I have been given the opportunity to join the Milwaukee Medical Mission (MMM) on a two week trip to Bucaramanga, Colombia. MMM is an independent organization that makes annual trips to South and Central America to provide free-of-charge surgical care for patients requiring plastic reconstructive surgery in under-served areas. Each year the annual trip to Bucaramanga focuses to provide a maximum impact for the vulnerable patient population there. These patients would typically not receive needed surgical and medical care due to economic hardship. The majority of these individuals have no access to health care and have been waiting for years in hopes of obtaining surgery. Without the free surgical care these individuals would be unable to access care.
I will be providing anesthesia with a multidisciplinary team from various institutions. These include board-certified pediatric anesthesiologists from the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Iowa for pediatric reconstructive surgery. This would consist of correction of congenital malformations and defects, such as cleft lip/palate, syndactyly repair, as well as burn care and cancer sequela at the University Hospital of Santander. These surgeries are life-changing, and can have a great impact on basic daily activities and function such as swallowing, speech, and even integration into society.
Individuals receiving care in this region in Colombia travel great distances and wait each year for the possibility of surgical correction. The population is extremely underserved due to poverty and financial restrictions. MMM has created a long standing partnership with the University of Santander and this annual trip enables many patients to receive care who would largely be unable. This important mission affords vulnerable children access to life- altering surgeries that they would likely have access to, had they been born in a developed country. The longitudinal relationship that MMM has with the community in Bucaramanga and the surrounding area allows children of even the most impoverished of the community basic healthcare access.
The expected impact of this trip will help children improve function for daily necessities such as improving speech, feeding difficulties, and normal use of their extremities. In doing so, this allows them to integrate into society as normal individuals and helps with their appearance and social acceptance. This not only has a lasting impact on their physical health but also on their psychological wellness and confidence long term.
An additional longer term impact is to collaborate with anesthesiology residents at the University of Santander. By sharing medical education with current healthcare trainees that I have obtained in a higher resource setting, I will help foster greater knowledge to the current trainees.
This partnership with the University of Santander will promote a collaborative environment where I may learn practices from a different clinical setting. I will be exposed to patients with different pathologies than I am typically exposed to in my currently training location in the United States. Practicing medicine in a location with fewer financial resources requires more vigilance to enable better utilization. I believe this will significantly enhance my clinical abilities. I have studied medicine internationally and intend to incorporate international work into my future practice as an anesthesiologist. I am confident that this trip will enable me to become a more skilled and compassionate clinician.
I was able to join the medical mission to provide surgeries to correct congenital deformities in children. We helped children improve function for daily necessities such as improving speech, feeding difficulties, and normal use of their extremities.
A particularly impactful experience was helping a 10 month old patient Mia who traveled more than 10 hours to receive correction of her syndactyly. Her family was so appreciative of the possibility of giving her an opportunity to properly use her fingers to grasp. It was a very moving experience to help her safely undergo this surgery and help minimize her pain.
Another valuable experience was working with the Colombian anesthesiology residents there and learning about their practice and experiences. I gave them a lecture and simulation on point of care ultrasound ( POCUS) which I had exposure to in my residency.
Thank you Dox Foundation for your generous contribution to help me gain access to joining Milwaukee Medical Mission in Bucaramanga, Colombia. I feel extremely fortunate have gained this experience.
