Nontraditional Medicine

[tim_the_biv]

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Does anyone have any information about nontraditional medicine practice they could share? I'm interested in exploring ways in which physicians can make themselves useful to the world that diverge from typical private practices or hospital positions.

I'm especially interested in ways physicians can play a part in developing nations, disaster areas, refugee camps, etc. Are positions like these (through MSF/Doctors Without Borders for example) always volunteer? How can one support onesself in such positions?

Thanks

 

[Xypathos]

Does anyone have any information about nontraditional medicine practice they could share? I'm interested in exploring ways in which physicians can make themselves useful to the world that diverge from typical private practices or hospital positions.

I'm especially interested in ways physicians can play a part in developing nations, disaster areas, refugee camps, etc. Are positions like these (through MSF/Doctors Without Borders for example) always volunteer? How can one support onesself in such positions?

Thanks

MSF pays the doctors for their time --- it's not much, but they do give them a monthly stipend.

 

[Haemulon]

It does not sound like you are referring to nontraditional medicine, but instead the application of traditional medicine in non-traditional environments or for non-traditional populations. That is unless you are planning on incorporating non-evidence based medical evaluations and treatments for your patients.

 

[gipper]

I am not sure if you have read Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder which tells about the life of Paul Farmer, the co-founder of Partners in Health (PIH). He lives in the US part-time, makes some money (I think he is on faculty at Harvard), then returns to Haiti. He lives a simple life, but fulfilling. Check it out if you haven't already.

 

[tim_the_biv]

It does not sound like you are referring to nontraditional medicine, but instead the application of traditional medicine in non-traditional environments or for non-traditional populations. That is unless you are planning on incorporating non-evidence based medical evaluations and treatments for your patients.

You're right, I apologize. I definitely mean traditional medicine in nontraditional applications/environments/populations.

 

[kypdurron5]

Does anyone have any information about nontraditional medicine practice they could share?

Well, there's a quack near where I work that does some kind of electrical healing treatments. Also, there was a "doctor" I went to in Kenya that claimed I had 7 allergies based upon me sitting there holding two electrodes in my hands. He said he could "cure" me of the "allergies" with weekly $50 treatments consisting of me holding the electrodes for various amounts of time. I'd say that's pretty nontraditional >).