Philippines
International Medical Camp in the Philippines
Be a part of a team of national and international doctors, nurses and medical students to serve the medical needs of a developing country in a resource poor area. Residents, fellows, and faculty are welcome. The entire trip is funded by the Department of Medicine's Global Health Program and the BICOL Foundation.
- Team of 5-7 UCH residents/fellows work alongside 6 or more other senior physicians, medical students, and nurses from other hospitals.
- The most senior physician of the team, Dr. Mitchell Schuster has been running this clinic for over 20 years. His wife is from this region of the Philippines and knows the language, culture, and community well. She is there with the medical team to arrange for daily meals, weekend social activities, and other day to day support of the medical staff.
- Dr. Schuster teaches and trains residents and medical students in procedures and helps them with patient management.
- An additional unique opportunity is to work with doctors from Nepal who have extensive expertise in tropical and developing world medical care.
- There is a daily primary care clinic from 8-5 with a break for lunch.
- Clinic is focused with a high burden of infections and tuberculosis.
- There are also simple procedures to be done when needed each day, pediatric and adult patients included.
- There is a capability for bedside ultrasound, PFTs, and EKG on site.
- Labs, X-ray, and other imaging can be easily obtained from the local hospital.
- Each evening at dinner, trainees give a case conference with organized teaching by attendings and fellows or residents if available. The topics are usually related to tropical medicine and actual patients seen in the clinic.
- Excursions to hospital rounds or prison clinic may occur on certain days or mornings.
- Weekends are off from clinic and usually dedicated to scheduled cultural activities in the area unless emergencies arrive at the clinic during the weekend.
- Other opportunities include a rotation at the local hospital and or following patients in the hospital.
- Local DOT program is another option to rotate with if TB is a special interest for someone.
Contact Information
Ali I. Musani, MD, FCCP
Vice Chair, Global Health
Department of Medicine
303-724-3621