International Health

Most of you know that I love traveling and visiting new places, countries, etc. Through medical school, we don't have THAT many opportunities to take time off to travel but we do have a very generous school which offers a Hoffman scholarship, a grant that covers entirely one trip in medical school to spend time delivering health care in an underserved area. As I definitely see myself pursuing international health at some point and feel that, as a family practicioner, I'd have the skills to be able to practice anywhere, at any time (urban/rural/international/national), my eyes have been opened to various opportunities to continue to serve overseas.

Last year in July of 2005, I used my Hoffman scholarship to go to Peru to serve with Amazon Promise, an organization currently run by an amazing woman, Patty Webster, which organizes clinics in and around the Amazon Basin in northeastern Peru. Although at that time, not even having started my third year of med school, I was somewhat limited in my abilities to diagnose and treat, it still was an incredible experience. I loved the friendly people, the beautiful country, the ability to converse in Spanish, and the opportunity to practice "real" (non technologically-glorified) medicine in an area with few resources. Everyone was so grateful for our help and there have been few times during school that I have felt like I was doing as much good. Here are a few of photos from that experience.

With Shego, Patty, and Juan Carlos, doing "inventory"

With Javier (it's his hat)

Kids in Belen

Injeccion!

Tomando la presion

Last night at Beyond Eden, the Christian Medical and Dental Association group, we heard stories from Sujit Itty and Matt Lohse, two current second year students who did past missions trips to Guatemala and Nicaragua, respectively. It renewed my excitement for medical missions!
John brought up a link for those interested in seeking out international medical missions opportunities, which obviously abound! I only wish I had figured out a way to pursue more of these while in school!

I'm also really thrilled because in March, right after match day, John, Wendi, Ajit, and I are planning on going to Nigeria for a month to serve with Faith Alive, a Foundation created by Dr. Chris Isichei in 1996 to provide health care to those, especially HIV-positive patients, in and around the area of Jos (in the northern plateaus). This plan has been in place for a long time, but it's hard to believe we are only a few months from departing! We are in the process of working out the trip details, including the precise dates of our flights, possible travel after our month (while we are already so far away, we thought about possibly going to Morocco or another location in North/Western Africa, although Ajit really wants to go to South Africa....), etc. I'm so excited Wendi is going to (most likely) come, even though the Kitsteiners do another IVF cycle in January and we are all hoping she will be pregnant-- they are going to meet with a travel doctor next week to work out all the possible "health" issues involved in her coming. Unfortunately, as the Hoffman is a one-time thing (I can't steal someone else's Hoffman who won't be going somewhere), this trip may get kind of expensive. But I am sure that the experience will be more than worth it.

Actually, appropriately for this posting, today is World AIDS Day. Think of and pray for all those with this disease and consider contributing to efforts to halt its spread, worldwide.