We send students — and the parents who raise them — into real clinics on fully funded medical relief trips.
Cost is not the gate. Character and readiness are. Too many young people who would thrive in healthcare never see the work up close. A plane ticket decides that. It shouldn't.
Fully funded medical relief trips — for students and their parents
- Fully scholarshipped international medical relief trips
- Competitive application: documented volunteer hours, a personal essay, and (for currently-enrolled students) at least a 3.25 GPA
- Full committee review — not a single interview
- Qualified applicants who aren't selected right away go on a waiting list for the next opening
- Parents can apply for a scholarship of their own, or travel alongside their selected scholar as a chaperone
- Every trip runs under a formal written agreement with a licensed, in-country medical team
We believe the people who go on to become doctors, nurses, and healthcare leaders are often the ones who got a real, early glimpse of what that work actually looks like — up close, alongside professionals, in communities that need it most.
We also hold a small number of seats for children of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers — the families who already live this work and often can't pause to fund a trip of their own. The rest of every cohort is open to any student who meets the same bar.
Whether you're going or giving, here's your next step
Students & families
Can I go? Yes — if you meet the bar: documented volunteer hours, an essay, and (for enrolled students) a 3.25 GPA.
Is it safe? Every scholar travels under adult supervision, with a licensed medical team leading all clinical work.
What if the cohort's full? You go on the waiting list, not turned away — every qualified applicant gets a spot eventually.
People who want to fund a seat
Where does the money go? Straight to one scholar's flight, lodging, and program fees — nothing else.
Who's accountable? Every trip runs under a written agreement with a licensed in-country provider.
What's the first trip? We're building our first cohort right now — early donors help decide which family gets that first seat.
A nurse, started at a softball game
The Next Shift is run by Michael Fernandez, a registered nurse with a background in emergency care and military service, alongside his wife Heny — also a registered nurse — their 13-year-old daughter, an avid tennis player who inspired the idea just as much as she keeps him on his toes, and their newborn son, Leo, the newest member of the family.
The idea took off at one of his daughter's softball games. Talking with another parent on the sidelines, Michael learned the family wished their teenager could go on an international medical relief trip but couldn't afford it. That conversation stuck with him — and The Next Shift became his answer: a way to open that door for families who have the passion but not the means.
“Every kid deserves the chance to find out what they're capable of. I built The Next Shift so that chance isn't limited to families who can afford a plane ticket.”
Michael Fernandez, Founder — Rocklin, CaliforniaHow we keep people safe
- Every scholar travels under direct adult supervision — no exceptions.
- Every clinical activity is led by a licensed medical team, never by The Next Shift itself.
- Every trip runs under a formal written agreement with a licensed, in-country provider or an established medical relief organization before anyone travels.
The principles behind every decision
Transparency over polish
We'll tell you exactly where we are — including what's still in progress, like our 501(c)(3) status — instead of overstating it.
Community-funded, community-run
Parent volunteers, local sporting events, and small businesses — not big institutional checks — are how we plan to grow.
Where we are today
Legal status placeholder
Every trip The Next Shift runs will be through a formal written agreement with a licensed, in-country medical provider or an established medical relief organization — The Next Shift does not run unsupervised or unlicensed clinical activity.
How money moves: every dollar you give funds one scholar's flight, lodging, and program fees with that licensed provider — nothing else.
Get in touch
Questions about the scholarship, donating, volunteering, or partnering? Reach out any time.