Kickstart Your Career through Volunteering
World Spine Care volunteers lead community members through Straighten Up Botswana, outside of the clinic in the rural Shoshong village.
A passion for helping and serving those who need it most unites health professionals. This is probably one of the reasons you became a licensed chiropractor or physical therapist.
You've gone through the challenges of school and triumphed. But your experience is limited, and you have concerns about jumping into a full-time job or private practice.
Volunteering internationally with World Spine Care is a way to gain real-world experience while having a fantastic adventure with like-minded colleagues. World Spine Care offers you the ability to kickstart your career while giving back and helping underserved communities in Botswana and the Dominican Republic.
Why Volunteer with World Spine Care? Who We Are
World Spine Care exists for one simple reason: to provide affordable, evidence-based spine care to underserved communities worldwide.
Over the past few decades, the number of people with back pain has increased significantly. Today, one billion people are suffering from back and neck pain. But unfortunately, many of them cannot access healthcare and the resources to minimize their pain and help boost their quality of life.
That's where World Spine Care comes in. Our charitable programs operate in four countries—Botswana, Dominican Republic, Ghana, and India—and have helped thousands of patients.
Our core values that guide operations in each of our spine care clinics are:
Sustainability – Rather than seeing hundreds of patients over a few days, we ask that Clinical Supervisors who manage our clinics stay long-term (minimum of one year). It's essential to become a part of the community to learn about it and to provide follow-up care. This continuity of care does not happen with voluntourism and mission trips that do not and cannot offer diagnosis, referrals within the community, or essential follow-up care.
Evidence-based – You won't find untested new-age treatment at a World Spine Care clinic. We based our care on decades of scientific research integrated into our Clinical Model. And that's why we're looking for you! Registered chiropractors, physical therapists, and other non-surgical medical professionals with advanced knowledge of the spine are essential to our team.
Global and sensitive – We want to bring access to spine care to underserved communities worldwide, but we want to offer that care in a culturally sensitive manner. That’s why our model of care is adapted to the local customs and traditions of the people we serve.
We also value education and research, and we have been fortunate in that our researchers have been able to contribute to the body of knowledge on spine care and, in some cases, transform how spine care is managed.
7 Reasons to Volunteer with World Spine Care and Kickstart Your Career Through Volunteering
World Spine Care is a charity with a simple vision – A world where everyone has access to the highest quality spine care possible.
We want passionate health professionals to join our team! You can help alleviate the back and neck pain that plagues individuals and impacts families by providing access to healthcare in underserved communities. Besides aligning with our vision and values, here are seven other reasons to volunteer with World Spine Care in our clinics.
Professional networking
Networking is essential at any time in your career, particularly at the beginning.
As a volunteer with World Spine Care, you'll have many opportunities to connect with other professionals in the field from all over the world. These are people you may have never been able to meet any other way. They can help you increase your skills and knowledge - both vital to your success in practice. These connections will be an essential network for you in the future. They will also act as your support system and social network, too!
Self-discovery and growth
Volunteering offers you a wonderful gift - the chance to experience new people, cultures, places, and opportunities! You take a step away from what is usual and meet the unknown head-on. In the process you will learn more about yourself and the way in which you will relate to your future patients. This self-discovery and growth will propel you forward in your career.
Self-confidence
Because you will experience new opportunities in a different environment, you'll naturally develop self-confidence as a clinician. You have the chance to practice your skills in an environment designed to support you. While we can’t promise it will always be easy, taking the clinical challenges head on will help you sharpen your skills and our experienced clinical coordinators are always available for consultations.
A sense of purpose
What greater purpose is there than helping others? We know that's why many chiropractors, physical therapists, and other non-surgical spine professionals go into healthcare. Volunteering with underserved communities abroad is the best way to put it into practice. Using your training and skills to help relieve debilitating back pain is a meaningful way to give back to the community and help those in need.
Skill development
When you volunteer with World Spine Care, you're put to work! As trained chiropractors or physical therapists, we provide training on our treatment protocols. At the same time, you build skills and develop your areas of expertise. Volunteering is also a great pathway to leadership, particularly for those who step into the Clinic Supervisor role with us.
Valuable career experience
Volunteering at a non-surgical spinal clinic is a great way to get hands-on, real-life work experience. It's something to put on your resume and obtain professional references to help accelerate your career in the future.
Reset
Perhaps you've just graduated from your program, or you've been in practice for years already. Either way, volunteering can be the reset you need. Sometimes a change of scenery, a new opportunity, and a different mindset can be healthy and provide some much-needed recalibration.
Kickstart Your Career Today
Volunteering with World Spine Care is an excellent way to kickstart your career while finding purpose in helping those in underserved communities.
If we've caught your interest, consider volunteering with us! We accept applications on a continuous basis. Learn more about our current volunteer opportunities here.
