Volunteer Resources

Here are some resources that may be useful when planning your volunteering trip:

Flights & travel arrangements

All travel arrangements are booked through STA Travel
(ATAS Accreditation A10872)

Contact STA Travel if you would like assistance with your flights, optional tours or travel insurance. STA Travel provides special offers and benefits for volunteers and therefore please contact them directly: doctours.au@statravel.com or phone: 1300 675 435

Travel insurance

It is a condition of your travel arrangements and Volunteer program that you have current travel insurance to cover against cancellation fees, medical expenses, lost luggage and evacuation.

We are happy to advise and assist with your travel insurance cover. You may wish to look at travel insurance cover provided by your medical indemnity provider or your private health fund.

We will need details of your policy (such as the policy number, insurer and their 24/7 emergency phone number) for our records.

You may wish to consider a policy available through Australia Post, www.auspost.com.au or visit comparison site: travelinsurance.com.au

Medical indemnity

We recommend that you advise your medical indemnity provider of your volunteer plans in advance of travel. Most providers extend cover for your usual activities when volunteering in developing countries for short periods.

National Police Check (NPC)

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) online application form NPC check (choose ‘Name Check only’) is required for all volunteers visiting the medical clinic in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The report normally takes a few weeks and please send us a copy of the report when it is available.

Working with Children Check

This is compulsory for all volunteers who are in direct contact with children. Please forward your clearance number and expiry date, to DocTours (when available). The Working with Children Check is free for Volunteers and is valid for up to 5 years. Please ask if you have any questions.

Adventure Medic

The Free Online Expedition, Wilderness and Travel Medicine Magazine

www.theadventuremedic.com

Passports

Your passport must be valid for 6 months AFTER you return home and have at least two blank visa pages.

Please ensure that the name on your airline ticket is exactly the same as the name in your passport as the airlines will refuse boarding. It is currently possible to apply for your tourist visa on arrival for short visits to Nepal, Cambodia, Fiji, Tonga and Tanzania. Please take with you some spare passport-sized photos, a black pen and USD cash (depending on the country will cost between USD21 and USD50) to pay for your tourist visa on arrival.

For volunteers travelling to Namibia we will arrange your visa in advance.
For those travelling to Sri Lanka, you will need to refer to the following website for advice on the visa process: www.eta.gov.lk

smarttraveller.gov.au

Official travel advice from the Australian government for Australians covering all destinations providing the latest health, safety, visa and security information.

www.smarttraveller.gov.au

CPD for Doctors

Your medical voluntary work may be eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points from your relevant college. For the guiding notes from the RACGP, click here.

resources-pix_Nurse

CPD for Nurses

Your medical voluntary work may be eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – for points and background information, click here.

Fund your elective with a ProMed Medical Student loan

Want to travel overseas for your elective? The ProMed Medical Student Loan could get you there.

The loan comes with:

A variable interest rate of just 6.69% p.a.
A credit limit of up to $10,000
Advice from a specialist adviser to help you maximise salary packaging

You don’t need to worry about:

Making any repayments until September 30th of your internship year
Any fees, charges or hidden expenses
Having a current income
Getting someone to guarantee the loan

You can apply if you are:

An Australian citizen or permanent resident
Enrolled full time as a penultimate or final year medical student

To get started visit us at www.promedfinance.com.au (Australia Credit Licence number 388395)

Medical Supplies and Donations

DocTours has partnered with AirborneAid to distribute badly needed medical supplies to hospitals and clinics in developing countries.

So when you are travelling to developing countries, whether it is for your volunteer placement, medical elective, or even visiting on a holiday, AirborneAid will help you to help those in need. Through international connections, community relationships and the supply of medical aid, we can provide you with a donation package suited to your destination and your own interests.

The cost of transporting aid is high and normal delivery services may be unreliable. Therefore, by utilizing spare luggage capacity, we can transport medical aid at no cost, right to where it is needed. What a great way to enhance your next journey and help those in developing countries! Register your interest in being an AirborneAid Transporter online now. Tell us where you’re going, what you’re doing and how much aid you’re able to carry in your suitcase. Whether it’s 1 kg or 20 kg, no request is too small or too big. And then leave the rest up to AirborneAid and DocTours.