International medicine is a term that excites many health care professionals, often touching on dreams we experienced very early in our careers. But the term also has a variety of meanings to different individuals for nations, and communities within nations, are so varied in health status, health resources, and underlying culture and policy. As a grapple with a useable definition, I remember that we are usually not referring to health in more developed nations, but rather to health among the most disadvantaged people. I also remember that the concept medicine is often too narrow when the intention is to broadly improved health status. Therefore, with these thoughts in mind I currently define the term international medicine as promoting health in low-resource communities, where ever they may be located.
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