Medical missionary work can be gratifying for people in healthcare. Medical professionals all over the world participate in this work for various reasons. Whether providing care to underserved populations, gaining experience working in a different cultural context, or fulfilling a personal calling to help those in need, the demand exists for anyone to get involved.
A combination of three reasons led Dr. Edward Picardi to make medical missionary work a priority for him. Through the World Medical Mission’s Samaritan’s Purse, he’s made several trips to West Africa in just the last few years. As he plans for the next visit later this year, he hopes more of his peers also find a way to get involved.
Providing Care to Underserved Populations
One of the primary reasons medical professionals participate in medical missionary work is to provide care to underserved populations. In many parts of the world, access to quality healthcare is limited or nonexistent. Medical missionaries work in these areas to provide essential medical care. This can range from standard diagnosis work to mass efforts to prevent the spread of diseases.
Medical professionals doing medical missionary work often get placed in challenging environments, dealing with limited resources and complicated medical conditions while on a trip. However, they are motivated by the desire to help those in need and make a difference in the lives of others.
Dr. Edward Picardi has traveled to Liberia, Togo, and other African countries struggling more than most areas of the world. Some of the villages he visited lacked the essentials needed for their residents to live healthy lives. The medical care readily available in his home country of the United States gets taken for granted, so he tries to make it a priority to complete a minimum of one missionary trip per year.
Gaining Experience Working in a Different Cultural Context
Participating in medical missionary work also allows medical professionals to practice in a different culture. This can be valuable experience, enabling them to learn about other medical practices and cultural beliefs surrounding health and wellness.
Working in a different culture can also help medical professionals to develop new skills and expand their knowledge base. They may encounter medical conditions and treatments not common in their home country, providing them with a unique learning opportunity to be well-rounded.
Dr. Picardi started missionary work early, and that helped him gain experience. He also loves spreading his Christian values with missionary groups. Many missionary groups remain religion-based, and they go into communities to help spiritually as well.
Younger medical professionals can gain a lot from taking on missionary work. Dr. Picardi believes that more and more employers see this as a positive. It shows people are willing to step outside their comfort zone, learn differently, and give back.
Fulfilling a Personal Calling
Many medical professionals participate in missionary work because they feel a personal calling to help those in need. They believe they are responsible for using their skills and knowledge to impact the world positively.
Medical missionary work can be a fulfilling experience as it allows people to see the impact of their work in real-time. They may work with patients who have never received medical care before, and the gratitude they receive from these patients can be a powerful motivator.
Dr. Edward Picardi, and his wife Sandy, stay committed to their morals and Christian ethics while fulfilling their calling. Dr. Picardi believes that his gift of knowledge in the medical field should be shared with the world. Helping people with all types of financial backgrounds is rewarding for the couple. Working as a surgeon in the United States pays the bills, but missionary work reaches many more people.
Making a Significant Impact
Participating in medical missionary work can significantly impact the communities medical professionals serve. By providing essential medical care, medical missionaries can improve the health and well-being of individuals and families. Uplifting a community can make generational changes.
Medical missionary work tends to have a lasting impact. Medical professionals participating in this work can train and educate local healthcare workers, ensuring that the community has access to quality healthcare even after they have left. This means there is less of a need for frequent return visits. Missions that can visit new areas each trip help out more people overall.
How Mission Groups Help
Many individuals can’t participate in missionary work without the help of larger groups organizing everything. Dr. Edward Picardi found a perfect fit for him with the World Medical Mission’s Samaritan’s Purse enabling him to help out the less fortunate.
A group can travel together more easily, use some of the same supplies, and find many other ways to cut down on costs. Traveling halfway across the world to Africa can get expensive in a hurry, especially if a lot needs doing upon arrival.
Why Dr. Edward Picardi Encourages Participation in Missionary Work
Missionary work in the medical field remains voluntary. Professionals are free to do this in their spare time. However, Dr. Edward Picardi is a big proponent of encouraging others to get involved and see for themselves how missionary work can make a change.
Dr. Ed Picardi’s philosophy throughout his missionary work years has been “if you can, you should.” This means people who have schedule flexibility and no significant commitments at home should look into finding a mission they believe in. Taking action can often be surprisingly rewarding (and addictive).
The world faced a lot of health and travel restrictions during COVID-19, and many areas have years ahead of them before they recover fully. Missionary work is reopening, and many like Dr. Picardi couldn’t wait to return. He hopes others might also discover the life-changing benefits of participating in medical missionary work.
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