Getting involved in an LMV trip includes two phases:
- Waitlist: you put your name on a Trip Waitlist to show your interest in being a member of a trip. You begin by being a "candidate" for a trip and your trip leader may at some point change your status to "confirmed on team" or if the team is full, "backup". You must be an LMV member in good standing to be on the Waitlist.
- Register: if you are a confirmed member of the trip team and as the trip date approaches you will be requested to "register" for the trip (this includes providing emergency contact numbers, passport information, etc) and to pay your trip expenses.
Registering for a trip includes payment of your trip fee: normally $350 for Mexico trips, $100 for Oasis trips, or for trips to Latin America a deposit of $600 (which will represent approximately 50% of the final trip cost depending on specific location and duration of the trip, with the remainder to be due to LMV no later than 60 days before the trip departure date). You may pay online when you register, or mail a check to the appropriate LMV chapter; but LMV will not be able to reserve your spot until we receive confirmation of both fee payment and membership status. LMV trip fees cover the costs of the trip only, rather than organizational administration costs.
Once you have registered, an LMV trip coordinator from the chapter of your choice will review your registration information, verify that your membership dues are current, and contact you to confirm your space or suggest another trip if there are no openings available, so please be sure to provide your contact information on the form as requested.
Please also note that you will require additional cash during your trip for limited meals not otherwise covered, incidental expenses, and any shopping you wish to do; we generally recommend bringing $150 with you on Mexico trips, $50 on Oasis trips, and at least $200 on Latin America trips. You should also be aware that LMV offers reimbursement of up to $150 for qualifying on-the-ground expenses after the completion of Mexico trips; please ask your trip coordinator if you have any questions about our expense reimbursement policy. More information about what to bring on trips is available on our FAQs and Forms page.
As a participant on any LMV trip outside the United States, you are responsible for complying at the border of each country with every detail regarding entry and departure regulations. It is your sole responsibility to have with you all necessary documents at each border crossing. Please note in particular that United States citizens now must carry a valid passport for all border crossings, including US-Mexico borders. You may wish to refer to current border crossing regulations available on the Internet in advance of your trip; see our useful links page for more information.
Lastly, a word about how important our clinics are to our patients: To ensure we have a full clinic team for each trip, Mexico trip registrations in particular will be completed on a first-come, first-served basis by team role, with each team comprised of at least one doctor or registered nurse, a pilot, an interpreter, and a healthcare support specialist. Latin America and Oasis trip registrations are also filled on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority by team role offered as needed. Our patients rely on our clinics for their healthcare, and our village contacts require sufficient advance notice to provide logistics and get the word out about the clinic's operating dates, so please sign up for trips as far in advance as possible, per the guidelines outlined below. Similarly, please consider your registration a firm commitment to take part in the trip; cancellations by individual team members cause the entire trip to be cancelled if a replacement team member cannot be found; and a cancellation policy may apply.
