INMED News, January 2008

WHO ARE THE MOST FAMOUS PEOPLE IN MEDICAL MISSIONS?

Harrison Ford, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, Alan Greenspan, Vladimir Puton. Just name your field of interest, and you no doubt can list its most remarkable personalities. But what about within the realm of international medical service? Who are the ones today who inspire our sentiments and stimulate us to action on behalf of the world's most neglected citizens? No one I know in medical missions is involved out of thirst for public recognition. Rather, most are motivated out of deep personal faith and sincere humanitarian interest while laboring in some of the most remote corners of the planet. But there is also no denying the power of role modeling to motivate others towards similar endeavors. Everyone benefits. People with legitimate health needs find relief, and medical volunteers discover that such service brings out the very best from within them. So who are the most famous people in medical missions? Some are listed among INMED Role Models, and a number of others are making presentations at the 2008 Exploring Medical Mission Conference, including: Brent Hambrick, MD of MedMissions, Honduras Karen Herrera, RN, MSN of Healthcare Ministries David S. Topazian, DDS of Project MedSend Anil Cherian, MD of Emmanuel Hospital Association, India Please join us for the Exploring Medical Missions Conference, May 30-31, 2008, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where this year's theme is Launching Into Medical Missions. The conference will help equip you with the necessary professional, cross-cultural, and personal skills to effectively serve in medical missions. It will also provide guidelines for career decisions, including how to select a sending organization and a community in which to serve. David Livingston Needed These Who do YOU believe are the most famous or significant people in medical missions? INMED would like to invite YOU to submit nominations for the 2008 International Medicine Awards. You can download the Award Nomination Form and submit via email. These awards will be presented at the Conference May 30-31, 2008. Medical missions is not simply the domain of David Livingston and Albert Schweitzer. In spite of economic and social progress since their era, billions of people remain in extreme need for compassionate health care. There is a role you can play - one worth Exploring! Nicholas Comninellis, MD, MPH

INMED News, February 2008

WHY DO MEDICAL MISSIONS?

Vast wealth and medical knowledge benefit the world's affluent, while some three billion persons still lack even the most basic health care. In response, interest in selfless service among health professionals has never been higher. Jean Fields in Jamaica Jean Fields, RN, MSN, is one who makes international service an intimate part of her career. Says Jean, "Through the media we all hear and see the inequities and disparities in global health care. But until one becomes immersed in it, painful truth is often less than real. Serving in Jamaica, for example, I cared for people who have never even worn shoes before. These experiences broadened my world-view, and made me grateful for my many undeserved blessings." Today, Jean Fields is on the teaching faculty at Research College of Nursing imparting her insight among nursing students. "Medical missions has helped me develop a deeper compassion and sensitivity to the cultures and physical needs of all people, and thus I am able to provide much better nursing care to my clients. I encourage all health care professionals to expand and explore your world while sharing your unique expertise as a healthcare provider in the international service." Brent Hambrick, MD, is another who makes international service an intimate part of his career. Says Brent, "Doctors usually miss the point about personal wealth and personal satisfaction. The two just don't equal one another. My wife and I intentionally chose to live modestly and to save our money. We then moved to Honduras to give medical care for people enormously less privileged." Dr. Hambrick in Honduras Eight years later, what began at a one-year commitment has become an entire career track for Dr. Hambrick. "Together with national churches, we organize medical teams traveling to the most isolated people in the country, caring for people like this little boy photographed with me. If he gets malaria or typhoid, chances of dying are very high. But our teams offer hope where there was little before. What could possibly be more satisfying?" Learn more of Jean Fields' and Brent Hambrick's insights by joining us for their presentations at the Exploring Medical Missions Conference, May 30-31. Our theme this year is "Launching Into Medical Missions," where we will take a detailed look at how we as health care personnel can equip ourselves with the necessary professional, cross-cultural and personal skills to serve in low-resource nations. We will also consider how to select a sending organization and to choose a community in which to serve. At the 2008 Exploring Medical Missions Conference you can connect with like-hearted people and experience all that is very best about health care: compassion, excellence, and expediency for those people most in need!

INMED News, March 2008

HOW CAN I LAUNCH INTO MEDICAL MISSIONS?

"Get yourself prepared!" says Jody Platt, a volunteer at Kalukembe Hospital in Angola, Africa. "You really can't be much help to people if you don't have the right skills and are not personally equipped. Otherwise, you and your hosts will just be frustrated." Whether medical missions becomes a full-time calling or an annual journey, a thoughtful launch into medical missions includes several important components:   Professional Skills The field of international medicine has a unique body of knowledge that includes understanding of international health issues, diseases of poverty, cross-cultural skills, and how to lead health initiatives. INMED's on-line International Medicine Course, INMED International Medicine book, and Handbook of Medicine in Developing Countries, are designed to orient and prepare health care professionals for the distinctive challenges. Personal Skills International service brings with it wonderful opportunities for enriching one's family and one's personal faith. It also has important financial ramifications, both positive and negative. And today more than ever, it's essential to grasp the nuances of international travel and residence abroad. The 2008 Exploring Medical Missions Conference features presentations devoted to helping health care volunteers develop these personal skills. Career Decisions   Some 69 nations are dominated by poverty (World Bank), and hundreds of organizations are appealing for medical volunteers. Choices must be made. But needs and requests alone are insufficient for one to make wise decisions about how to select a sending organization or a community in which to serve. This May's Exploring Medical Missions Conference will provide insight into these individual career decisions, and give participants ample chance to network with medical mission organizations about specific opportunities. INMED also offers an inspirational book, Where Do I Go From Here? Making the right decision in life, that offers thought provoking guidelines. "Many people want to do international service," observes Jody, "but really have nothing substantial to offer. It takes studying and planning and lots of prayer to become qualified, and the personal rewards are tremendous. But remember, medical missions not ultimately about you. It's about what you can provide people who have no where else to turn."

INMED News, April 2008

WHAT IGNITES YOUR PASSION?

Great success is born of passion that defies intellectual assent alone. Triumphant scientists are truly zealous for research. Victorious politicians are infatuated with their causes. Enviable couples are deeply in love with one another. While duty and commitment have their proper place, any formula for success is accelerated by infusing heartfelt enthusiasm. What allures health professionals to serve in developing nations? Financial incentives do not exist. Creature comforts are sparse. Family and friends are distant. Language learning is often unpleasant. Why do they do it? In the final analysis, international medicine specialists, like those speaking at the Exploring Medical Missions Conference on May 30-31, are passionate about helping the world's poorest people. Dr. Comninellis with Flora INMED's President, Nicholas Comninellis, exemplifies the power of passion. His experience at the Clinica Evangelica Morava particularly enflamed his heart. For two months he worked under Dr. Sam Marx, at this rural mission hospital on the east coast of Honduras. Said Dr. Comninellis, "I was deliberately seeking a focus for my life by weighing options, praying, and counseling with wise people. But it was an experience at the Clinica that focused my vision. A mother brought her 2-month old daughter, Flora, down river by dugout canoe. She was convulsing from infection with cerebral malaria. As I examined the infant the mother explained that she had no money and no where to turn." "I was determined to keep this girl from dying," Dr. Comninellis expressed with zeal. "I stayed up with Flora an entire night managing her seizures, fluids and medications. As morning dawned, for the first time little Flora opened her eyes. And at that moment I recognized the passion within me. Saving people like Flora became the focus of my career." Dr. Comninellis went on to serve inner city citizens at Shanghai Charity Hospital and in the war-besieged city of Huambo, Angola, before founding INMED in 2003. Most health professionals contemplate international service but remain uncertain just where to begin. This year's Exploring Medical Missions Conference on May 30-31 offers a perfect opportunity to start and answer the personal question: what ignites your passions?

INMED News, May 2008

IMPOSSIBLE? A PRACTICE AND MEDICAL MISSIONS?

Five days ago in Myanmar (Burma) at least 22,000 people died and one million were made homeless from a cyclone that caused a 12-foot tidal wave. Most of us naturally pause, consider the catastrophe, and simply wish we could help. But nothing more. Patrick Railey is a family physician that has made a lifestyle out of helping people in greatest need. Patrick, a speaker at the 2008 Exploring Medical Missions Conference on May 30-31, has served in Central America, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Lebanon. But what's most surprising to health care professionals is that he ALSO maintains a private practice in Atlanta, George. Dr. Railey at Exploring Med Missions Conference "Docs and nurses think they can't afford the time off," says Dr. Railey. "But in reality, how can they not afford it? Certainly there is less income when being away from a practice. But it comes down to a question of values. People, like those in Myanmar, are in really desperate need. And do we really need a bigger house or another car?" Patrick Railey works at his Atlanta office about 8 months of the year and devotes the rest to medical missions. He got his own launch into international service by attending an event like the Exploring Medical Missions Conference where he connected with leaders in the field and sending organizations. "Medical skills are a gift," says Dr. Railey, "that we should not simply use to benefit our own purposes. Rather, it's our job to especially provide care to those who have nowhere to turn for assistance. When we do this, we are also both serving God and tapping into opportunities for enormous personal fulfillment." Please join Dr. Railey and other international medicine visionaries on May 30-31, the weekend following Memorial Day, in Kansas City for the Exploring Medical Missions Conference. Investigate like Dr. Railey did how you yourself can launch into medical missions. Click Here To Download Conference Brochure

INMED News, June 2008

THE FUTURE OF MEDICAL MISSIONS

Jose Santos, crippled from polio The world of medical missions has changed dramatically since Mother Teresa left for India in 1929. Nevertheless, today some 3 billion people still have no access to even the most basic health necessities. One of these is Jose Santos, pictured here in Angola. As an infant he was never vaccinated against polio and tragically acquired the infection. Jose's legs became paralyzed and will never walk again. But just as disease remains abundant, so too are good-hearted people who want to help. Four hundred eight of them gathered in May for the Exploring Medical Missions Conference. Among these were representatives of 35 international medicine bodies who met together to analyze the future of health in developing nations. These leaders noted five trends that impact the role of anyone connected with international health service: Better disaster preparedness - Recent hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and famine are prompting health professionals to become more equipped to take action. RESPONSE: INMED will host the Disaster Medicine Management Symposium on October 3, 2008 to sharpen skills for community-wide health crises. More health profession students interested in medical missions - These enthusiastic people should be encouraged to nurture their sense of selfless service. Yet they also need adequate supervision and logistical support. RESPONSE: INMED is expanding the number of Training Sites for the INMED International Medicine Certificate Program and INMED HIV Leadership Certificate programs. Movement toward non-institutional forms of medical care - Clearly, community-based, public health-focused efforts are more effective in promoting overall health. RESPONSE: INMED is updating the on-line International Medicine Course to reflect the emphasis on efficient health development in low-resource settings. What's your future in medical missions? More health professionals interested in short-term missions opportunities - We should deliberately encourage such individuals. Beyond the momentary good that results, these are the very people who later make longer-term commitments. RESPONSE: Look for an emphasis on short-term service opportunities at the next Exploring Medical Missions Conference on May 29-30, 2009. Medicine as a mode of expressing good will - Health care is particularly effective in building relationships between peoples estranged from one another. RESPONSE: INMED is particularly recruiting medical professionals to hone their servant skills in Bach Christian Hospital in Pakistan and Hope Medical Group in Macau, China. Impoverished people, like Jose Santos, can often be protected, cured, and even rehabilitated. All it takes are health professionals willing to expand their skills and broaden their hearts. Please join INMED this year in exploring your own role in medical missions. You may find yourself in good company along with an ever-growing number of your colleagues. You may also find some resonation with Mother Teresa's conviction that, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

INMED News, July 2008

YOU CAN BRING HOPE AMIDST THE RUBBLE!

May 12, 2008. Sichuan Province, China was hit by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. Human casualties are estimated to be over 71,000 fatalities with over 25,000 injured. Reports suggest that over 5 million people were left homeless and displaced (USAID, 2008). Dr. Jeff DeGraffenreid, featured speaker at the 2008 Disaster Medicine Management Symposium, was one of the first expatriates to assist in the relief efforts in Sichuan Province. He reported for duty in Mianyang where thousands of teachers and schoolchildren were trapped under the rubble of their collapsed school buildings. Dr. DeGraffenreid, Chief Programs Officer for Heart To Heart International, worked with his local colleagues to provide search and rescue services, food, medical care, and medical supplies to disaster victims. Working with the Republic of China's government, Dr. DeGraffenreid was able to secure a major airlift of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals from the USA that arrived in the Sichuan Province 8 days after the initial earthquake. Dr. DeGraffenreid observes that, "Disaster response is about the human touch. Whether it be handing out food, saving someone stuck under rubble, or organizing an airlift of medical supplies. It is about helping people in need." Disasters provoke within us a powerful desire to help. But disaster response requires special skills. It also requires establishing connections with emergency organizations so that response can be immediate. Traditional training and medical practice alone provide little to prepare us to adequately respond at a moments notice. Are you prepared for the next mass casualty emergency? Learn how you can be one of those special persons ready to respond to domestic and international disasters. Join Dr. DeGraffenreid and other disaster medicine experts on October 3 in Kansas City at the 2008 Disaster Medicine Management Symposium.

INMED News, August 2008

DISASTER STRIKES. ARE YOU READY TO RESPOND?

Disasters are common in today's world. Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Social Conflict. Biologic Threats. The health fallout of these events is often devastating. Learn how to be prepared for when a disaster strikes at the 2008 Disaster Medicine Management Symposium, October 3, 2008 in Kansas City.   MEDICAL MISSIONS: UNQUESTIONABLY LIFE-CHANGING   Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience medical missions in the developing world? INMED Medical Student Kelly Hankins tells a story of her experience while in the "bush" of Papua New Guinea as part of the INMED International Medicine Diploma Program Kelly Hankins in PNG "On my second day, a 13-year old boy came in with what was supposedly a two-week-old stingray injury-the tail had entered one side of his calf and come out the other. His leg was infected so badly you could smell it walking into the ward and we knew something had to be done immediately or the boy would lose his leg...I ended up removing a lot of dead tissue and opening up the leg a little bit to take pressure off of the muscle and blood vessels in the leg. We washed out the wound as best we could, packed it and bandaged the boy up." About a week later, Kelly recalls, "I was walking through the ward and saw him on the veranda in a wheelchair. I said hey to him and he smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen...That boy was living proof of the power of prayer...it took over when we reached our limits as humans and physicians." Papua New Guinea Stories like this are reminders of the impact that people in medical missions can have around the world. Kelly reflects, "My time in PNG was unquestionably life-changing. It was also incredibly humbling. Human life is such a gift...and I was able to witness the miracles of life, death, healing, human love and courage at their purest, without being confounded by the technology and frills of the society in which we live. I would love to be able to go back one day."   WHAT LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE AWAITS YOU?   Prepare for medical missions by taking the International Medicine Online Course, reviewing the INMED International Medicine Book, or participating in the INMED International Medicine Certificate Program. Check out more about Kelly's experiences and other people in medical missions at www.inmedblogs.us.

INMED News, September 2008

HURRICANE DESTRUCTION & EMERGENCY RESPONSE

At this moment, Tropical Storm Hanna is closing in on North and South Carolina, while receding floodwaters in Haiti reveal the bodies of nearly 500 victims of this deadly weather system. Simultaneously, Hurricane Ike is over Cuba and aiming towards Texas. Just days ago Hurricane Gustav provoked evacuation of New Orleans. In the midst of these disasters human life is being lost or changed forever. Medical professionals are asking, "How can we appropriately prepare for and respond to these crises?" Deadly weather not only threatens life through direct injuries. It also exposes people to homelessness and disrupts vital medical care. In Haiti, over 8,000 are still looking for shelter. Many Haitian hospitals are reporting the evacuation of facilities due to floodwaters. Unfortunately, most of these evacuated patients have no safe place to go to. Disasters Require Medical Preparedness Storm fallout not only threatens poorer nations like Haiti. The evacuation of New Orleans by Hurricane Gustav disrupted care for thousands of persons needing specialized medical assistance for pre-existing health conditions. Ask yourself, for example, where does a dialysis patient go when his dialysis center is closed by an emergency? Where does a pregnant woman deliver her baby when the hospitals are closed? A study of New Orleans, post-hurricane Katrina, demonstrated that 74% of displaced persons had chronic illnesses and one-fifth of those individuals experienced disrupted medical services. Disasters are common events that require prepared healthcare professionals to anticipate and respond to the needs of victims. Learn how you can become equipped to care for disaster victims by attending the 2008 Disaster Medicine Management Symposium, October 3 in Kansas City, MO.

INMED News, October 2008

WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE?

By Nicholas Comninellis, MD, MPH

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 to those who are suffering, regardless of their distance. The academic community has also responded to international health concerns, often in answer to the enthusiastic prompting by health profession students. A growing number of academic institutions now offer students and residents opportunities to augment their understanding through conferences, specialized courses, longitudinal study groups, and study abroad. Encouragingly, research demonstrates that such students are indeed more likely to incorporate international service into their later careers. But enormous deficiencies remain. Nursing schools, for example, seldom give academic credit for students who study abroad. Of 159 schools of medicine and osteopathy in the United States, only some 40 percent offer any study opportunities in developing nations. Of 446 family medicine residencies, only about 20 percent have residents actively participate in international electives. INMED Student in Ghana Why such deficiencies? A significant reason stems from the legitimate concerns of educators to assure academic excellence. As with any other subject, they want to verify that students are achieving defined learning objectives. This in turn forces educators to define the field of international medicine. How do we define the field that pertains to health in other nations? Nations, and communities within nations, are so varied in terms of health status, medical and public health resources, and underlying culture and policy that it is difficult to define what is truly happening. Nevertheless, sincere efforts are being made at assigning appropriate names for the field, resulting in such varied terms as tropical medicine, global health, international health, international public health, international medicine and medical missions. Each of these terms implies certain nuances, and they have considerable overlap with one another. The terms will continue to be useful, though none fully satisfy. In an effort to better define the field of health in other nations, l suggest we begin by stating that we are usually not referring to health care in developed nations. While it may be useful to study health in Germany, Singapore or urban South Africa, most of us drawn to the field instead focus on health in developing nations, regions or communities - sometimes also referred to as low-resource, resource-poor, or resource-deficient nations, regions or communities. Low-resource communities are generally beset by deficient nutrition, education, employment, and public infrastructure. As a result, predictable diseases - diseases of poverty such as tuberculosis and intestinal parasites - plague these communities. Interventions to reduce these diseases and to improve the overall health of such communities are also hampered by low resources. In an effort to more clearly define international medicine, it may be best to simply follow the advice of Mark Twain, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education," and describe exactly what we mean: promoting health in low-resource communities. While such a definition lacks the familiarity of more commonly used terms, it removes some of their ambiguity. As for the unfamiliarity of the new phrase, usage alone will dissolve this obstacle. Regardless of the exact term one uses for promoting health in low-resource communities, health professionals benefit from a core knowledge that is especially germane to the field: Determinants of Health - An orientation to the main factors influencing health in low-resource communities; including nutrition, contraception and obstetric care, infectious diseases prevention, injury prevention, and provision of medical care Diseases of Poverty - An understanding of those medical conditions that are most frequently associated with low-resource communities, including their epidemiology, prevention and management Cross-Cultural Skills - Those tools necessary to work effectively with people of diverse values and world-views Health Leadership - How health professionals can work in cooperation with communities to design and lead effective health systems Mastery of this core knowledge is essential for effective study of and service within such communities. Educators do well to define appropriate learning objectives for this core knowledge. Health profession students and graduates do well to master the subjects and apply the skills through actual service. Regardless of medical or economic advances, the poor will always be among us in a world that is ever contracting in size. We should, therefore, continue to define, refine and develop the unique knowledge and skills to necessary to promote health in low-resource communities.

INMED News, November 2008

SURPRISED BY GIVING

By Nicholas Comninellis, MD, MPH

The days of winter are becoming darker, shorter, and colder. With them grows within us a sense of gloom. Bad financial news is rampant both at work and at home, causing us to sense an undercurrent of anxiety, even fear. Holidays are approaching, and we know we're 'supposed' to be joyful, but we just cannot find much for which to give thanks. In this season suicide attempts climb, mental health facilities fill up, counselors overbook their schedules, and the number of antidepressant prescriptions soars! Justifiably, people want a cure for the blues. But medications take weeks to begin working, counselors start at $80 per hour, and who really wants to be in "therapy"? Let's consider a "new" solution: therapeutic giving. Selfless giving is a potent cure for melancholy and depression. In his landmark book, Give To Live, Douglas M. Lawson, PhD, reveals the findings of extensive research on the health effects of giving. It didn't matter what people gave away. Gifts of time, money, or material possessions all had a similar affects. The factor that mattered most was the frequency and the attitude with which people gave. Those who made giving a regular part of their lives experienced improved relationships, better sleep, longer life expectancy, and significantly less depression. Andrew Carnegie One of the most visible examples of therapeutic giving at work can be seen in the life of Andrew Carnegie. This impoverished Scottish immigrant established the Pennsylvania steel industry in 1865 and by 1900 sold it for $480 million. But Carnegie hit a snag along the way. He became plagued by despair and paralyzed by physical illnesses linked to depression. His solution? Give away his wealth! In 1889, Carnegie wrote The Gospel of Wealth, stating that all personal wealth beyond what was required by one's family should be regarded as a trust fund to benefit the community. Carnegie added, "The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced." Carnegie established organizations that, among other objectives, founded 2,509 libraries around the world. Carnegie also became known as one of the most joyous philanthropists of his day. Few of us have access to the abundance of Carnegie, but the power of giving is undeterred by one's financial resources. Albert Schweitzer was not particularly wealthy; but he was wise. By age thirty, Schweitzer had become a popular philosophical author whose books were widely read in Europe and America. But Schweitzer still found his life incomplete. Albert Schweitzer In his autobiography, Out Of My Life And Thought, Schweitzer wrote, "It struck me as inconceivable that I should be allowed to lead such a happy life while I saw so many people around me struggling with sorrow and suffering�' I had already tried many times to find the meaning that lay hidden in the saying of Jesus: 'Whosoever would save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel shall save it.' Now I had found the answer." Schweitzer resolved to leave the university where he taught, to become a doctor, and to establish a hospital in equatorial Africa. His friends and relatives reproached him over such folly. Why waste such a glorious, gifted career to serve faceless Africans on another continent? Schweitzer prevailed over their protests and entered medical school in Germany. Next, using the funds earned from his own book royalties and personal appearances, Schweitzer moved to Gabon in 1913 where he began caring for ill Africans and constructing a hospital. The rest of his life was devoted to the health care of the people in the region. Far away but not forgotten, Schweitzer welcomed journalists to Gabon, whose reporting on his ministry inspired an entire generation of medical professionals. In 1952, Schweitzer received the Nobel Peace Prize and used the money to further expand the hospital and leprosy center. In 1955, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Schweitzer the "Order of Merit," Britain's highest civilian honor. Concerning the personal and emotional impact of his ministry, Schweitzer wrote, "It amazed me to experience how serving the love preached by Jesus sweep me into a wonderful new course of life!" As we ourselves pass through life's turmoil, where shall we turn for relief? Indeed, some people benefit from counseling or medication. But we also do well to consider adding the natural, timeless remedy of therapeutic giving. Begin with simple steps towards becoming more generous. Give to a charity. Sponsor a child. Offer your skills to a non-profit organization. Give for the sheer sake of giving and without expectation of any external reward. Likely you will come to resonate with Schweitzer's observation: "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."

INMED News, December 2008

WHERE ARE INMED GRADUATES NOW? DR. KEVIN RAYMER

By Skylar Rolf, MA

Dr. Raymer in Papua New Guinea Since it's conception in 2003, INMED has had the opportunity to work with over 150 medical students, residents, and healthcare professionals to setup an international rotation. While this is a life changing experience for many of these participants, it is INMED's hope that the training they receive will spur them on to incorporate medical missions into their careers. One INMED graduate is already making medical missions part of his career path. In January and February 2008, as a resident physician, Dr. Kevin Raymer served at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Papua New Guinea as part of the INMED International Medicine Diploma Program. While reflecting on his two months at Papua New Guinea, Dr. Raymer remarks, " It has definitely been a time that I will never forget and will always cherish. The medical experience has been outstanding and the weekend adventures have been unforgettable, but it will be the people that I will miss the most...The (INMED International Medicine Certificate) program had an overwhelming impact on my personal life and my academic endeavors. My experience solidified my desire to do full-time missions in the future. It also intensified my desire to be a part of the Via Christi Family Medicine International Fellowship in the upcoming academic year." Dr. Raymer in Zimbabwe True to his word, upon graduating from the Via Christi Family Medicine Residency Program in May 2008, Dr. Raymer took another step towards full-time medical missions by participating in the Via Christi International Family Medicine Fellowship. This Fellowship is a practical training program specifically for family physicians that have a passion and purpose to use their medical skills to serve in developing countries. As part of this Fellowship, Dr. Raymer served in Zimbabwe at Karanda Mission Hospital for three months and looks forward to continuing medical missionary work in the future. Does Dr. Raymer's story inspire you? Are you interested in medical missions but aren't sure where to begin? Consider the INMED International Medicine Certificate Program and serving at a mission hospital for a month or two. It could change your life and inspire your career! Dr. Kevin Raymer's Blogs: Papua New Guinea Blog Zimbabwe Blog

Institute for International Medicine is a Missouri registered, 501c(3) recognized, non-profit corporation.
INMED is a registered trademark of the Institute for International Medicine.
All INMED content is copyrighted 2010. All rights reserved.