Mobilizing and training academic faculty for medical mission: current status and future directions

As more mission groups become involved with health care education, by starting medical and nursing schools, postgraduate training programs and paramedical professional training, there is a need to recruit expatriate faculty from high income countries to help start programs as there are few national health care education professionals available in the mission setting in most low- and middle-income countries. This paper outlines the current status and needs for academic faculty in health care education mission settings. A working group of medical educators met in conjunction with the Global Missions Health Conference in November 2015 and discussed the motivational factors which lead Christian academics to volunteer, both short- and long-term in mission settings. The group then looked at barriers to volunteering and made suggestions for future directions and best practices when mobilizing academics from high income countries.