International Medical Outreach

Mission Statement: This organization dedicates its efforts to providing means for its members to expand their cultural awareness regarding medicinal practices and living standards all over the globe. We hope to make a difference and leave our mark in the countries we travel to. Founded in 2004, International Medical Outreach’s (IMO) mission is to plan medical volunteering trips to impoverished areas of the world. This opportunity educates University of Central Florida (UCF) pre-medical students on global health, expanding their world perspectives and applying those perspectives to culturally diverse areas of Florida. In the past, we have provided our services to third world communities such as the outskirts of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Nicaraguan-immigrant villages in Costa Rica, shanty-towns in Peru, slums in Haiti, and run-down towns in Ecuador. The multitude of positive changes experienced is what builds a strong foundation to becoming future physicians of America. Each trip is unique, but in the past all trips follow a general structure, which allows students the opportunity to work in a variety of settings and communities within the country. Students provide assistance to physicians and other allied health professionals in both rural and urban clinics/hospitals to understand the dynamic of what underserved care entails in a complex society in contrast to the United States. Additionally, students develop and present health education programs to enhance the importance of preventative medicine in underserved communities. Students also visit needy schools and orphanages to disburse vitamins, clothing, shoes, and toys.