From the Editor
Welcome to our annual Giving issue.We celebrate the medical missions of NIFA faculty member and George Washington University professor Dr. Glenn Geelhoed and the NIFA-supported volunteers who went on missions with him in 2012.
Sending volunteers to work with Dr. Glenn each year is NIFA’s dominant charitable contribution, and it has ripple-through rewards–not only the satisfaction of bringing skilled medical help to areas in the world where that help is desperately needed, but also giving some students the experience of a lifetime. In this month’s student spotlight, Bruce Visniski talks about his medical mission trip to Central African Republic.
Perhaps you, too, have served on a medical mission somewhere in the world, or have always wanted to. We asked some of our volunteers about the skills and knowledge required; you will find their Tips for Medical Missions below.
Many more tips, and a comprehensive list of medical missions and international health career opportunities are available on Dr. Geelhoed’s International Medical Education page. And you can download Dr. Geelhoed’s large book, Surgery and Healing in the Developing World for free, here.
Finally, a couple of ideas for your own giving:
- Contribute to the Medical Mission of your choice
- Give someone a copy of Dr. Glenn’s 2011 book, Gifts from the Poor: What the World’s Patients Taught One Doctor About Healing
Happy Holidays!
2012 in Review with Dr. Glenn Geelhoed
Each year a few NIFA-sponsored volunteers accompany Dr. Glenn Geelhoed on one of his medical missions, visiting impoverished communities to provide medical aid.In his 2012 report, Dr. Geelhoed recounts his stories and shares pictures of medical and other adventures in his travels in Sudan, Chad, Kenya, the Philippines, Ecudaor, Uganda and more.
Name: Bruce VisniskiCredentials: RN, soon to receive CNOR
Current Job: Practicing as an RNFA in orthopedics and general surgery at North Ottawa Community Hospital, Muskegon, MINIFA-Sponsored Medical Mission:Accompanied Dr. Geelhoed in the Central African Republic for three weeks in summer 2012.
Why did you want to go on a Medical Mission? I have a pretty good life. When I look around me and watch the news and I see the things going on around the world, I want to help. I have wanted to do this for a long time. With my kids (18 and 28) now grown and out of the house, the timing was right. Read more.
An instructor from Stanford University Medical Center recently contacted Dr. Geelhoed with questions about medical missions, and Dr. Glenn referred him to NIFA. The instructor asked,
“In your opinion, what are the top 10 knowledge sets and/or skills you expect a student to have when they arrive to participate on an international medical or surgical mission?”
We asked some NIFA students who have gone on medical missions and received the following tips . . . Read on.