I plan to participate in a three-week surgical mission to Mwandi, Zambia, alongside a team of volunteer physicians, including a general surgeon and a plastic surgeon. Working under the leadership of Dr. Peggy Schrieber, who has maintained a longstanding partnership with the Mwandi community and local healthcare providers, I will assist in delivering surgical care to patients who otherwise have limited access to specialty surgical services.
This project will provide evaluation, operative treatment, and perioperative care for patients with conditions that may otherwise go untreated due to geographic, financial, and resource limitations. In collaboration with local physicians, our team will work to ensure appropriate preoperative assessment, postoperative management, and continuity of care after the mission concludes. Through Dr. Schrieber's partnership with Saint Joseph Hospital and our residency program, essential personnel, equipment, and supplies are brought to support the local operating room and expand surgical capacity during these visits.
As a chief general surgery resident, I will directly assist in operative procedures and patient care while contributing to a sustainable model of surgical outreach that emphasizes collaboration with local healthcare providers. By increasing access to safe surgical treatment and strengthening existing healthcare partnerships, this project has the potential to improve quality of life for individual patients while supporting the broader healthcare needs of the Mwandi community. This mission will take place from 8/21/2026 - 9/11/2026 (3 weeks).
The primary beneficiaries of this project are residents of Mwandi and the surrounding rural communities in southwestern Zambia, many of whom have limited access to specialty surgical care. Geographic isolation, transportation barriers, and limited healthcare resources often make it difficult for patients to obtain timely evaluation and treatment for surgically treatable conditions.
This population experiences a particularly high prevalence of thyroid goiters, largely due to longstanding iodine deficiency in the region. While thyroid surgery is routinely available in many parts of the world, patients in this area often face significant challenges accessing the surgical care needed to address large or symptomatic goiters. Left untreated, these conditions can cause substantial functional impairment and negatively affect quality of life.
In addition, many households rely on open-fire cooking for daily living, resulting in a high incidence of burn injuries. Burn contractures are common and can lead to chronic pain, restricted mobility, disability, and social stigma. The plastic surgery component of this mission will focus on evaluating and treating patients with burn contractures, helping restore function, improve independence, and enhance quality of life.
This population was chosen because of its significant unmet surgical needs and the longstanding partnership between Dr. Peggy Schrieber, local healthcare providers, and the Mwandi community. By providing specialized surgical care to patients who would otherwise have limited access to these services, this project aims to address conditions that have a profound impact on health, function, and daily living.
The expected impact of this project is twofold: improving access to surgical care for patients in Mwandi and further strengthening a longstanding partnership that supports the region's healthcare infrastructure. Through the treatment of conditions such as thyroid disease and burn contractures, patients will experience meaningful improvements in function, health, and quality of life. For many individuals, these procedures address conditions that have caused years of disability, discomfort, or social limitations.
Because this mission is part of an established and ongoing collaboration with Mwandi Mission Hospital and local healthcare providers, its impact extends beyond a single visit. The program emphasizes continuity of care, coordination with local clinicians, and sustained engagement with the community, helping ensure that patients receive appropriate follow-up and that surgical services remain available through recurring missions.
Personally, this experience will have a lasting impact on my development as a surgeon. As I complete my general surgery training, participation in this mission will provide valuable experience delivering care in a resource-limited setting and working within a collaborative international healthcare partnership. I hope this opportunity will serve as the foundation for a lifelong commitment to global surgery and humanitarian outreach. By learning from a well-established program that prioritizes both immediate patient care and long-term community relationships, I will gain insights that I can carry forward throughout my career and apply to future efforts to expand access to surgical care in underserved populations.
Support from the Doximity Foundation would make participation in this mission possible by helping offset the substantial travel costs associated with reaching rural Zambia. As a resident physician, these expenses represent a significant financial barrier. This funding would enable me to contribute my time.
I wanted to extend my deepest thanks for the foundation’s sponsorship of my travel to Zambia for a surgical mission trip. Our 3 week trip was a great success. Our team in total was comprised of 3 anesthesiologists, 2 general surgeons, 1 plastic surgeon, and 2 residents. We were able to serve the Mwandi, Zambia community, and a very broad region. People came from neighboring countries and up to a 10 hour bus ride away to get care that they otherwise would not have been able to access or afford. We performed burn contracture releases, cleft palate repairs, multiple small mass removals, thyroidectomies for very large symptomatic goiters, hernia repairs, and emergent bowel resections. This trip has truly made me desire to continue to serve under resourced populations around the world throughout my career!
