Out of Africa

Male Ward

4-25-08; leaving Africa today. What an experience. It’s hard to consolidate everything that I have seen over the past three weeks.

Seventeen years ago I took a break from undergrad and went to South America for six months, Argentina to be exact. I had been planning on going into engineering, but after that experience I decided to go into healthcare. I wasn’t sure I was smart enough to get into medical school let alone finish. Some reading this blog would agree. I was one of those classic underachievers in high school, never really enjoying to study. However after that experience I started to apply myself with a newly found zeal for studying. I was studying for something/someone other than myself.

My essay application for medical school included the following line, “For me becoming a physician is not an end in itself, but a means to an end... to help others.” I truly believed that, but then life happened; distractions came, bills piled up, I made excuses for not returning overseas to serve. This past year though I was given an opportunity and encouraged by Dr Mike Tuggy to come to Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. That old flame that had almost burned out is now rekindled. Hopefully overseas service will be now an annual happening in my life.

The real people to respect here are those who have come here to serve long term. The Family Physicians, General Surgeons, Neurosurgeons, Internists, Pediatricians, Pediatric Surgeons, Obstetricians who have given up “having it all” to truly have it all. To serve in a place where they are crucially needed.

I came here to teach but have learned so much more than I have imparted. I have gained a wealth of knowledge both with respect to medicine as well as life in general. I now return to what matters most to me, my wife Jennifer, and my two sons Cody and Andrew. If any of you ever thought or planned or felt that you would like to serve overseas and then like me, “life happened”, or even if you never felt that this was something that you would like, let me challenge you to make a plan and go. It could be a life-changing experience…

Thanks for reading, and until next time…