ASCO’s support of Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO), an international medical education organization, provides an opportunity to strengthen cancer care medical centers in low-resource countries. By volunteering for HVO’s education and training programs through the International Cancer Corps, oncology professionals can share their medical expertise, and build long-term, supportive relationships with the clinicians who provide cancer care in these countries.

HVO pairs eligible oncology professionals with a medical center where the training needs of the facility match the expertise of the volunteer. Volunteers spend one to four weeks onsite, where they teach and train staff, residents, and students, and gain insights into the center’s cancer management needs and challenges.

Volunteers must be appropriately trained and credentialed medical professionals who specialize in oncology. This includes physicians (medical, radiation, surgical oncology, among other specialists), laboratory professionals, and nurses. Final year oncology fellows will be accepted if paired with an experienced volunteer.

There are currently three HVO education and training sites accepting oncology volunteers:

Tegucigalpa, Honduras This program focuses on the ongoing development of an oncology training program for both adult and pediatric oncology at three centers in Tegucigalpa – the Hospital Escuela, the Hospital San Felipe, and the Cancer Center Emma Callejas. Full Honduras Oncology Description

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Volunteers assigned to Addis Ababa will help establish a three-year residency program in clinical oncology at Tikur Anbessa (“Black Lion”) Hospital. Volunteers will also provide training to residents currently enrolled in the hospital’s internal medicine training program, as well as more specialized oncologic training to surgeons, radiotherapy specialists, nurses, pathologists and other healthcare professionals. Full Ethiopia Program Description

Hue, Vietnam The volunteer program at Hue College of Medicine and Pharmacy will focus on curriculum development and providing training on a wide variety of cancer disease types, as well as palliative care. Full Vietnam Program Description