Medical Missions

[EH123]

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[Psyche Estrelle]

No.

Total waste of time and resources.

I can't help but be curious about what makes you come to that conclusion.

 

[Psyche Estrelle]

Your status says "Attending Physician" so I hope this is a joke.

Not at all. And still curious.

 

[EH123]

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[Psyche Estrelle]

I call troll.

Good for you

I can think of quite a few potential benefits for a medical student going on a medical mission.
- being able to see conditions in real life that aren't commonly seen in the US
- learning firsthand about healthcare delivery (or lack thereof) in third world countries
- something to add to your CV that shows your interests
- socializing with people and seeing another country

I still don't know what you're getting at, honestly. Then again, I think it'd be fair for me to guess that having a conversation with someone with your username (as well as your consistently inspirational posts) will probably be about as pleasurable as having my teeth pulled.

 

[NontradCA]

I can think of quite a few potential benefits for a medical student going on a medical mission.
- being able to see conditions in real life that aren't commonly seen in the US
- learning firsthand about healthcare delivery (or lack thereof) in third world countries
- something to add to your CV that shows your interests
- socializing with people and seeing another country
.

Sounds low yield. Especially doing it twice.

 

[Psyche Estrelle]

I still fail to see why you both think it's a more worthwhile use of your time to sit on SDN and derail med student threads.

 

[22031 Alum]

Whenever people ask if I've done medical missions, I say yes- four years of residency at a County hospital. That was enough to convince me that I'll never have to cross an ocean to find people who need my help. More power to those who feel called to go abroad, it's just not for me.

 

[Wordead]

Good for you

I can think of quite a few potential benefits for a medical student going on a medical mission.
- being able to see conditions in real life that aren't commonly seen in the US
- learning firsthand about healthcare delivery (or lack thereof) in third world countries
- something to add to your CV that shows your interests
- socializing with people and seeing another country

I still don't know what you're getting at, honestly. Then again, I think it'd be fair for me to guess that having a conversation with someone with your username (as well as your consistently inspirational posts) will probably be about as pleasurable as having my teeth pulled.

Those are literally all things that only benefit the medical student, not a single patient. And the benefit is pretty minimal relative to the ****ton of money it costs.

I say this as someone who has done several medical missions - they were a ton of fun, but I was under no delusions that I was doing something noble or valuable.

 

[EH123]

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[bmw1216]

....please don't troll. I'm just curious what others with similar interests are doing. Not all of SDN has to be so negative lol.

Feel free to share why you think it's a waste of resources but it sort of derails the thread.

You're answer is to God, not to man. I'm convinced that when push comes to shove, curing a diseased soul is beyond necessary. You're doing what is good and just. That's God's will.

 

[Doctor Bob]

Total waste of time and resources.

Yea... this.

I can't help but be curious about what makes you come to that conclusion.

Here's the problem I see with medical missions (having done a bunch myself). You trek into an area with little to no medical care, a line of people who haven't seen a doctor in... years often... show up. You churn through them dispensing little baggies of blood pressure meds, cholesterol pills, NSAIDs, etc, etc. But there's no follow up. There's no long term care. You identify high blood pressure in a large number of these people, or some other chronic condition, maybe you tell them they need to go see a doctor in the nearby city, but the reality is they aren't going to get any additional care. So they take the meds for a month (or however long you give them a supply for), then stop, and deal with the rebound effects.

Some missions provide surgery but again, the followup usually isn't there.

Even when we'd do humanitarian efforts with the military and we'd be in an area for a prolonged period of time, the followup was still atrocious. The patients wouldn't come back, or we'd send them to the nearest major city where they'd get turned away for inability to pay. Or we'd pay for their care, but without a plan for long term care. It's... a bandaid. It makes us feel good, like we're doing something. But when you come back to these same places a year or two later, there's no evidence that a doctor ever visited the place. The people are just as bad off, medically.

I think that yes, short term trips often only help you and can actually harm the healthcare system in that country. You're not helping them grow economically.

It makes you very thankful for what you have back home.

You're answer is to God, not to man. I'm convinced that when push comes to shove, curing a diseased soul is beyond necessary. You're doing what is good and just. That's God's will.

.... what?

 

[EH123]

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[sonofva]

if you really want to do real good on medical missions, bust your A** and get into ENT or ophthalmology. restoring someones eyesight can literally mean the difference between life and death in the third world. and fixing their cleft palate can have a big impact as well.

that said, really any field can have a long standing impact in the third world if you switch your frame of reference from treating patient's yourself to training local medical providers better ways to treat patients (ie - obgyn teaching local midwives better c-section technique...anesthesiologists training local nurses to be CRNAs, etc.)

 

[sonofva]

I call troll.

you're such a negative nancy, bro. and you're literally like everywhere on these forums. turn it down a notch... :/

 

[22031 Alum]

I agree there is minimal follow up. Which is why I'm more interested in something that lasts longer - like training people to continue care after you leave. I guess when I think of medical missions, I think of disaster relief (follow up or not, the initial help is much needed) or longer term stuff. More community-health based (digging a well for clean water, health promotion/disease prevention). There are lots of docs that do short term stuff and switch back and forth with other docs so that someone is always there but the individual time commitment is less. I dunno. Still a lot to think about but I think there's real potential to make a lasting impact on the economy/medical field there if you go in with those intentions.

This is not what most people, especially pre-meds and med students, mean when they talk about medical missions. They mean short-term trips. I have several colleagues both with and without ties to developing nations, who have made huge commitments to create long-term healthcare solutions in those places. Building clinics and training the staff to run them on a permanent basis, building medical schools to create a supply of healthcare providers for that area... very valuable activities that could never be considered medical tourism. But not one of them refers to their work as a "medical mission." Not even the ones with deeply held religious beliefs. Those types of activities are usually referred to as "work" or a "job." As in, "Four months of the year, I work in Uganda doing XYZ." So maybe that's the reason your choice of words wasn't well received, @EH123

 

[sonofva]

Aw fun, some pre-something or other quotes me from over a month ago, says to post less often.

Yeah, I'll get right on that.

turns out that i'll be a practicing physician here in several weeks. and i didn't say post less often. i said to be less of a know it all and a negative poster.

 

[sonofva]

Super. Life lessons from some guy. And they said the interwebz was useless. Thanks again for your input, totally gonna take you seriously.

it's not a "life lesson". i'm not sitting you down on my knee and regaling you with stories of the good ol' days...im just saying that this is supposed to be an informational forum, and this guy just asked what people's opinions of medical missions was. and you gave some short snarky response that wasn't helpful at all. this is pretty par for the course with the bulk of your other posts that i've seen across various forums. all i'm saying that the fact that you consistently make posts like this on a site that is supposed to be informational, makes you the troll.

 

[EH123]

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[jl lin]

I disagree w/ the minimal help notion. To the person receiving the help at the time, it is NOT necessarily minimal. Sure, it's great to look at the big picture, but it's often made of little ones within it. Zoom in and zoom out. Making a difference w/ an individual, even for a matter of moments, even if you are there with them as they are dying so they know they are not alone--these things are NOT NOTHING. Every person is a something to themselves. So when I hear some attitudes about outreach and missions being a waste or being really close to nothing, I find it disturbing. You help one person at a time in any of it. The very act of treating an individual and the manner in which that individual is treated can affect a person for a lifetime.

 

[Member 1337]

I disagree w/ the minimal help notion. To the person receiving the help at the time, it is NOT necessarily minimal. Sure, it's great to look at the big picture, but it's often made of little ones within it.

So when I hear some attitudes about outreach and missions being a waste or being really close to nothing, I find it disturbing. You help one person at a time in any of it. The very act of treating an individual and the manner in which that individual is treated can affect a person for a lifetime.

A group of eighteen students raised $25,000 to fly to Honduras for spring break. They painted an orphanage, cleaned the playground, and played with the children. Everyone had a great time, and the children loved the extra attention. One student commented: "My trip to Honduras was such a blessing! It was amazing the way the staff cared for those children." The Honduran orphanage's yearly budget is $45,000. That covers the staff's salaries, building maintenance, and food and clothes for the children. One staff member there confided, "The amount that group raised for their week here is more than half our working budget. We could have done so much with that money." From "Short Term Missions: Are they Worth the Cost?" by Jo Ann Van Engen

I wish someone would do an analysis exploring the cost vs benefit of short-term medical missions work.

But then again, what the hell, I've got $5000 and vacation time to burn, ima go to Nepal and use dem MS3 skillz helpin some natives in the earthquake! Ima spend some time with a dying child so they know they're not alone, let them bask in my American awesomeness! May also get some sweet Facebook likes in the process but that's totally not my motivation... brb gonna get geared up Patagonia style for the candid pics that show me being amazing... anyways, haters gonna hate.

 

[YankeeCandle1141]

If you want to just slice right through the BS........ As a first year medical student you offer next to nothing for the health of these people.

M1s spend 10k for a profile pic on facebook of you with a stethoscope saving the world one skinny Haitian kid at a time.

You will not be blowing program directors away with your resume, you will not be diagnosing and curing disease, you will not be "doing gods will"

Students think they will be down there running a clinic, doing physicals and prescribing meds to a community of people all dying of crazy pathology.
You will be doing BP checks. You could save thousands of dollars, and volunteer at your local clinic to do the exact same thing. You wont get the facebook photo though.

 

[NontradCA]

it's not a "life lesson". i'm not sitting you down on my knee and regaling you with stories of the good ol' days...im just saying that this is supposed to be an informational forum, and this guy just asked what people's opinions of medical missions was. and you gave some short snarky response that wasn't helpful at all. this is pretty par for the course with the bulk of your other posts that i've seen across various forums. all i'm saying that the fact that you consistently make posts like this on a site that is supposed to be informational, makes you the troll.

Good idea. Run off the only orthopod that posts in this forum. He made a snarky response, God forbid there are normal human beings in medicine.

 

[ZedsDed]

Ill just post something gyngyn (a prominent AdCom member) said a while back when I asked him why medical missions "make the skin crawl" as he described it.

Displacing or delaying the development of sustainable medical care is not beneficent.
Pre-med missionary work is designed to benefit the "missionary."

 

[jl lin]

Well that's one perspective; however, as a health care professional, I generally help one person or family at a time.

The negative perspective in reality would have a lot of variance. There are also very cost-conscious mission projects. Keeping global attention in mind is also important. The Ebola clinics may have taken a negative hit from the negative attention; however, if more positive attention has been given, that may have helped with physical, individual, and financial support to these places.

Pushing these missions and causes to the side, as though they applied to alien people on an alien planent DOES NOT help with sustaining benefits to these areas either. Haiti is an area where one could easily point to continued unsustainable benefits, but should we just dump them--forget about them--even though they have been plagued w/ internal and external troubles that regularly make sustainable healthcare a triumph?

 

[ZedsDed]

Well that's one perspective; however, as a health care professional, I generally help one person or family at a time.

The negative perspective in reality would have a lot of variance. There are also very cost-conscious mission projects. Keeping global attention in mind is also important. The Ebola clinics may have taken a negative hit from the negative attention; however, if more positive attention has been given, that may have helped with physical, individual, and financial support to these places.

Pushing these missions and causes to the side, as though they applied to alien people on an alien planent DOES NOT help with sustaining benefits to these areas either. Haiti is an area where one could easily point to continued unsustainable benefits, but should we just dump them--forget about them--even though they have been plagued w/ internal and external troubles that regularly make sustainable healthcare a triumph?

It seems to be the perspective of the majority of AdCom members, both on and off SDN. But to your point, I think you are conflating replacing these particular services with sustainable long-term healthcare infrastructure with eliminating services all together. Ive noticed that when questions are raised about what first world medicine is doing to help the third world, people often point to these missions. That, in my opinion, is a problem.

 

[jl lin]

It seems to be the perspective of the majority of AdCom members, both on and off SDN. But to your point, I think you are conflating replacing these particular services with sustainable long-term healthcare infrastructure with eliminating services all together. Ive noticed that when questions are raised about what first world medicine is doing to help the third world, people often point to these missions. That, in my opinion, is a problem.

I don't know. Maybe it's b/c I am non-trad, but seriously, I wouldn't decide not to do mission stints just b/c some adcom members have an issue with them or don't really care either way. I could never live my life that way--with that kind of thinking. As each opportunity arises, I take it just as that, an opportunity to help. I sure as heck will never get all the credit I could for the help I have given to individuals in healthcare--w/o pay might I add. There really isn't a way to demonstrate a fair amount of it formally. But I didn't do it b/c it would get me "adcom credit." I object to that--just doing any kind of help primarily b/c it looks good on a med school application.

Of course for those that think it's all good b/c who gives a crap about helping individuals or groups across the world--since the world is so overly populated anyway, well, they will find a way to rationalize looking the other way and turning a cold shoulder. See, I find that to be a much BIGGER problem--apathy almost always is.

 

[ZedsDed]

I don't know. Maybe it's b/c I am non-grad, but seriously, I wouldn't decide not to do mission stints just b/c some adcom members have an issue with them or don't really care either way. I could never live my life that way--with that kind of thinking. As each opportunity arises, I take it just as that, an opportunity to help. I sure as heck will never get all the credit I could for the help I have given to individuals in healthcare--w/o pay might I add. There really isn't a way to demonstrate a fair amount of it formally. But I didn't do it b/c it would get me "adcom credit." I object to that--just doing any kind of help primarily b/c it looks good on a med school application.

Of course for those that think it's all good b/c who gives a crap about helping individuals or groups across the world--since the world is so overly populated anyway, well, they will find a way to rationalize looking the other way and turning a cold shoulder. See, I find that to be a much BIGGER problem--apathy almost always is.

Hmm not sure who's points your addressing because they sure aren't mine.
I am not saying anyone should or should not do anything simply because of what AdComs think, only that their perspective has some basis in reality.
Sorry, but I am simply not very impressed with some pre-med dropping 2k to spend a week in Guatemala once a year, and then trying to pass that off as some deep/meaningful experience that shows off their altruism. I'm not saying that applies to you in particular, for all I know you are very sincere and helpful in your efforts. But, I think the majority of pre-meds exaggerate both their altruism, and the impact of their efforts.
I will say, we all volunteer without pay; I mean, this is par for the course. Do you really think that alone deserves accolades?

 

[jl lin]

Point was that NO, not everyone gives of themselves to help others in healthcare w/o some kind of carrot. Wasn't asking for such, and that was the point. I do whatever to help b/c of my faith and b/c that is what was lived-out to me through parents by actual example, and b/c I believe in the value of the individual as well as that of a community or nation.

If I want to go spend time in that seemingly, eternally screwed up nation called Haiti, I really don't care what adcoms or anyone else think. I fully understand that there are those that feel little more time, money, or effort should be put into a place like Haiti. But it's really about helping one person at a time--one family at a time--one community at a time. So all this other nonsense is just people talking IMHO.

IF we waited for everything to be "sustainable," a lot more people/individuals and communities would lose out big time. So, as I said. Yours, adcoms,' whomever: that's one spin on it. I"ll go where I feel led w/o apologies is all I am saying. If you like that on my app fine; if not, that's fine too. My overall point is that it's not going to influence where I feel led to go and help out at any particular moment. . . but I am a pretty independent kind of thinking person, so... My implied point is that it shouldn't influence where anyone else feels led to go and help out either.

 

[ZedsDed]

Point was that a. NO, not everyone gives of themselves to help others in healthcare w/o some kind of carrot. Wasn't asking for such, and that was the point. I do whatever to help b/c of my faith and b/c that is what was lived-out to me through parents by actual example.

If I want to go spend time in that seemingly, eternally screwed up nation called Haiti, I really don't care what adcoms or anyone else thinks. I fully understand that there are those that feel little more time, money, or effort should be put into a place like Haiti. But it's really about helping one person at a time--one family at a time--one community at a time. So all this other nonsense is just people talking IMHO.

IF we waited for everything to be "sustainable," a lot more people/individuals and communities would lose out big time. So, as I said. Yours, adcoms,' whomever: that's one spin on it. I"ll go where I feel led w/o apologies is all I am saying. If you like that on my app fine; if not, that's fine too. My overall point is that it's not going to influence where I feel led to go and help out at any particular moment. . . but I am a pretty independent kind of thinking person, so... My implied point is that it shouldn't influence where anyone else feels led to go and help out either.

Well, no one can fault you for thinking independently.

 

[burritowithgreensauce]

Anyone interested in doing medical missions? Doctors without borders, etc? I am OMS-I considering FM, EM, IM, peds or general surgery. I am going on my second medical mission trip this summer and hope to do a month rotation at a hospital in Togo, West Africa during my 4th year (or somewhere else international). Any 3rd-4th years out there with more experience? What specialties are you choosing? What organizations do you hope to work with?

pay $2000+ for medical missions trip. Do nothing on trip. Take picture with poor little african children. Post to facebook. profit.

medical missions are a form of neo-colonialism. that's why so many people are against it. you're attendings/PDs aren't going to be impressed by it. Don't do it.

edit:
here's some food for thought: when you pay for these "lifechanging trips" do you think the attending pockets some of your money? Here's the new meta.
offer "life changing" medical missions trip to naive medical students. Charge $3000 a head. Purchase some bandages from the dollar store and pack some expired meds. Head to costa rica. do a 1 week mission with med students. take a 1 week vacation for yourself with the money you siphoned off. If you play your cards right bring along the hottest med student and bang. profit.

 

[EH123]

pay $2000+ for medical missions trip. Do nothing on trip. Take picture with poor little african children. Post to facebook. profit.

medical missions are a form of neo-colonialism. that's why so many people are against it. you're attendings/PDs aren't going to be impressed by it. Don't do it.

edit:
here's some food for thought: when you pay for these "lifechanging trips" do you think the attending pockets some of your money? Here's the new meta.
offer "life changing" medical missions trip to naive medical students. Charge $3000 a head. Purchase some bandages from the dollar store and pack some expired meds. Head to costa rica. do a 1 week mission with med students. take a 1 week vacation for yourself with the money you siphoned off. If you play your cards right bring along the hottest med student and bang. profit.

.....did you not read any of this thread before responding? I'm getting tired of repeating myself.

 

[jl lin]

burrit, that may be your experience or someone's whose was similar; but it certainly is not everyone's. Costa Rica is a good place to teach surfing. . .at least that is what I hear....but that IS NOT the kind of thing to which I was referring.

“And I can imagine Farmer saying he doesn't care if no one else is willing to follow their example. He's still going to make these hikes, he'd insist, because if you say that seven hours is too long to walk for two families of patients, you're saying that their lives matter less than some others', and the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that's wrong with the world.”
― Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World

 

[EH123]

This thread is so de-railed lol. Ok thanks guys for taking over! Enjoy this blank forum for discussing whatever random things pop into your brain. Aaaaaand....go.

 

[YankeeCandle1141]

Point was that NO, not everyone gives of themselves to help others in healthcare w/o some kind of carrot. Wasn't asking for such, and that was the point. I do whatever to help b/c of my faith and b/c that is what was lived-out to me through parents by actual example, and b/c I believe in the value of the individual as well as that of a community or nation.

If I want to go spend time in that seemingly, eternally screwed up nation called Haiti, I really don't care what adcoms or anyone else think. I fully understand that there are those that feel little more time, money, or effort should be put into a place like Haiti. But it's really about helping one person at a time--one family at a time--one community at a time. So all this other nonsense is just people talking IMHO.

IF we waited for everything to be "sustainable," a lot more people/individuals and communities would lose out big time. So, as I said. Yours, adcoms,' whomever: that's one spin on it. I"ll go where I feel led w/o apologies is all I am saying. If you like that on my app fine; if not, that's fine too. My overall point is that it's not going to influence where I feel led to go and help out at any particular moment. . . but I am a pretty independent kind of thinking person, so... My implied point is that it shouldn't influence where anyone else feels led to go and help out either.

Lol independent thinking? You paid some company to fly you to a tropical island for your own self fellating purposes

If you want to be "helping one community at a time" why not start with the one that medical mission companies arent flying m1s to for facebook photos.

Its much harder to blow yourself and get facebook credit, but you could have spent that 2 grand helping people in camden for the entire summer.

 

[ZedsDed]

This thread is so de-railed lol. Ok thanks guys for taking over! Enjoy this blank forum for discussing whatever random things pop into your brain. Aaaaaand....go.

You're somehow surprised that the thread turned into a discussion about medical missions? Even though the thread is called "medical missions?" It's a contentious issue, what did you expect?

 

[YankeeCandle1141]

You're somehow surprised that the thread turned into a discussion about medical missions? Even though the thread is called "medical missions?" It's a contentious issue, what did you expect?

probably a discussion about what color cape to sew onto his white coat.

 

[jl lin]

Lol independent thinking? You paid some company to fly you to a tropical island for your own self fellating purposes

If you want to be "helping one community at a time" why not start with the one that medical mission companies arent flying m1s to for facebook photos.

Its much harder to blow yourself and get facebook credit, but you could have spent that 2 grand helping people in camden for the entire summer.

Not that the ^ comments are worthy of any reply. They are not.

Don't worry so much about telling other people how to go about getting on with their volunteering and philanthropic functions. It's an individual thing, and your blind, judgmental thinking means nothing. . . truly nothing. . .at all. You know nothing re: each individual and what they do or don't do. Best to keep your idiotic comments inside your own mind. Even the details of what you "think" are all wrong.

How is it people are not embarrassed by making stupid, unfounded comments? OH. I forgot. They hide on the Internet behind their anonymity. Talking about blowing oneself. . .

 

[Doctor Bob]

probably a discussion about what color cape to sew onto his white coat.

You don't have to wear a white coat.
I wear a black coat. Makes the contrast with the cape a lot more striking.

So when I hear some attitudes about outreach and missions being a waste or being really close to nothing, I find it disturbing. You help one person at a time in any of it. The very act of treating an individual and the manner in which that individual is treated can
affect a person for a lifetime.

See, if you do it for your own personal betterment, then sure. I would say there are better ways to put your money to use, but how you go about using your money is a personal choice.
There was a point at the end of the first medical mission I went on. We had given away all of our medicine and there was still a long line out of the compound. All I had left were stickers; sheets and sheets of stickers. So I started handing them out to the kids in line. And they just beamed and started running around covering each other in stickers. Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling that even though I couldn't do anything else, I could at least do that; make them happy for a time.
So. If you go on a medical mission to help cure people's ills, it's a waste of time.
If you go on a medical mission to connect with the individuals, well perhaps you can do that. But it's a transient effect.
If you go on a medical mission to see interesting pathology that you won't find stateside, then you'll certainly get that.
The important thing is to know what you're getting into, and be honest about the effect you're having (on the individual and the community). And as long as the effect you're having is sufficient for you, then go for it.

It's an individual thing, and your blind, judgmental thinking means nothing. . . truly nothing. . .at all. You know nothing re: each individual and what they do or don't do. Best to keep your idiotic comments inside your own mind.

Hmm... this is the internet... we are all blind judgmental anonymous people. That's kind of par for the course.
What is an idiotic comment to one person is gospel to another.

Even the details of what you "think" are all wrong.

That door swings both ways.

 

[katiemaude]

I went on a medical mission at the end of my M1 year that my school organizes 2x a year to the same country (I'd call it "2nd world" - they have socialized medicine but not enough resources to put clinics in close proximity to everyone and they frequently run out of free meds). The people we see in clinic are too poor to afford private care or pay for meds.

The benefits for me were enormous: I worked with several professors I will have next year, I jump started my brain, I saw the practical application of my basic science and rudimentary exam skills, I did my first first DRE and pelvic exams, I learned a few procedures, I got to practice OMT, I learned how to present cases to attendings, I listened to 70+ heartbeats and could distinguish certain irregular ones by the end of the trip, and I got a jump start on learning some pharm and systems, and I worked with interdisciplinary teams. I experienced a new culture, paid less than I would have for a 10-day vacation (but I was working, so...) and got to experience an incredibly well organized team effort because they have been doing this trip for 15+ years.

The benefit for the patients? We worked with physicians from that country to give checkups and basic care to 3,000 people over 7 days, including many diabetic and hypertensive patients dx'd for the first time and some of whom will hopefully follow up at clinics (I know the majority won't but hopefully some will); we did PAPs and pelvics and gave meds for many women with untreated STDs, we found pathology in at least 10 patients that necessitated stabilization and a ride to a hospital for immediate surgery/intensive care, we had a cardiologist do ECGs and consult with more than a dozen patients at each site per day with serious heart defects and heart disease who know to come see him, we were able to give out shoes/walkers/canes via our PT program, the dentists pulled rotting teeth and did cleanings, optometrists did vision screenings and gave out glasses, OT went into people's homes and helped MacGuyver accommodations for those with strokes and low vision, pharmacy filled prescriptions for free, etc. All of the teams worked together and did way more than I'm stating here.

Overall, the students learn a lot and the patients felt like people CARE about them, enough to travel so far a couple times a year to the boonies of their small nation and attend to their needs. So yeah it's a lot of feel good stuff, but it's also sustained, regular care that they can count on 2x a year and is completely free for them down to the medical equipment and medications we bring for them.

It is definitely worthwhile to try at least once, on a well organized trip with an established reputation, after your first year when you have a bit of medical knowledge and a desire to see early what you will eventually be able to do with your education. As an attending, it's an opportunity to give back to a country you care about (many of my professors hailed from this nation) and to teach highly motivated students in an informal setting. It can also be done really poorly, so watch out. There are reputable organizations that staff clinics throughout the year with volunteer teams of physicians and students assisting them. I know the organization that oversees DO education has a branch that does this.

 

[jl lin]

Well said and shared katiemaude. I can feel your enthusiasm and commpassion and feel like you will make a wonderful physician.

 

[burritowithgreensauce]

i think it's cute that the people in support of medical missions here talk about how AWESOME/IMPORTANT these missions are, but I bet you they - just like the rest of us - are quick to turn a blind eye to the homeless and socioeconomically dis-enfranchished back here in the states. "Screw fixing what's broke back home, let's go and provide marginal improvements abroad!"

Let's be real, pictures of you helping a poor 3rd-world baby is going to pull more game on TNDR/GRNDR than a picture of you and some cracked out homeless dude in the US that lives 2 blocks away from you.

Stop hiding behind this masquerade of "helping others" it's complete b.s. you're playing the martyr card but no 0ne - of intelligence - is buying it.

 

[samac]

I went on a medical mission at the end of my M1 year that my school organizes 2x a year to the same country (I'd call it "2nd world" - they have socialized medicine but not enough resources to put clinics in close proximity to everyone and they frequently run out of free meds). The people we see in clinic are too poor to afford private care or pay for meds.

The benefits for me were enormous: I worked with several professors I will have next year, I jump started my brain, I saw the practical application of my basic science and rudimentary exam skills, I did my first first DRE and pelvic exams, I learned a few procedures, I got to practice OMT, I learned how to present cases to attendings, I listened to 70+ heartbeats and could distinguish certain irregular ones by the end of the trip, and I got a jump start on learning some pharm and systems, and I worked with interdisciplinary teams. I experienced a new culture, paid less than I would have for a 10-day vacation (but I was working, so...) and got to experience an incredibly well organized team effort because they have been doing this trip for 15+ years.

The benefit for the patients? We worked with physicians from that country to give checkups and basic care to 3,000 people over 7 days, including many diabetic and hypertensive patients dx'd for the first time and some of whom will hopefully follow up at clinics (I know the majority won't but hopefully some will); we did PAPs and pelvics and gave meds for many women with untreated STDs, we found pathology in at least 10 patients that necessitated stabilization and a ride to a hospital for immediate surgery/intensive care, we had a cardiologist do ECGs and consult with more than a dozen patients at each site per day with serious heart defects and heart disease who know to come see him, we were able to give out shoes/walkers/canes via our PT program, the dentists pulled rotting teeth and did cleanings, optometrists did vision screenings and gave out glasses, OT went into people's homes and helped MacGuyver accommodations for those with strokes and low vision, pharmacy filled prescriptions for free, etc. All of the teams worked together and did way more than I'm stating here.

Overall, the students learn a lot and the patients felt like people CARE about them, enough to travel so far a couple times a year to the boonies of their small nation and attend to their needs.

It is definitely worthwhile to try at least once, on a well organized trip with an established reputation, after your first year when you have a bit of medical knowledge and a desire to see early what you will eventually be able to do with your education. As an attending, it's an opportunity to give back to a country you care about (many of my professors hailed from this nation) and to teach highly motivated students in an informal setting.

I think you proved the point
Medical missions are to benefit the people going, as you said making you a more prepared student, instead of truly helping the community.

 

[katiemaude]

I think you proved the point
Medical missions are to benefit the people going, as you said making you a more prepared student, instead of truly helping the community.

I wasn't trying to disprove this point but to answer the OP's question. I didn't read the other posts. But I'll bite: I disagree about your statements relating to every medical mission. I have seen companies that advertise these trips for premeds who want to use it to pad their resumes. The mission I was on isn't helping me get into any program; I am already an M2 and I was given an opportunity to learn about rural medicine and medical care in prisons from experts in those fields and I took it. Benefit to me? Of course. But they don't organize the trip to benefits students like me; it's for the people who are served. That's not the mission of the trip, but I don't see what is wrong with students finding a personal benefit in an educational experience. It's no different than when I did physical exams with my physician mentor in the States during the school year for course credit. I'm sure people who go on these trips feel good about themselves afterwards. How is altruism a crime? People donate money and volunteer all the time for that reason, whether or not they acknowledge it. It's OK to feel good about helping other people. It should feel good. Otherwise who would do it if they felt awful afterwards?

For the people who are seriously considering a mission and not just stirring the pot, my advice is to make sure you understand who is running the mission. I did not go on any trips as a premed and I rejected opprtunities for several other trips in medical school because I couldn't see the value for me or for the patients. The trip I went on is organized by my school, is highly vetted by the national government and is coordinated with physicians from that nation being assisted and is coordinated with understaffed rural health clinics. They also don't have enough specialists to treat their population. Some of the patients never have an opportunity to see a dentist, an optometrist, a PT or OT, or have to wait years to see a medical specialist such as a cardiologist. The clinics are a regular occurrence in their community, twice a year, and they can count on it. (PS I don't see how that proves your point either. The professors who organize it are from this place and so are some of my classmates and the alumni who use their vacation time or a weeks worth of private practice income twice a year to go back to their beloved country to help their former neighbors with the skills they acquired.)

Mission trips are not meant to replace volunteering locally. Many of us to do that as well throughout the year. We have vans that go around offering healthcare to the homeless and we staff health clinics at local community centers. Why does it have to be either/or? There are people who need help everywhere. If you don't have the impulse to try to help, don't do it but don't slam others who do.

Also people who post pictures of patients on Facebook don't have boundaries or understand privacy. I have seen classmates post photos in the ORs back home this summer in the good ole US of A with a patient's open gut in the background. Totally horrifying to me. It has nothing to do with the type of students who go on medical missions and everything to do with that individual's lack of respect. My photos were of me with my favorite professors on the trip outside a clinic and the day we got to spend at a local coordinator's house and barbecued.

 

[Trogghunter]

They cost more than a good vacation to a much better location and they're about as useful on your application for residency as playing guitar. I'd say they're pretty useless. -source PDs in EM and IM at my residency program.

 

[jl lin]

Say what you like. Plenty of both the givers and receivers find benefit from direct help and continued awareness.

You can try to tell me how to be a steward of my time and life if you would like. It won't make a difference. You determine your type of stewardship and I'll determine mine. I feel great about sharing resources and help from our plentiful nation. At the same, I have worked in communities here at home. It's not necesaeily an either/or kind of deal, but think as you like.

 

[ZedsDed]

I think we have covered all of the viewpoints

 

[jl lin]

They cost more than a good vacation to a much better location and they're about as useful on your application for residency as playing guitar. I'd say they're pretty useless. -source PDs in EM and IM at my residency program.

OMG. No one is talking about doing them bc of how they LOOK on your application. If that is your primary motivation in doing them, you have missed the boat. BTW, the OP is already in med school.


WOW.