Ukraine Relief Mission Signature – Norway

You’ll fly into Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) by 2pm. Upon arrival, you will transport to your hotel where you can check in and freshen up.

5:00pm is team orientation to prepare for the upcoming week of clinic. Your team leader will share with you about the clinic, address IMR’s clinic protocols, Covid-19 protocols, and discuss the communities you will be serving. Your Health Declaration and Negative Covid Test results will be collected.

You and your team will also sort all the supplies for your upcoming mission.  Please bring your donations as well.  Everything will be sorted, organized, and repacked for the clinic the next day.

Dinner is on your own. Afterwards, you’ll be free to explore the city or get some rest for your first day in clinic.

At 8:00am, you’ll depart to the service site for your first day of clinic. Be sure to pack your daypack with all your snacks, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, camera, phone, water bottle and diagnostic equipment.

The first day of clinic is great. You will surely have an impact on our visiting Ukrainian friends. Make sure you understand your role and assignment and if you need to, ask for clarification.  Look to your IMR alumni in the orange caps for guidance, and please stay in your assigned clinic role throughout the day.  Don’t forget your safety protocols!  Most importantly, enjoy the special moments. The patients are so humbled to have you there to help them. They are grateful. Take in all these memories, as time will go quickly.

In the evening, you will have a thorough debrief with your team, repack bags for tomorrow, turn in your scrubs, and complete the day’s statistics.

Afterwards, you are free to explore Oslo with its great venues for dining and entertainment.

IMR teams have a unique opportunity to monitor some chronic conditions in our clinics, as we have residents who live in the some of the shelters where we serve. Brush up on your diagnostic skills, as they will surely be put to great use!

Our patients are primarily the elderly, children, and women. There are numerous opportunities for educating this population on best health care practices.  IMR partners with multiple facilities so you will likely be serving in different locations.  Remember to listen to the stories of the patients. These stories will go down in the history books as a testament to this trying time.

In the evening, you will have a thorough debrief with your team, repack bags for tomorrow, turn in your scrubs, and complete the day’s statistics.

By this day of clinic, you are on a roll and have full knowledge all the ins and outs of clinic operations, hands-on! We appreciate you and all your service. Remember to take time to learn a story about one of your patients. We want you to walk away with a memory that stays in your heart. Let your team leader know if there is a special place you would like to work in clinic. As always, ask lots of questions to be sure you are prepared for your role.

In the evening, you will have a thorough debrief with your team, repack bags for tomorrow, turn in your scrubs, and complete the day’s statistics.

As your week winds down, remember the community healthcare education in a public health setting that you and your team provide continues IMR’s long-term, sustainable education efforts. Education is as important as medical and dental care for our patients. When people become empowered to take health and wellness issues into their own hands, they become self-sufficient.

Today you will have time to explore Oslo on your own. This beautiful city is known for its innovative architecture, world-class museums, and lively neighborhoods. Aker Brygge on the waterfront is a revitalized industrial district popular for shopping, dining, and entertainment. The opera house, home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, appears to rise right out of the harbor. Its sloped roof invites visitors to climb on top and take in panoramic views of the harbor. Built in 1899, the National Theater building serves as the country’s primary arena for stage productions and celebrations. If you’d rather get out of the city, the forests surrounding are full of hiking trails waiting to be explored. Or you can hop on a ferry and visit the islands that dot the Oslo Fjord. You have worked hard all week to earn this day. Enjoy it!

One last morning in Norway! Arrange your return flight to give you more time to explore the city or to take off on another journey before heading home. Our travel partner, Worldwide Navigators, can help you plan an extension of your service trip that takes advantage of your European location to start your next adventure.