Urology residents have the opportunity to travel to Guatemala or Kenya during their training to experience new cultures and assist in urologic surgeries. The partnerships between IU School of Medicine and these countries that have existed for over a decade offer a unique global health experience to students and residents while allowing them to help improve population health worldwide.
Guatemala
Urology residents and faculty have the opportunity to travel to Guatemala through Pediatric Volunteers International. The goal of the organization is to provide state of the art pediatric surgical care to children in developing countries.
“My trip to Guatemala taught me the importance of personalizing medicine to each patient and their environment. I met so many memorable and down to earth people—from patients who traveled hundreds of miles for surgery to the world’s experts in pediatric urology. I left with a deep appreciation for my own opportunities and energy to maximize each day’s potential.” -Mimi Zhang, 2016 Urology Guatemala Team Member
Kenya
IU School of Medicine Department of Urology residents and faculty travel to Kenya annually or biannually. The experience is through AMPATH, which is a partnership between Moi University and North American universities, led by Indiana University. The program focuses on improving the health of the Kenyan population and allows residents to exchange talent and ideas with Kenyan physicians and staff.
“The experience was extremely rewarding. Not only do we have the opportunity to manage complex pathology not usually seen in the United States, but we also truly make a difference in the lives of those in another country. Our several days of operating alleviated the backlog of cases by three months. After the medical portion of the trip, we went on a two-day safari in the Masai Mara followed by a day in Nairobi at a giraffe rescue and baby elephant orphanage. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience.” -Joshua Roth, 2016 Kenya Team Member
“It was truly an eye-opening experience to see the way medicine is practiced in Africa and the discrepancy of resources. I’ll never forget seeing four people in one hospital bed due to overcrowding. I highly recommend going on this experience of a lifetime.” -Patrick Wirtz, 2010 Kenya Team Member