Nepal 2026 Global Health Outreach Event
Applicant Eligibility Considerations and Needed Experience
ASE Foundation Volunteer Code of Conduct
The ASE Foundation is now accepting volunteer applications for its 2026 global health event in Nepal. Physician and sonographer team members are needed. Please see below for specific requirements and the volunteer application form.
We continue to be impressed by the incredible generosity and enthusiasm of our community for this type of global health work. Thank you for helping us make a world of difference!
The ASE Foundation’s global health outreach program is supported by donor contributions to the Annual Appeal.
Key Dates
December 15, 2025 (Monday) – Application deadline at 11:59 PM ET
December 19, 2025 (Friday) – Notification of placements
March 14-22, 2026 (Saturday through Sunday) – Working dates in Nepal; additional travel days required. See time requirement details below.
About the Planned Event: Kathmandu, Nepal (March 2026)
Locations: Kathmandu and Dhulikhel, Nepal
Dedication: In memory of Dr. James Kirkpatrick.
Time Requirement: Team members must be able to fully devote nine (9) working days in country for this event, plus additional days for international travel to and from Nepal. Expected schedule is arrival in Kathmandu on Friday, March 13; outreach activities Saturday through Sunday, March 14-22; and then departures beginning late Sunday evening, March 22.
Team Leaders:
- Cynthia Taub, MD, MBA, FASE – President-Elect ASE, SUNY Upstate Medical University, USA
- Jivan Lamichhane, MD – SUNY Upstate Medical University, USA
- Biraj Karmacharya, MBBS, MS, PhD, MPH – Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal
- Dipanker Prajapati, MBBS, MD – President-Elect Cardiac Society of Nepal, Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Nepal
- Lixue Yin, MD, PhD – President Chinese Society of Echocardiography, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, China
Partners in Care:
- Cardiac Society of Nepal
- Chinese Society of Echocardiography
- Dhulikhel Hospital/Kathmandu University School of Medicine Sciences
Planned Activities: In collaboration with our Partners in Care, Foundation team members will work to:
- Support the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, including coronary, rheumatic, and hypertensive heart disease, in underserved children and young adult populations within the Dhulikhel municipality.
- Participate in bi-directional education and training activities with local clinicians to improve scanning and interpretative abilities. Activities will include a formal educational symposium with lectures and panel discussions, and hands-on scanning demonstrations.
- Engage in data collection to support health research and guidance of public policies, including disease prevalence; barriers to receiving appropriate care and access to follow-up; and cardiovascular responses, parameters, and variations at high altitude.
Applicant Eligibility Considerations and Needed Experience
The Foundation is looking for 3-5 sonographers and 2-3 physicians for this team. The group will include a mix of both new and repeat ASEF volunteers; priority will be given to repeat volunteer applicants who have not recently participated in an ASEF team. A balance of male and female volunteers will be considered. Teams may not include more than two (2) participants from the same institution. If there are multiple qualified applicants to fill limited slots, volunteers may be selected by a random drawing.
The following eligibility considerations and desired experience apply:
- Applicants must have an established ASE membership to apply and be considered for participation.
- Priority will be given to applicants with robust congenital scanning experience, familiarity with rheumatic heart disease, and those with the FASE designation (Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography).
- Applicants who work for industry are not eligible to apply.
- Activities will include education and training engagements with local health care providers, so exemplary skills in education are required.
- Applicants with prior experience working in resource-limited settings, those who can work quickly under pressure, and those with advanced skills applicable to a variety of situations are strongly preferred. Given the expected patient volume and the complexity of scanning in remote locations, this event is not a good fit for students or beginning practitioners.
- Applicants with demonstrated experience working in high-altitude, lower oxygen environments are strongly preferred.
Volunteer Responsibilities
Participation in these types of events will not appeal to all. Please carefully consider the following information, and the event’s specific details, to make sure that you understand and are comfortable with what is involved in being a Foundation volunteer.
Travel and financial considerations:
- Volunteers must be willing and able to assume the cost of their own air travel to and from the event site, all applicable passport and visa costs, as well as required inoculations and/or medications.
- Local airport: Volunteers will fly into Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM).
- Country entry and exit requirements: U.S. citizens can verify applicable entry requirements for Nepal through the U.S. Department of State. Participants who would be traveling under a different country’s passport may have different entry and exit requirements.
- Health information for travelers: Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Nepal travel health recommendations. All participants should follow the recommendations of their doctors.
- Personal travel expenses, including but not limited to transportation to/from one’s home airport, airport parking, pet boarding, international phone and/or data service if desired, in-country shopping, and/or touring pre- or post-event, are the personal responsibility of the participating volunteers.
- Due to the location and timing of this event, late arrivals and early departures cannot be accommodated.
- ASEF will arrange for airport transfers on arrival and departure; travel insurance; hotel accommodation (individual rooms); ground transportation for travel in between the host hospital and outreach sites; and most group meals.
Health, privacy, and general considerations:
- Personal space and time may be limited during the event. Volunteers must be able to work well with others and follow directions.
- Volunteers must be physically able to endure the rigors of international travel. During the event, volunteers may be on their feet for long hours. Stamina and a sense of humor are required by all.
- Meals in-country will be reflective of the local diet, and as such, it may not be possible to accommodate special dietary needs. Volunteers must be adaptable in their food intake.
Guests:
- Due to limited space available for accommodation and ground transportation, security precautions, as well as unpredictable work hours, the inclusion of spouses or other guests cannot be accommodated.
ASE Foundation Volunteer Code of Conduct
In addition to the qualifications outlined in the above Call for Volunteers, those accepted for volunteer assignment are expected to abide by the Foundation’s Volunteer Code of Conduct.
- The ASE Foundation’s events are secular humanitarian medical aid and training programs, focused on providing direct patient services to at-risk communities, stimulating global connections between health care providers, bi-directional training with local clinicians, and advancing population health research through data collection. Volunteers may not interject their personal beliefs or agendas into these events.
- Volunteers serve as representatives of ASE and the ASE Foundation before, during and after the event. Onsite, this representation extends across work hours and into any off/free time, and volunteers must conduct themselves accordingly.
- Volunteers must have respect and appreciation for cultural differences. Volunteers may be exposed to differences in tradition, culture, language, religion, and dress during the event, and must remain respectful to these cultural norms.
- ASE reserves the right to limit media contacts and/or request media engagement by volunteers. By participating in these events, volunteers permit the Society and Foundation to use their likeness and statements for quotes, photos, and videos to assist ASE in its public relations or fundraising initiatives. All requests for quotes, photos, videos, or event information from the media or industry partners must be directed to and facilitated by the event’s ASE staff liaison.
- Volunteers must understand that decisions are made according to the regulations set forth by the ASE Foundation and in collaboration with in-country partners in the best interest and safety of the volunteer team. Participants must accept the responsibility of working as an ASE Foundation volunteer and agree to abide by all decisions made by the event’s management and coordinators.
How to Apply – Deadline: Monday, December 15 at 11:59 PM ET
All volunteer opportunities have a mandatory volunteer application form that must be completed in full to be considered for participation. Incomplete applications, those received after the submission deadline, and requests submitted outside of the official volunteer application form will not be considered. ASEF will ensure that every application received is given appropriate consideration for participation.
Due to the popularity and enthusiasm for this type of volunteer experience, there will likely be many more volunteer applicants than we can utilize. Not all applicants will be selected and ASEF advises that no one makes travel plans prior to receiving an official notification of placement.
Volunteer Application: If you can fulfill the requirements noted above, and are interested in applying to volunteer, please complete the event application form and ASE’s volunteer conflict of interest and disclosure statement.
Questions?
If you have any questions or need assistance with your application, please contact ASE Foundation staff Andrea Van Hoever.