Volunteering overseas

Starting an outpatient
surgical center

Transitioning to retirement
while still working

MEMBERS MUST
LOG IN

COS Job Bank

COS Classifieds

Dr. Canale to receive
Dr. & Mrs. Elmer Nix
Award

New Member Benefit

Betsy Crowell becomes
new COS Association
Manager

Volunteering overseas

By Kenneth L. Moore, MD

Click HERE for photos.

A common thread for all healthcare workers is the desire to serve others during their career. That is why most of us went into medicine in the first place.

When I discuss my overseas volunteer experiences with other physicians, most all express a desire to do the same at some point in their career. Many say they want to do it when they slow down or retire from practice. I want to share with you some of my thoughts about volunteering overseas and what you might expect.

My first look at volunteering came through an academy course that featured physicians who had tried many different volunteer opportunities. Many seemed well organized, and some seemed dangerous since they were in third world countries with war and violence. The handouts they provided were overwhelming with the number of places one could go. I had already established some criteria in my own mind about what kind of program in which I wanted to become a participant. I wanted to practice what I knew even though what we consider rare was often common in volunteer areas. I had heard stories from colleagues about handing out medicine and lancing boils, and I felt that I had more to offer than this; even though I am not below those tasks. Also, I wanted to work in a hospital rather than an outback clinic and was willing to be gone for up to a month.

Ideally, I wanted to be part of an ongoing program where another volunteer would follow in my footsteps and continue to provide care and continuity. It was only later by fate that I would pick the two countries where I worked or they picked me. My eventual jobs were through Health Volunteers Overseas (Orthopaedics Overseas). Their philosophy is “improving global health through education.” Bhutan was my first assignment because someone had dropped out for a February slot. The other was Ethiopia upon the insistence of an American who was born there and oversaw the program. I knew very little about either place and that helped create the intrigue and interest in these locations half way around the world.

I taught orthopaedic physician assistants in Bhutan and orthopaedic residents in Ethiopia. The planning was great fun - talking to previous volunteers and learning about their work. Also, researching the country and its culture was interesting. To me part of the pleasure of a trip is the planning. Quite naturally there are medical requirements from each area based on the CDC advisory for overseas travelers. A travel clinic was the place I chose to get the appropriate shots and the right prescriptions. The most common problem in third world countries is trauma from road accidents, which is right down an orthopaedist's alley. However, there are surprises since the equipment needed is often lacking and one has to improvise with the best available. Congenital anomalies, club feet, rickets, malunions, non-unions, and bone tumors abound in numbers that are staggering.

One unexpected event was the decompression after coming home. Moving from such an impoverished culture to one of luxury took more time than expected. The story that you told of your experiences was often not accepted with the interest and enthusiasm that you felt it should be. The contrast of cultures was difficult to resolve. In the final analysis, it was a very rewarding experience that I would embrace without hesitation. I learned a lot and feel that I left their practitioners more prepared to care for their own people. I left with a wealth of new knowledge and life experiences.

If you have the desire to go, do it!  I would love to talk to you and share my knowledge about the planning, the diseases, and the cultural experience. Call me at 615-794-9863 or e-mail me at kmoore43@comcast.net.