicians are assigned to a single clinical site. Most volunteer once or twice per month in 2–3 hour blocks. Specialists may participate more sporadically depending on availability. The goal is to see 6–8 patients during each session.
Training before your first visit
- A briefing on the most common conditions at your site
- An overview of local culture and patient expectations
- A meeting with a Sierra Leonean physician for clinical context
- A medication formulary and a list of available labs and imaging
- A referral guide for local specialists and hospitals
- Observation of a live clinic visit with one of our current physicians
How telemedicine visits work
Remote visits are conducted via Zoom, with an on-site nurse supporting the patient during the session.
- Patient charts and vitals are shared by the nurse.
- A Zoom link is provided for access.
- You’ll join the nurse and patient on the call.
- Review documentation, conduct a history, and request physical exam findings (e.g., lung auscultation, abdominal palpation, conjunctival pallor).
- Share the treatment plan—medications, labs, imaging—via chat. The nurse will transcribe this on local forms.
- Set a follow-up plan aligned with your future availability.
Have questions?
What if patients can’t afford medications or tests?
You can refer them to our financial counselor, who evaluates patients for subsidized or free care.
Are internet and power stable at the clinics?
Yes. We use Starlink internet and solar power for reliability. A tech assistant is present for every session to assist if issues arise.
What is the time commitment?
Physicians typically volunteer once or twice a month for 2–3 hours. Blocks are scheduled in the morning, with flexibility depending on your U.S. schedule.
Will I see the same patients again?
Our aim is continuity of care. You may see both returning and new patients, allowing you to manage complex cases over time.
What types of conditions will I treat?
We match patients to your specialty. Generalists (family medicine, internal medicine) often see adults, children, and pregnant women.
Will I be part of a team?
Yes. Each site has dedicated core physicians, and you’ll have opportunities to collaborate and share insights with your team.
- Volunteer as a Lecturer
Use your expertise to help grow the next generation of healthcare providers
- Who we’re looking for
We invite physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners passionate about teaching to join us in building up medical education around the globe.
What to expect
We’ll work with you to identify your areas of expertise and align them with topics in our partner institutions’ curricula. Together, we’ll schedule sessions that work for your availability.
Before you begin teaching
- Background on the students’ academic level
- An overview of the local medical landscape and cultural context
- Curriculum materials to guide lecture planning
How teaching works
You’ll connect via Zoom to a classroom in Sierra Leone.
- PowerPoint presentations
- Live Q&A through the chat.
Have questions?
How often do I need to teach?
That’s entirely up to you—some lecturers teach once, others quarterly. We’re flexible.
Is there a curriculum?
Yes. We’ll help you fit your lecture into the existing curriculum.
What language is spoken?
English is the primary language of instruction at our partner institutions.
- Join a Global Medicine Elective
Partner with us to provide students and residents with tropical medicine exposure
Pont Global Medicine offers structured, two-week elective blocks for institutions seeking to expand their learners’ exposure to global and tropical medicine.
Medical students and residents can observe or participate in virtual consultations with patients in Sierra Leone and Haiti, depending on their level of training.
Learners engage in guided discussions of real-world clinical cases, with a focus on diseases commonly encountered in resource-limited settings. These electives are designed to provide learners with practical insight into global health challenges and culturally responsive care.
Have questions?
I am an individual learner (a medical student/resident). How can I participate?
Please contact us at info@pontglobalmedicine.org and we will work with you!
I work with a medical school/residency program. How can we work together to create an elective for my students?
We enjoy working with learners. Please contact us at info@pontglobalmedicine.org and we can discuss how this would look.