“Why do I need training? Why can’t I just go?” “Because,”says Kristell Willmer, “you probably underestimate how little you understand this field.” Kristell is a certified family and pediatric nurse practitioner, and recipient of the DIM&PH – the INMED Diploma in International Medicine and Public Health. “Many healthcare professionals are also intimidated by global health opportunities due to a fear of the unknown — foreign cultures, exotic diseases, minimal resources and overwhelming poverty.”
Kristell speaks from experience. For ten years she took part in medical missions to Rwanda, India, Honduras, Malawi, Ecuador and the Solomon Islands. “These experiences let me see healthcare needs first hand, but provided no training on health systems or the common diseases. Within me steadily grew the desire to improve my skills so I could serve more confidently. That’s why I approached INMED about the Diploma program.” As part of the DIM&PH, Kristell participated in the International Medicine & Public Health Intensive Course, with training in diseases of poverty, cross-cultural competency, disaster management, health leadership, and also workshops in suturing, splinting, ultrasound, complicated obstetrics and newborn resuscitation. For her service-learning component Kristell worked under faculty supervision for a month at INMED’s training site in northern Ghana, Baptist Medical Center.
“The impact of INMED,” reports Kristell, “came to fruition following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. My home church partnered with a Haitian pastor to start a clinic, and approached me to lead the project. While their dream was noble, the reality was far more involved than just soliciting meds and recruiting volunteers. So much more must be considered to make a lasting, positive impact. Only after months of planning and team training did we open the doors of a humble medical clinic – one that is still serving the community today.
“The greatest benefit of INMED Diploma,” concludes Kristell, “is the skills, experience, relationships and resources I gained. The credential itself has been useful among peers on the mission field and at my University, helping me to standout with credibility in this exciting field.”
What’s your global health credential? In a spirit of cooperation, INMED would be pleased to partner with you. We offer ACIHE accredited Diploma programs in both International Public Health and in International Medicine & Public Health. Do you already have significant experience? INMED offers an Equivalency process to recognize your skills. Like Kristell Willmer, you may discover how to more confidently serve our world’s most marginalized people.