Venture FAQs
Do you help with medical electives?
Yes! Pioneers is happy to help you find a placement for your medical elective. We do not have medical elective placements prepared in advance. Rather, we will talk to you about where you feel called, how long your elective needs to be, when you can go, and what type of medical situation you’re looking for. We’ll then consult our database to see if any of our medical teams might match your requirements.
How much does the Venture programme cost?
Because Venture participants join long term field teams, the cost is dependent on the location of the team, the duration of the placement, and the team’s ministry activities. For instance, a 6-month placement in Tokyo will cost more than a 4-month placement in rural Kenya. The budget will be decided collectively by the field team, the Pioneers finance office, and the participant. Once your placement is confirmed, you will need to make an initial payment of £100 to cover admin costs including DBS and medical checks. For placements longer than a month, there is an additional admin charge of £10 per week. Other than that, the entirety of the participant’s budget will go to pre-field and on-field costs.
When can I get to the field?
Venture participants get to the field in varying amounts of time from first contact. Because our mobilisation efforts are very relational, it can take up to a year from the time you first contact us until the time you land on the field. This depends on the amount of time it takes to find a matching team, and on how quickly you choose to go through the training period. On the other hand, the process can take as little as three months.
How do I find out which teams I can join?
Once you have applied and your references are all in, we will begin reaching out to teams on the field who may be a good fit for you based on the information you shared in your application form and your conversations with us. When teams get back to us expressing interest and availability to host you, we’ll give you more information about them and will offer to put you in touch a 3-way conversation. You, the team, and our office will decide together whether the team would be a good fit for you