Supervising Physicians are urgently needed to oversee the care being provided by the physicians taking overnight call and to be available for emergencies or surgeries whenever they come in. Family physicians and ER doctors are ideally suited for this work, though Internists and Pediatricians have also stepped in and been extremely helpful. A nominal stipend, housing allowance, and health insurance are provided for those supervising physicians staying for longer than 6 months. Ideal staffing at any given time is 3 supervising physicians. A working level of Spanish is generally required.

Resident Physicians in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, or Internal Medicine are also needed for both call and for clinic coverage. Our ideal staffing at any given time is 3 resident physicians. The ability to speak with patients and nursing staff in Spanish is a necessity.

Providers with Surgical Obstetrical Skills are desperately needed to create a ‘call pool’ to provide 24 hour a day/365 day a year surgical obstetrical coverage. Spanish skills are desirable but not necessary. We accept volunteers for this position for as short of a stint as one week, depending on the staffing needs at a given time. Ideal staffing at any given time is 2 surgical obstetrical providers.

Subspecialists, depending on the specialty, can be of great service to the Hospitalito and the people that it serves. For the majority of subspecialists, language skills are not mandatory. Anesthesiologists, Radiologists, Dermatologists, and Urologists are among the subspecialists that we actively seek, though others can provide a valuable service as well. Please write to us if you are a subspecialist looking to volunteer for a week or more.

Recently licensed physicians (without having started a residency) are accepted on a limited basis. The ability to speak with patients and nursing staff in Spanish is a necessity.

Medical students are welcome on a limited basis after they have completed a clinical year (fourth year medical students in the United States medical training system) and have a good working knowledge of Spanish. The minimum time for a student volunteer is one month. They will be integrated into the team, working in each department, while being given first hand experience diagnosing and treating patients. They will also be expected to fulfill a specific function during their sojourn at the hospital and may be asked to assist in non-patient areas of hospital work. A 30-minute case presentation about a particular theme relevant to patient care in Santiago Atitlan is required at the conclusion of the rotation.

Research Medical students or anyone who would like to do research in Santiago Atitlán affiliated with the Hospitalito need to apply using the Form for Studies and Research provided and approved by the Medical Director and Hospitalito Ethics Committee. Collaboration with the director is necessary for the final design of the study and researchers will be expected to collaborate with other healthcare providers in the community as appropriate.

Any study must address the following questions:
1) What are the objectives of the study?
2) How will the study benefit the community?
3) How will the study be implemented, applied and measured specifically within the Tz’utujil community.

Professional Nurses are welcome to reinforce the current skills of our nursing staff and to teach new skills and theory. Volunteers are expected to do shifts of about 30 hours a week, including nights and weekends. The ability to speak in Spanish with nursing staff and patients is a necessity. Nursing volunteers are also expected to take call (nights and weekends are less well-staffed and therefore more help is needed at those times) to assist in surgeries or when patient census is elevated. Obstetrical and Operating Room experience is especially valuable.

Ultrasound, X-Ray & Lab technichians are in great need to further the training of our staff and improve their skills.

Medical personnel who know routine hospital stock are needed to sort through donations and purchases and add these items to inventory.

Emergency Medical Technicians – can be helpful in the ER and at times working with the local rescue workers.

Professional Midwives are welcome if they have knowledge of fetal monitors, abilities to assess presentation of the baby, infant resuscitation skills, and knowledge of when to refer for C section.

Students without clinical experience cannot apply as a medical student but may as a non-medical volunteer. These students will not be given clinical experience or receive clinical teaching. General volunteers can be accepted if they agree to perform a specific function during their stay (training local staff, doing educational videos, helping with inventory) so long as they can complete said project. The function of the student must be specified before an applicant can be accepted. Spanish proficiency is a must prior to volunteering.

Non-Medical Volunteers may perform a variety of functions at the Hospitalito. These may include construction at the new Hospitalito site, assisting in the laboratory or pharmacy, sorting through donations and hospital inventory to maintain the Hospitalito adequately stocked, and other sundry tasks.