Fellow Bio:
I grew up in northern Wisconsin, obtained a bachelors degree from the UW School of Pharmacy, spent two years in Eritrea as a Peace Corps volunteer, and then earned an MPH from Tulane University. I returned to Eritrea to work on projects benefiting refugees and those suffering in drought-affected areas, as well as to conduct health assessments in the war zone between Eritrea and Ethiopia. I also worked on the assessment portion of an HIV project in southern Sudan for six months. Before starting medical school, I worked for two years as an epidemiologist for the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin.

Inputs: This spring break trip was planned with the Wisconsin Medical Project, a Madison organization involved with providing medical supplies to various partners in Camaguey, Cuba. The Wisconsin Medical Project is a humanitarian organization with a Treasury Department license and is coordinated with the Madison/Camaguey Sister City Association. My LOCUS mentor, Dr. Ann Behrmann, is an active member of the Project and informed me of medical student opportunities with this group. Other partners include Sharing Resources Worldwide and the Wheelchair Recycling Program. Our traveling team included several doctors, a physical therapist, two medical students, and others with an interest in Cuba and its people. Overall inputs included time and traveling expenses. I originally was awarded financial assistance from LOCUS for a different proposed project; however, these funds were ultimately applied towards airfare to Cuba.

Activities: Shortly before the trip to Cuba, I assisted with packing donated supplies into large suitcases that each traveler would carry aboard and check as luggage. The Project also periodically sends large shipping containers filled with medical supplies and educational materials. Most of the supplies go to the Eduardo Agramonte Provincial Pediatric Hospital, a 300-bed facility that provides full service free medical care to the children of Camagüey. Some of the supplies also go to various laboratories and facilities which repair wheelchairs. Our particular group also carried materials for constructing new prosthetic limbs, as well as repairing old ones. For me, the most enjoyable focus of our trip involved meeting with Cuban physicians and health care teams to discuss public health approaches and ideas. The other medical student and I also met with numerous Cuban medical students to discuss our medical education experiences. Other activities included learning about Cuban culture: arts, language, music, and food; swimming and snorkeling in pristine Atlantic Ocean waters off the northern coast; touring a Cigar factory in Havana; and viewing the historical National Museum in Havana.

Project Goals and Accomplishments: My overall goal was to learn more about the Cuban culture and health care system. This experience has helped me enhance my personal & professional development and overall education, which I think can only make me a better physician. In line with the Wisconsin Medical Projects goals and proposed activities, I successfully participated as a team member that delivered needed supplies and gathered information from physicians and other health professionals to assess their ongoing laboratory and health needs. I am hoping this will help them accomplish their main goal: a healthier Cuban society.

Last update:

January 7, 2008

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