I am feeling warmhearted as I read Kirk Bodach’s account from Mseleni Hospital in South Africa: “On my last day working in the outpatient clinic the patient I was seeing said that he had been watching me. He said that I had done something VERY GOOD. Apparently he had seen me eating lunch at that hospital with […]
Just twelve days ago our planet was rocked by a duo of disasters. A 7.6-magnitude quake struck the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, followed by shocks of similar magnitude hours later. Within moments, these geologic convulsions reduced buildings to rubble in the city of Padang, where U.N. officials estimate as many as 4,000 people
I so enjoyed talking this week with Pamela Smith, a physician from Chicago who completed the clinical experience for the INMED International Medicine Certificate at Lubango Evangelical Medical Center in Angola, southern Africa. “This was so very different than any medical mission I’ve ever experienced. Before, I was the leader, though really knew almost nothing about the nation where I
People seeking healthcare in North America are increasingly global in their make up. Some 50 million are culturally diverse and operate with understandings of health and medicine that are unfamiliar to most healthcare professionals. Nevertheless, we must effectively understand and communicate with these individuals and families to be successful in assisting them. Consider the following
“I’ve lost three more patients today,” writes Ben Cavilla, MD, from the Lubango Evangelical Medical Center in Angola, southern Africa. “One had terminal AIDS. Another had a liter of puss in her belly. And the third was a young child with typhoid fever.” Dr. Cavilla gave up the comforts of British Columbia, paid his
Pirates, Somalia, Mogadishu, battling warlords, Black Hawk Down. These words provoke images of immense anguish and adversity. Most people flee at the thought of providing any sort of assistance under these conditions. But one particular physician from the American Midwest is serving Somalia intentionally, and his identity must remain anonymous due to security concerns. He
Yes, I realize “intensivity” is a misspelled word. But there is just on other than best describes these remarkable days! June 1-12 INMED hosted our first International Medicine Intensive Course. Thirty two “students,” including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, medical officers, and medical students not only learned the nuisances of serving the ultra poor, but also “encouraged
Many healthcare professionals are enamored over the possibility of serving the poorest of the poor. But what steps follow this vision? First: equip yourself with the essential professional, cross-cultural and personal skills. Your transition from functioning in a community of affluence to one of poverty demands unique, new abilities. Second: join forces with other
“Would serving people in serious need help fulfill my life?” It’s a frequent, even if subconscious, question we ask ourselves. Gary Morsch observes, “People really do want to help one another and make the world better, but they often don’t know how to do it. People are looking for significance in their lives, but
Most Americans today are curbing their excesses, avoiding risks, and grumbling about falling victim to this recession. Now consider the contrast revealed through Richard (Dick) Bransford, a featured speaker at the Exploring Medical Missions Conference on May 29-30: “The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been in civil war for years. I knew