Date
8-6-2025
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Orchid George
Keywords
medical mission trip, phenomenological study, qualitative research, experiential learning
Disciplines
Education | Medicine and Health Sciences
Recommended Citation
Williamson, Peggie L., "The Experiences of University Health Science Students Participating in a Short-Term Medical Mission Trip" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7335.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7335
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of university health science students who participated in a short-term medical mission trip (STMMT). Student participation in a STMMT was generally defined as active involvement in an 8-day healthcare initiative undertaken by supervised university health science students who provided medical care and education to underserved regions. Purposeful criterion and convenience sampling were used to select ten participants from a group of university health science students registered for a STMMT to Belize in 2025. The two theories guiding this study were Husserl’s Transcendental Theory, designed to provide a meaningful description of the participants’ collective experience, and Dewey’s Theory of Experience and Learning, which helped determine the effectiveness of learning during a MMT. Data collection included observations, reflective journaling, and one-on-one, semi-structured interviews conducted during the week following return from the medical mission trip. Colaizzi’s Thematic Analysis Method was applied to analyze data and manually identify five key themes emerging from the participants’ narratives: spiritual growth, professional growth, importance of human connection, cultural sensitivity, and awareness of healthcare disparities. Students described transformative experiences and meaningful learning during the STMMT. The results of this study helped fill the existing literature gap regarding the impact of the STMMT experience on the growth of university health science students, which may inspire additional research into the effects of MMTs on university student populations and encourage higher education institutions to support MMT initiatives to benefit students, universities, and underserved communities worldwide.
