Perceptions of Surgeons in Vietnam on International Medical Volunteers

Short-term surgical missions (STMs) have been used by various organizations to address gaps in the surgical workforce in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the literature is inadequate in documenting host communities' perceptions of STMs. We aimed to understand surgeons' perceptions in Vietnam as a proxy for LMICs' experiences working with international STM volunteers.

An anonymous online survey questionnaire was administered to attendees at the Vietnamese Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery's annual conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, in April 2025. Questions focused on attendees' previous experience and perspectives working with international doctors or medical workers.

Four hundred three out of 807 conference surgeon attendees completed the survey in its entirety, yielding a response rate of 49.9%. Most responses were positive, with reports that international volunteers provided training beneficial to their own clinical practice and institutions. In addition, most respondents believed that international surgeons were knowledgeable, professional, and culturally competent, and that they made patients feel comfortable. Reported perceived values of the international medical workers included improving staff knowledge and skills and improving the quality of patient care. Concerns reported included volunteer length of stay, lack of patient follow-up, cultural and language barriers, lack of volunteer awareness of available resources or the institution's needs, and lack of necessary clinical skills among volunteers.

Overall, hosts perceive STMs as positive experiences that benefit their clinical practice and their institution. However, the concerns survey respondents raised highlight the need for STMs to prioritize collaboration with the host community to prepare STM volunteers culturally, alignment of goals and expectations with host community needs, orientation of volunteers to the available local resources, plans for follow-up care and complication management, and improvement of the experience of hosts and volunteers. In addition, continued efforts to elicit and incorporate the perspectives and experiences of LMIC host communities and to implement changes to STM programs are essential to maximize the benefits of STMs for host communities.