What Others Are Saying...

“How important it is that a man or woman of influence would remain humble… such humility, we saw in your group…the humility of these brothers and sisters, is more beautiful than the splendor of dawn, the majesty in nature, the marvels of architecture, and each missionary learned from Jesus how to be His hand and His servant heart. Motto of the Baptist Medical Fellowship.”

“Most of the audience were young professionals. One thing … (which) really amazed them is when they heard how the American doctor builds up their relationship with patients. They were so touched by the doctor's honesty, kindness, sincerity and the patient-center(ed) orientation. I really love these topics such as medical ethics and professional moral principles. “...(it)really touches people's heart.”

“My most memorable encounter was meeting a young Christian man that was encouraged by our presence ... His walk with the Lord has been strengthened by our Christian love and encouragement.”

4th-Year Med Student

Stip Medical School

“I finally feel like a real medical student…someone is teaching me who truly cares”

5th-Year Med Student

Stip Medical School

“We’ve never met doctors like you. Will you stay longer and teach us more?”

Director of Medical Health

Homes, Skopje

“You’ve come back. There may be a glimmer of hope. Actually, that’s only the second time I can remember using that word.”

MEI is the short term missions branch of Christian Medical & Dental Associations, which sends medical and dental professionals and other health professionals to provide advanced education to colleagues and students in other nations in response to requests from governments, medical facilities, medical schools and Christian medical groups. MEI’s motto is “Teaching to Transform.” MEI’s vision is to see Christian colleagues in every nation transforming the world through excellent Christ-centered health care.

Most commonly MEI teams teach doctors who are faculty at medical and/or dental schools or residency programs. Some teams teach residents, students, and other health-care personnel. Occasionally MEI teams teach at Christian Medical & Dental conferences for graduate doctors and students. Special teams such as pediatric neurodisability teams also teach family members.

MEI teams have served in over 30 countries in Africa, the Caucasus area of the former USSR, Central Asia, China, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and South Asia.

Teaching generally occurs during one work week with travel over the weekends before and after. Trips generally require 7 to 9 days. Some trips last 2 work weeks.

There are at least three ways to become part of MEI—teaching on an MEI team, praying for MEI, and financially supporting MEI.

  1. TEACHING ON AN MEI TEAM
    If you are interested in serving on an MEI team, fill out an MEI application, and submit your CV. This will not commit you to anything but will put you in our database and give MEI more information about your background and interests as well how to contact you. After receiving your application, the MEI Director will contact you to discuss opportunities with MEI that may be of interest.
  2. JOINING THE MEI PRAYER TEAM
    Another way to participate in MEI is to pray for MEI and its ministry. Prayer is essential for the Lord to direct and effectively use MEI teams. MEI sends out prayer updates 1-4 times per month so that prayer team members can pray specifically and know when God answers. To join the prayer team, send us an email.
  3. FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF MEI
    MEI is entirely supported by the tax-deductible, financial gifts of like-minded individuals. Gifts cover the expenses of publicizing, organizing and administering MEI teams as well as making medical professionals aware of MEI through displays and seminars at mission’s conferences and similar venues. Gifts have also helped support MEI Team members who would otherwise be unable to participate due to trip costs--recipients may be students, missionaries or healthcare professionals in need of financial support to fill an important role in an MEI team. Please ensure all gifts indicate they are for MEI. Click here to give online. Checks may be made out to CMDA/MEI and sent to CMDA/MEI, P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621.

If you are interested in serving on an MEI team, fill out an MEI application, and submit your CV. This will not commit you to anything but will put you in our database and give MEI more information about your background and interests as well how to contact you. After receiving your application, the MEI Director will contact you to discuss opportunities with MEI that may be of interest.

  • Physicians and Dentists: Generally, MEI teams are composed of physicians and dentists who are fully-trained and licensed. Academic appointments are needed for some teams. Retired Doctors who remain current in their fields are encouraged to be part of MEI Teams. In some cases, Fellows or Residents can be part of a team.
  • PhDs in the Biomedical Sciences: PhDs in the biomedical sciences are needed for teams to medical schools and on teams asked to teach things such as how to conduct research, how to publish in the literature, developing multiple choice and other test questions, use of adult teaching methods such as case-based learning, use of new interactive technologies, and development of curriculum for a new medical school.
  • Nurses, physical/occupational/speech/audiovisual therapists, audiologists, and PAs have all been needed on some MEI teams.
  • Healthcare Adminstrators may be needed on some teams.
  • Spouses and family members: Some teams welcome spouses and family members whose roles may include logistics support of the team, teaching English, encouraging local believers, youth groups, and missionaries, providing music for the team, and visiting orphanages, prisons, and hospices.
  • Apply HERE.
  • Send CV to mei@cmda.org.

Team members are encouraged, but not required to be members of CMDA. Physicians and dentists who are CMDA members pay lower team registration fees than non-members.

Non-members are required to indicate they are in agreement with the CMDA Statement of Faith.

Those desiring to join CMDA can do so at a 25% discount for the first year if they put “MEI Director” in the item indicating who referred them.

Costs vary with location, since about 2/3 of the cost represents airfare. Teams typically cost between $2,000 and 3,000 dollars. Team members pay a team registration fee (currently, $100 for members and $200 for non-members) as well as a daily fee to cover healthcare, evacuation and crisis rescue insurance (currently, $4/day).

On most teams, team members donate their time and pay their own expenses. Some countries have provided full or partial payment for team members. Team members can raise their support as would other short term missionaries or pay some or all of their own expenses. Donations to support an MEI team member are tax deductible if given through their home church or MEI.

MEI requests that participants complete a brief post-trip report after returning and provides a letter suitable for IRS purposes confirming the tax-deductible nature of trip expenses. Recognizing the importance of long term relationships, MEI encourages team members to return on teams to the same area and continue relationships with the overseas colleagues they have met via email, Skype or other methods.

Medical malpractice insurance is available to team members at a small additional fee if desired, however, the risk of malpractice suits related to medical mission teams if very low in general and probably even lower for MEI participants, since their participation is typically education, consultation, and/or assisting in the care of patients in partnership with their primary doctor, who is the doctor of record.

The first step in requesting an MEI team is to go to cmda.org/request-an-mei-team and submit a project application. Once this is received, it will be evaluated by the MEI Director to determine whether it falls within MEI’s area of responsibility. The MEI Director will respond to the requestor and, if a team is being planned, discuss the team in more detail with the requesting agency. Due to the lead time needed for medical professionals to plan time away to serve on MEI teams, teams should be requested at least 1 year in advance.

CMDA has several thousand physicians and hundreds of dentists in nearly every specialty. This allows MEI to meet a wide range of requests in many specialties. MEI also partners with like-minded groups of nurses, PhDs, therapists, PAs, etc. to recruit other types of healthcare professionals when needed.

To date, MEI has provided teams to teach at specialty conferences and in hospitals and operating rooms. Teams have taught:

  • Specialty-specific educational topics and updates
  • Clinical and surgical skills and techniques
  • Advanced life support procedures
  • Diagnosis and management of childhood disabilities
  • Faculty development (teaching methods, including problem based learning; writing and validating test questions, the US graduate medical education model, scientific writing and publication, etc.)
  • Medical ethics topics
  • Integration of one’s faith and practice
  • Interface of faith and health

Medical Education International is a short-term missions program that provides academic teaching and clinical training upon request from governments, healthcare professional training institutions, and hospitals while building relationships with local colleagues and modelling the compassion, care and love of Jesus.

MEI serves primarily in low and middle income countries. Current team opportunities are listed below. If you may be interested in teaching with MEI now or in the future, please submit the Participant Application below.

Most teams consist of two to 10 fully-trained healthcare professionals. Some teams include medical students, residents, and fellows. Participants donate their time and self-fund their trips, although housing, food and local transportation offered by the host are welcomed. Teams teach subjects and skills requested by their hosts. The range of subjects is as wide as the requests MEI receives (See Requesting an MEI Team below for examples).

MEI has a number of scholarships (see below) to assist those in training with trip costs.

During the last academic year, MEI teams taught in Albania, Cuba, Egypt, Kenya, Mongolia, North Africa and North Macedonia.

MEI encourages local believers and national Christian Medical & Dental Associations. Teams also hope to improve healthcare by improving the knowledge, skills, critical thinking and care of local professionals, especially faculty.

Going on an MEI Team

MEI Team Forms and Additional Resources

MEI Messenger

Subscribe to MEI Messenger

MEI Messenger is a quarterly e-newsletter for Medical Education International trip participants.

Join our Prayer Team or Subscribe to MEI Messenger

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From a student leader of the Ukraine International Christian Medical Student Conference attended by about 200 English-speaking international students from nearly 20 countries:

"He who sits upon the throne be praised for your works during our 4th ICMA conference in Kharkov-Ukraine. We thank God for your fantastic gifts of teaching and sharing of your experiences acquired through several years of practice and hard works (sic) with us for free. Your professional experiences coupled with your spiritual growth and love to sacrifice make you best speakers for our lives, professions and our conference. We learned lots from your humble approaches and willingness to help make us adept professionals for Africa, Asia, and Europe. You have touched the world through participants of 4th ICMA Kharkov-Ukraine conference. I pray they also pass on their knowledge to others as students and future health professions."

From a fall MEI team leader:

"We have met many colleagues, shared ideas and left a footprint of improvement for psychiatry here in this country. The feedback from the young or what is termed 'junior doctors' is that this was the best training they have ever had (there)."

From the International Director of MEI’s UK sister organization Partners in Medical Education (PRIME) concerning our partnership and that of other sister agencies:

"It is a delight to see a huge network of Christian doctors who are inspired to restore God, His love and His values back into healthcare. The growing unity and collaboration between us all is a wonderful witness to the purposes of God—long may it continue."

From a PhD:

"Thank you so much for all the information about MEI. I am currently doing neuroscience research. I would be very interested for the future in short trips. That's very exciting that there are also teaching opportunities that are also open to Phd/research positions."

From a special education teacher on the fall pediatric neurodevelopment teams:

"God was at work giving parents with heavy burdens a glimpse of understanding. They love their children and desperately want to help them, but have little support. The love of Christ was conveyed through the team’s interest in their children and families."

From MEI’s partner for the Jamaican Bioethics Conference:

"Thank you so much for your patience and your commitment. We hope you realize what a service of love you have done for us over the past couple of years and what a debt of gratitude we owe you."