Frequently asked questions

Who can participate on an expedition?
Board Certified Ophthalmologists (US), International Ophthalmologists, Registered Nurses and Technicians. All participants must affiliate with SEE International prior to confirming their participation.

• Application (17KB PDF)

NOTE: If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you may download it for free from Adobe's website.

How does SEE International decide where to work?
All SEE International expeditions meet the following criteria:

• The site is located in a developing country
• A local ophthalmologist agrees to host the clinic
• The Ministry of Health or other health authority provides a letter of invitation for the team

What are the costs involved?
All volunteers are responsible for their own travel expenses such as airfare, food,  accommodations, immunizations, excess baggage waivers, and any passport or visa fees. Generally the host provides in country transportation, and may provide accommodations.

Where do your supplies come from?
Most of our surgical supplies are generously donated by our corporate supporters. There are items, such as gloves, drapes and some medications, which SEE International must purchase for each expedition.

Where does SEE International go and how frequently?
Click here for the expedition calendar.

How can I initiate a clinic?
If you are an ophthalmologist, clinic  administrator or organization in a developing country and you would like to host an expedition you will need to provide SEE International with a letter of invitation from the Ministry of Health or other health authority. We also ask you to complete the forms below and return them to seeintl@seeintl.org or fax to 805-965-3564:

• Ophthalmology Profile form (16KB PDF)
• Expedition Request form (15KB PDF)

I cannot go on an expedition at this time but I still want to help.
If you are unable to participate in a surgical eye expedition, there are a number of other ways in which you can help.

• Join SEE as an affiliate to assist the humanitarian work of your colleagues worldwide.
• Sponsor a clinic.  Visit our Adopt-A-Village webpage to find out more details.
• Any support you can contribute is greatly appreciated.

All gifts to SEE International are tax deductible. Your support will enable SEE’s volunteer surgeons to outperform last year’s surgeries, which amounted to over 9,308 sight-restoring surgeries at 101 clinics in 34 countries.

Contact SEE International when you are ready to participate in an expedition. We would be delighted to work with you to provide the administrative and logistical support for your expedition.

For more detailed information about the expeditions, please download the following file:

• Expedition Orientation form (30KB PDF)

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