Frequently Asked Questions
Joining a Team
How do I join a team?
Browse our upcoming mission trips and identify the team you wish to join. Once you are certain that the team is still accepting participants, click on the Apply button. Download, complete, sign and mail the form to EMAS Canada office.
Do I have to be a Christian to join an EMAS team?
No, however team membership is at the discretion of the team leader and teams will accept people of all faiths or no faith provided they are willing to respect the values of EMAS and our overseas hosting partner.
Do I have to be a healthcare professional to join a team?
No, there are roles for non-healthcare personnel at the discretion of the team leader. In the past, non-healthcare roles have included teaching English, clinic administration or chaplaincy. As a general policy, however, an EMAS team must be made up of 60% healthcare personnel.
Do I need medical insurance?
Yes, this is the responsibility of each team member. All team members must show proof of travel and health insurance before departure.
Is there an application fee?
Yes, there is a non-refundable annual membership fee of $100 per person. This fee covers the administrative cost of processing your application.
What trip expenses are not tax-deductible?
Passport costs, immunizations and prophylactic medicines and other personal effects such as mosquito netting are not tax deductible. If in doubt about another kind of expense, please contact the EMAS Canada office.
How are EMAS Canada's administrative costs covered?
EMAS Canada aims to keep our overhead costs low so that that more funds can be directed to our volunteer medical teams. To cover essential administrative costs such as mission trip logistics, liaising with partner organizations and team leader training, 10% is levied on all donations. All EMAS Canada team leaders volunteer their time.
Starting an EMAS Team
Who may start an EMAS Team or Project?
Anyone who believes in our vision, is willing to participate in our mission and accepts our statement of faith is qualified to make an application.
How do I start an EMAS team?
Write to info@emascanada.org with a brief proposal of the project. Please include your resume as well.
What are EMAS' preferred projects?
Those with healthcare education, healthcare delivery and spiritual components in a setting where local leadership is developed resulting in the empowerment of local healthcare professionals. Ideally a project should have potential for a minimum of 5 years of engagement after an initial exploratory visit with an end goal of sustainability.
Who decides if a project is going to be an EMAS project?
The Executive Director or a Board Member will assess the application, meet the applicant and present the proposal to the Board which may approve an exploratory visit to the project site. Thereafter the project will be presented to the Board of Directors for final approval or rejection.
How long does the process take?
About 12 - 18 months to have a full fledge team up and running. This can be shorter where an existing EMAS team is launching a new unit from existing team members.
If I don't have a project, can I still apply to form an EMAS team?
Yes. Write to peter@emascanada.org to explore how you can start a team first and get help in finding a suitable project. Remember to include your resume.