About Rotations
Overview
DOCARE International offers global health rotation opportunities for medical students and residents through established partner clinics in Mexico and Peru. These rotations provide immersive, hands-on clinical experiences that differ meaningfully from traditional U.S.-based training environments.
Participants care for patients in medically underserved communities and encounter conditions more commonly seen in rural and low-resource settings. With limited access to advanced diagnostics and equipment, students and residents are encouraged to rely on strong clinical reasoning, physical examination skills, and adaptability while working alongside experienced local healthcare professionals.
In addition to clinical learning, participants are immersed in the cultural context of the communities they serve. This experience fosters a deeper understanding of global health systems, social determinants of health, and the realities of delivering sustainable primary care in resource-limited environments.
For more than 50 years, DOCARE has been committed to improving access to healthcare in isolated and medically neglected regions of the world. While initially focused on short-term medical outreach, DOCARE has intentionally expanded its model to support long-term partnerships that prioritize continuity of care and year-round clinical services delivered by local providers within the community. These enduring collaborations allow rotation participants to contribute meaningfully within trusted, community-based healthcare settings.
DOCARE continues to strengthen and evaluate partnerships that align with its mission of providing affordable, high-quality healthcare while offering impactful educational experiences for the next generation of medical professionals.
Educational Goals
- Provide a fundamental knowledge base in family medicine and assist students in applying this knowledge. (Competency: Medical Knowledge and Application of Medical Knowledge)
- Introduce the student to basic procedures relevant to the practice of family medicine.
- Facilitate an understanding of the approach to clinical problem-solving in family medicine, including the appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence. (Competency: Practice-Based Learning and Improvement)
- Promote the acquisition of basic skills for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of a variety of chronic and acute conditions. (Competency: Patient Care)
- Encourage the continued development of the student’s professional attitude and behavior, including adherence to ethical principles and sensitivity to diverse populations. (Competency: Professionalism)
- Introduce available healthcare resources as well as barriers to coordination of care and expose them to strategies the family physician uses as coordinator of care. (Competency: Systems-Based Practice)
- Encourage the further development of effective, respectful communication between the student, patient, families, staff, and other healthcare professionals. (Competency: Interpersonal and Communication Skills)
- Promote the use of a holistic approach to patients that encompasses the psychosocial, biomedical, and biomechanical aspects of health and disease, including the use of manual medicine techniques when appropriate. (Competency: Osteopathic Philosophy and OMT)
Apply for a Rotation Today!
Location information and details can be found below. There is a nonrefundable $50 application fee paid at time of application submission. Upon acceptance to a Rotation, there is a $1,000 DOCARE Rotation Fee, to which the $50 application fee will be applied. These fees are in addition to the associated costs listed for each rotation site.