JUL-A-3

THE SMALL “SELECT” GROUP FOR THE NEPAL MISSION

COMPARED WITH THE DOUBLED NUMBERS FOR THE LADAKH MISSION

AND THE EXCHANGE OF LETTERS WITH ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS EAGER TO

LEARN IF HE WERE AN APPROPRIATE PARTICIPANT

Dear friends,

Pasted below are your e-mail addresses, so you can contact each other and

exchange information  on your specialities and interests and get to know

each other and the team make up.

As of now only five of you will be participating in this expedition and we

do not expect more to join in. This is the smallest group we have ever had,

especially when compared  to the very popular Ladakh -Chang Thang

Expedition, where we have 24 participants.

   Glenn Geelhoed  MD  (Team Leader)  msdgwg@gwumc.edu

   Bruce Banwart   MD   (General Pediatrician & Pediatric Critical Care.

<bbanwart@mcw.edu>

  Steve Schultz   DMD  <forcep23@sprynet.com>

Gordie Polando  (Paramedics)      <gordiep@multiverse.com>

  Kelly Cobb  MD      <kelly_cobb22@hotmail.com>

Ravi

I am glad you wrote and introduced yourself!

Not one of us is a "cookie cutter" product sent up from Central Casting!  I am happy to have a variety of talents and good generalists on board, since we will need several skills to go the distance!

I have on the coming trip to Ladakh an opera singer who just happens to be superb in many other parts of real life, and  a woman who called the American College of Surgeons asking them to suggest someone who could tolerate someone who had no background in medicine whatever, yet wanted to be involved in surgery!  If you talk to enough people in those terms, eventually you would be referred to me! 

I am concerned that people who are going to be on such trips distinguish them from catered holidays, and are very flexible and not demanding of "special" consideration, nor are they bored when things evolve with which they have no expertise or experience, or flip out when the work load accumulates and they do not feel up to managing it. 

On a few occasions we have had dilettentes who wearied of doing good after the first couple of patients were seen and wanted to be taken out for special entertainment, which is not possible with limited resources and crowded high demand for services.  Anyone who is more interested in contributing to solutions than being a distracting problem needing special care themselves is more than welcome, and you have special skills beyond the interests you expressed in the dental practice close to you.

 I think a prosthetist would be helpful, (of the kind who can create helpful appliances out of re-rod!) or someone who can see certain needs that are as simple as solutions to make hygeine easier.  We give toothbrushes out along with toothbrushing instructions!

There is a single requirement for third world work; that is---an infinitely high threshold of frustration, and an earnest effort to go about practically addressing what can be done despite the obstacles

You will fit in well because of your attitude, I can tell already.  I have limited time for special coddling of pampered prima donnas, whom we have had to reprimand occasionally for requiring more full-time care than our patients who are supposed to be the needy ones!  I know you will see those needs and respond to them, and I welcome your contribution!

Cheers!

GWG

>>> "Gordie Polando" <gordiep@multiverse.com> 06/29/01 04:40PM >>>

Dr. Geelhoed

My name is Gordie Polando and I received your e-mail address from Ravi

Singh. I will be accompaning you on the Lukla-Everest Base Camp trip in the

fall. I wanted to give you some information on my background and find out if

there is anything you would be expecting from me. I have not participated in

a program like this before and would very much like you to know that I wish

to be a beneficial/working member of the trip. I have a very varied

background and have attached a copy of my CV - which is probably the easiest

way to introduce myself.

One item that is not on my CV is that my wife is a dentist and I would be

more than willing to spend some time with her learning instrument names and

general procedures to assist if you, or the dentist which will be along,

thought that would be beneficial.

I am looking forward to meeting you and the other members in the fall.

Gordie Polando

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