AN INVITATION TO PARTICIPATION,
OUTLINING THE MEDICAL MISSIONS OF 2002

Welcome to the Wonder World of International Medical Mission's experience!

Your inquiry tells a lot about you and your interest in pursuing the opportunities; once you have done such a mission, you will not look at medicine, and life, and your future in each again the same way!

In August or 2001, the AAMC Reporter wrote an article about the adventures I have pursued with medical students and under the title "Medical Education Goes Extreme" they came up with one quote which is probably one I would have been glad to have written about any one of us: "Dr. Geelhoed's proudest achievement is that he has never taken any of his medical proteges on their last medical mission." It is a very contagious and habit-forming experience that is among the most rewarding that can be pursued, particularly at your stage in the medical education process. I know, since at your stage is when I started-and I have never stopped!

I am asked for several ideas and thoughts about how to get started. Let me direct you to a couple of web sites, and, perhaps, a few people, who, like me, have traveled this road-and many others-before. I have a somewhat primitive International Medical Education web site that can get you started at www.gwu.edu/~intmeded which can also link you to my own Home Page at http://home.gwu.edu/~gwg If you click on the "On-Line Journal" you can review the trip narratives from many of these experiences (I will list a key to several of them later) and also pick up a bit of the philosophy, (click on "Medicine and Health,") about my own evolution in the process of concentrating in international health opportunities -a somewhat innovative path for an academic surgeon!

An intact book about this kind of experience is published in "Out of Assa: Heart of the Congo" by Three Hawks Publishing. If you surf on over to www.3hawks.com, you will get a sample chpater and how to get a copy-it will at least make the long trip to the far side of the world go faster! It may also tell you of the frustrations, flexibility, and rewards of this kind of international volunteer service. You could call the publisher directly (703/823-9833) or try through Amazon.com or one of the other on-line book services. And, if you are still carrying it when we meet, (Frankfurt, Delhi or along the "Roof of the World"), I promise to autograph it for you!

The schedule for the coming year's Himalayan excursions is listed in the following series:

Himalayan Health Exchange

2002 Schedule

For Details Contact:
Ravi I Singh (404) 929-9399, e-mail: ravi@himalayanhealth.com
Glenn W. Geelhoed MD
Professor of Surgery, International Medical Education, Tropical Medicine
George Washington University Medical Center
Office of the Dean, GWUMC, Ross Hall 741,2300-I Street NW
Washington, DC, 20037, USA
Ph: 202/994-4428; Fax: 202/994-0926
e-mail: msdgwg@gwumc.edu
WWW URL: http://home.gwu.edu/~gwg
www.3hawks.com
www.himalayanhealth.com
_______________________________________________________________________

Africa, Pacific, Caribbean
Medical Missions for 2002

Mindanao, Philippines: Tboli peoples in Edwards, South Cotabo, Mindanao, and Bethel Hospital Malaybalay, Mindanao-Surgical MMI medical mission-goiter and reconstructive surgical mission, www.mmint.org
Feb. 2-16, 2002

Malawi, Southern Africa Surgical mission, gpoehlman@firsthealth.org
Feb. 18-29, 2002

Ethiopia: Soddo and Gondor, Medical/Surgical mission http://www.sim.org
Mar. 1-14. 2002

Havana, Cuba: International Health Medical Education Consortium. www.ihmec.org
Mar. 13-17, 2002

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Detailed itineraries with all details of transportation, accommodations and cost can be downloaded from each of the web sites related to HHE (the Himalayan excursions outlined above) and the subsequent African, Philippine, and Cuban excursions in accord with their respective websites (also listed above). I regret, that due to the exploding popularity of the medical student experiences that I have previously guided (see detailed narrative referenced below for each site) I cannot engage in a personal response to each of the thousand inquiries from the "wannabes" these expeditions have inspired, but be assured that close personal supervision for every participant in each medical mission is a vital part of the learning experience, which you will make a part of your report to help guide future students in similar experiences, and you will be evaluated on your contribution to the clinical care of a very needy and grateful population.

I look forward to joining you!

Glenn W. Geelhoed, MD
Professor of Surgery
Professor of International Medical Education
Professor of Microbiology and Tropical Medicine
George Washington University Medical Center

Key to attachments or web "On-Line Journal" links:

Himachal: Kinnaur and Spiti Valleys-1998:
Sep-B-1-8
Sep-C-1-9
Oct-A-1-7
Oct-B-1-7
Oct-C-1-4
Oct-D-1-10

Nepal: Kathmandu, Lukla and Everest Trek Route-1999:
Sep-B-1-8
Sep-C-1-4
Sep-D-1-7
Oct-A-1-5
Oct-B-1-8

Ladakh: Chang/Thang Plateau-2000
00-Jul-C-1-14
00-Aug-A-1-16

Mindanao, Philippines Surgical Mission-2001
01-Feb-C-1-13
01-Mar-A-1-12

Dharamsala: MacLeodGanj, Norbulingko, Agra-2001
01-Apr-C-1-12
01-May-A-1-7

Ladakh: Thicksay. Tangste, Tso Morari, Panamik-2001
01-Jul-B-1-15
01-Aug-A-1-11

Spiti: Kaza, Manali, Dharamsala-2001
01-Sep-A-1-5
01-Sep-B-1-5
01-Sep-C-1-16

Key to other attachments appended:

George Award-Sep. 2000
GWU press release
Out of Assa notice
Group Leader's Biosketch
Group Leader's Brief CV

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