Fresh out of family medicine residency I was eager to polish my skills in tropical medicine just before taking assignment in Angola, southern Africa. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research offered one of the most reputable courses at the time, and I was thrilled to be accepted into their program in spite of my […]
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
Attention to health concerns outside the United States continues to grow. Reasons commonly cited include economic globalization, worldwide news coverage, and the ease with which an epidemic in a distant land can now affect us within hours. There also exists a heartening sense of caring that motivates some individuals to respond with compassion and action
Propelled by the devastating 2004 tsunami and the ever-growing global HIV/AIDS crisis, interest in medical missions has never been higher. Many health professionals feel compelled to volunteer their services to those people most in need, but few follow through on these good intentions due to numerous misconceptions about medical missions. Two of the most common
After living in Angola, Africa, I returned home to Kansas City, where I joined the faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. One of my duties was to the review applications from prospective students. Oh the expressiveness with which they declared motivation to study medicine: to help humanity, to serve the poor,