As a medical student I dreamed of sharpening my skills on behalf of the world’s most poor. I dreamed of attending the esteemed John’s Hopkins School of Public Health, taking the diploma course at the London or Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. What escaped my notice at the time was that I […]
What curriculum do you use to complement global health classes, international electives, study abroad, or even cross-cultural competency? Unfortunately, most universities and residency programs have little to offer beyond thick textbooks. For the last year, Micah Flint and I have been creating for INMED a new series of online, self-paced courses covering the major
In May INMED posed the question, “Are short-term medical missions (STMM) effective?” and also raised related issues of ethics and cultural relevance. Responses from you the readers were plentiful and absorbing. You said that we should recognize both the pros and cons of such service: Advantages for our mission hospital are: Coverage for
Each year some 5,000 healthcare teams depart the US to service in a developing country – usually for 7-10 days duration. A growing number of authorities are questioning the efficacy of this enormous outlay of time and resources, posing the questions like, “Do short-term medical missions actually contribute to improving the overall health of
“In Haiti over eight days we saw 900 patients, treating infections and diarrhea. The people are desperately poor and were so very grateful for the medical care.“ This young physician spoke with enthusiasm. But then his voice turned somber, describing how the police arrived to investigate the credentials of their medical missions team. Practicing
“This woman is in labor, but the baby just will not descend!” Dr. Akua spoke anxiously and with good reason. He’d just graduated from medical school in Ghana and only yesterday joined me at the Baptist Medical Center in northern Ghana to begin his years of public service. We examined the lady, found her
Disasters and ongoing deprivation mark the first years of this new century. Just consider Haiti’s earthquake, Pakistan’s flood, Somalia’s war, and North Korea’s hunger. The heartening response from many is to donate our personal time, talent, and treasures to provide rescue and assistance to those in distress in the world’s most impoverished communities. But
Disasters and ongoing deprivation mark the first years of this new century. Just consider Haiti’s earthquake, Pakistan’s flood, Somalia’s war, and North Korea’s hunger. The heartening response from many is to donate our personal time, talent, and treasures to provide rescue and assistance to those in distress in the world’s most impoverished communities. Just
The week of June 14-18 INMED hosted 69 participants for the 2010 International Public Health Intensive Course. These included nurses, public health specialists, pharmacists, physicians, and graduate students from the entire range of health fields. Remarkably, most participants had significant international experience caring for those most poor. Topics included Health Leadership, Building Organizational Capacity, Water &
On June 7 INMED welcomed 43 participant to the University of Missouri-Kansas City for the 2010 International Medicine Intensive Course. Many of these highly motivated individuals have significant experience in serving forgotten people in multiple nations, and came to further sharpen their skills. Participants included 13 physicians, 2 resident physicians, 7 medical students, 7 physician