Which MD speciality would be the most "useful" in the Third World?

[Jadyn]

In the long run, a research pathologist could probably do the most good in a developing country. Same with research in infectious disease.

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[burton117]

still really, really interesting!

 

[Geekchick921]

I went with IM and IM subspecialties. Infectious disease.

 

[jbrice1639]

i've heard over and over from several doctors the phrase "a family practitioner and a general surgeon could rule the world."

obviously a bit overstated, but that would be your best catch-all to really help in an underserved/third world atmosphere.

you'd have the family doc trained in adult and pediatric medicine, ob/gyn and basic minor surgery plus a general surgeon to handle the more invasive procedures.

that would cover nearly everything you'd encounter. the specialties might offer minimal additional help, but without a full supply of equipment and/or drugs, they would be limited in what they could do. having a cardiologist confirm that you need a valve replacement or an infectious disease specialist confirming a complex combination infection won't do much good without all the supplies to act on those diagnoses.

 

[167649]

I think this is an interesting question, but in truth almost every type of physician is needed in the third world. Some places don't even have most specialists. I've done some work in Africa, and one trip while there with my father (a physician) he was the only neurologist in the whole country while there. So he got to see a lot of patients with neurological disorders that never had any hope until that point.

OB/GYN is needed badly in countries with high birth rates. Also in africa, I observed a hosptial once where there was one OB/GYN in total and almost 50 deliveries a day. The poor doctor was a little overworked, but you get the idea. Pediatricians are also badly needed. But again, anything would be useful.

 

[phoenix0610]

Infectious Disease

 

[126455]

IM --> ID easily.

 

[TMP-SMX]

The Global Health Forum for Health Research has shown that only 10% of the world health expenditure on health R&D in spent on health conditions that represent 90% of the global burden of ill-health. aka "10/90 gap". Much of the poor health in developing countries is due to water-borne illness and infectious diseases. As infectious disease is a subspecialty of internal medicine, I think that would be the best route to go, coupled with a degree or work in public health.

There is a huge amount of preventible water borne diarrheal diseases that children and infants die from every day. They don't need physicians they need infrastructure and oral rehydration therapy.

 

[smeagol]

Dermatology!

Anybody got a skin rash???!!!

 

[Jolie South]

There is a huge amount of preventible water borne diarrheal diseases that children and infants die from every day. They don't need physicians they need infrastructure and oral rehydration therapy.

BINGO . . . that and vaccines.

 

[Auron]

I really want to help my people in India when I am a doctor. Do most doctors go with an organization such as doctors without borders. Or is it common for physicians to go on their own?

 

[bleedingheart]

wow. seeing this post on here just made my day. it is such an amazing feeling to see my own thoughts & ambitions expressed by so many others.

after spending a month as a medical intern in south africa, i have to first & foremost echo what has already been said, and that is that ANY doctor who devotes any sort of effort to the underserved & impoverished people of the world is useful. incomprehensible, shocking, all-encompassing medical need exists in pretty much every corner of the globe, so i would encourage people to pick specialties that are interesting, enjoyable & fulfilling to them above all.

that said, based on my experience & what i've read, i would say internal med/infectious diseases all the way. infectious diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide - the vast majority of deaths by ID occuring in the developing world from preventable and treatable diseases. (infections & inequalities, dr. paul farmer) it's an outrage, and it's a clear way to make a huge impact.

there is a definite need for primary care too, family med & peds. one of the most frustrating experiences of my life was volunteering in the unbelieveably overcrowded pediatric ward of a hospital in durban, south africa that actually didn't have a pediatrician, or even a physician, on staff. it was a pediatric ward literally run by nurses, one of whom trained me to conduct physical examinations, take histories, and literally diagnose & treat on my own, signing my name where the kiddos' charts said "doctor." there is such a lack of even basic healthcare, and such a need for primary care docs.

yet every south african nurse i encountered in every ward of every hospital and clinic i visited had the same answer to my question, "what is the limiting factor of healthcare here in south africa? is it resources? drugs? money? technology? facilities?" they all answered that doctors were the limiting resource. so while ID/primary care may be considered the most broadly useful in some contexts, in actuality doctors of all specialties are needed everywhere.

may we all go forth & treat the world's sick. think of how much combined good we can all do!

 

[taponthecloud]

There is a huge amount of preventible water borne diarrheal diseases that children and infants die from every day. They don't need physicians they need infrastructure and oral rehydration therapy.

Of course they need physicians!...AND infrastructure and ORT and vaccines...etc.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Of course they need physicians!...AND infrastructure and ORT and vaccines...etc.

I agree, but if they have the infrastructure, proper sanitation, and proper water treatment the largest reasons for mortality will not be a factor. Plus, you don't really need a physician in those cases anyway. Your child has diarrhea they need oral rehydration therapy to replenish electrolytes and fluids and maybe an IV.

The improvement of health in our country has been just as much due to non-medical intervention than medical in the past century.

As said before, a physician can only do so much without equipment and something to work with.

 

[Jolie South]

I agree, but if they have the infrastructure, proper sanitation, and proper water treatment the largest reasons for mortality will not be a factor. Plus, you don't really need a physician in those cases anyway. Your child has diarrhea they need oral rehydration therapy to replenish electrolytes and fluids and maybe an IV.

The improvement of health in our country has been just as much due to non-medical intervention than medical in the past century.

As said before, a physician can only do so much without equipment and something to work with.

Agreed. Add mosquito nets to this infrastructure and they'd be good to go on a lot of fronts. The mortality rate for malaria just about equals that of HIV, but hardly any money is spent on malaria prevention/treatment efforts, which to me is ridiculous considering the cheap effective treatment and prevention methods available.