1. What are the requirements to volunteer at the clinic?
Answer: DVI welcomes all currently licensed dentists with a minimum of one year experience who feel comfortable doing operative dentistry on children. You do not have to be a pediatric dentist. We do have endodontists volunteering as well. Though we would like to accept all potential volunteers, we cannot accept dental assistants, dental students, and hygienists as the Ministry of Health will not grant them temporary permits to practice in Israel.
2. How do I initiate the process of volunteering?
3. How long in advance should I schedule my volunteer period?
Answer: In order to be sure you'll get the exact week(s) you want, please contact us a full year in advance. However, as there are occasionally last-minute cancellations, we are happy to put you on a waiting list you may get the week you want, but with perhaps only a few weeks to a month advance notice. We'd love to have you, so
if you are flexible, and interested in a last-minute trip to Israel, please let us know you may be able to save our children from having their appointments suddenly canceled!
4. Is there a local dentist I can speak to about the volunteer experience?
Answer: Yes, contact the Representative for your country
listed here. They have volunteered many times and are very familiar with the experience.
5. What are the hours of operation for the dental clinic?
Answer: The clinic is open for a five-day workweek from Sunday through Thursday. The clinic hours are from 8 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. on Sunday through Wednesday and from 8 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. on Thursday. The clinic operates every working day of the year except for legal Israeli holidays.
6. I'm still waiting for my translated certificate from the officials in my country. Is my (your-country-here)-language license and diploma sufficient?
Answer: Israel's Ministry of Health will only begin to process our application for your temporary permit to practice dentistry in Israel once we send them your current valid dental license from your country, officially translated to English. They will accept a letter of approbation, in English, from the licensing board, stating that you are in good standing and are registered to practice dentistry in your country for the current year. The date must be clearly stated. We need this license at least two months in advance, or we cannot be certain you will be able to work in the clinic.
7. What about insurance?
Answer: The clinic is insured for dental malpractice for all the volunteers that work here. Make sure to organise appropriate travel insurance for the whole period you are away from home.
8. Do I need to bring scrubs, loupes, equipment, etc?
Answer: DVI is fully and well equipped thanks to a few special donors, and will provide you scrubs, hand pieces, and everything you'll need. Sometimes we may ask you for some dental supplies, of which we are running short, but generally we have everything you need. As a gesture, our young patients appreciate little prizes that you may want to bring for this purpose, however, they should not cost more than a (US) dollar. Some dentists bring their own loupes, but that's about it!
9. Does the DVI clinic have a routine clinical staff?
Answer: The DVI clinic Director, Dr. Roy Petel, is a pediatric dentist. He determines the course of treatment and supervises all the work produced. The clinic has at least five multi-lingual dental assistants who are each assigned to a doctor for every clinic period. They are highly skilled, speak English and will help you to communicate with the patients and their parents. There is also a full-time hygienist and an Oral Health Education program which is conducted simultaneously with the clinic appointments.
10. Are there any accommodations provided for volunteers?
Answer: DVI provides all volunteers and their family with cost- free apartments located in Jerusalem. All apartments are available from Friday around 12 noon to the following Friday until 9 A.M. Linens and towels are provided in the apartment, and there are basic kitchen supplies in the functional kitchen. Not every apartment has wireless internet, but there is a grocery store of some kind close to each apartment.
11. Is there anyone to pick us up from the airport?
Answer: We are not able to provide airport pick up, but there are Nesher shared taxis (airport shuttle) - which operate 24 hours a day and are located outside baggage claim near the taxis. Nesher will charge you approximately 50 NIS per person (there are Change & ATM machines in the airport but Nesher will take dollars) and will take you and all of your luggage - directly to the apartment. We can arrange for them to pick you up at the apartment and take you to the airport for your return flight.
12. What costs might I anticipate?
Answer: You will have to cover your air fare, food and entertainment while you are here. Your plane fare and other fees involved with your trip may be fully deductible under the IRS regulations as a business expense in the USA and some countries in Europe.
13. What can I expect to do when I'm not working in the clinic?
Answer: Israel is a very small country, so you can easily travel around to the wonderful historical and cultural sites. You can also just stay in Jerusalem where there are always fascinating tours, museums, concerts, shopping and sports events. We are happy to make suggestions based on your interests.
14. How we are going to get around in Jerusalem? Can we take public transportation to take us from the apartment to work and back? How expensive is that? Can we use public transport 24hours/day?
Answer: The public transportation system in Jerusalem runs "Egged" buses from 6 A.M. until midnight there is more information in the "Volunteer Kit" which you can download here. The price of bus fare is about 6 NIS one way, this gives you a transfer ticket, which can be used for another bus within 45 minutes. It is cheaper and easier to buy an 11 ride ticket, which may be purchased from the driver, and will save you waiting to pay the driver and fiddling with change for the rest of your trip. If you require a transfer ticket, simply ask the driver upon presenting your 11-ride-pass, and he will print you one.
15. What about Rental Cars - how expensive is that?
Answer: You can rent a car and we'll recommend the current cheapest company rental cars are much cheaper to rent from Jerusalem than from the airport. However, many dentists have received parking tickets from the Municipality, as legal parking in Jerusalem is difficult to understand, even for locals. You may want to rent a car just for the weekends, for touring Israel. Rental car companies now offer English-language GPS systems to rent with the car.
16. Is there a telecommunication company which will sell me a pre-paid SIM card so I can use phones in Israel for domestic calls?
