The Global Impact of Surgical Volunteerism
Section snippets
Assessing the scope of the voluntary and nonprofit sector
A robust method for assessing the scope of the voluntary and nonprofit sector has been jointly developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies and the United Nations Statistics Division. Their initial study of 30 countries confirms “what many people already suspected: that nonprofit organizations and volunteering constitute a massive economic force” [1]. In fact, the nonprofit and volunteer sector in the United States has been growing at a rate exceeding that of the overall GDP
The role of surgeons in the voluntary and nonprofit sector
In examining the role and contributions of surgeons in the nonprofit/voluntary sector, the bulk of activity occurs on the international stage. Historically, major humanitarian efforts have been undertaken in foreign lands, with thousands of medical nonprofit organizations providing services ranging in nature from education to clinical medicine to telemedicine and other emerging technologies. No less than two dozen initiatives successful in providing surgical care, education, training, and
Examining the impact of the voluntary and nonprofit sector
Touted as a collateral benefit of medical outreach with deeply important consequences, the concept of medical diplomacy recently has been emphasized. The nonprofit organization, Terror Free Tomorrow, has examined the impact of American humanitarian leadership in potentially “hostile” regions. Their work has demonstrated that outreach to countries in need, as in Indonesia following the 2004 tsunamis or after Pakistan's devastating earthquake in 2005, has had sustainable impact not only in
The needs at home
The only real nation is humanity. —Paul Farmer, MD
Some may question why most medical outreach occurs in countries other than our own. The striking disparity of resources between the United States and other countries provides some insight. Half the world's population lives on less than $2 a day. Tanzania has only two physicians for every 100,000 people, as compared with 256 for every 100,000 people in the United States [11]. This parallels a widespread lack of access to care in many developing
Innovative solutions
Several innovative programs created by surgeons have addressed the issue of providing outpatient surgical care to uninsured patients, with strikingly similar solutions. Central in each is partnership with the administration of a local hospital or outpatient surgical clinic in delivering this humanitarian care. By leveraging the relative availability of hospital operating rooms on weekends and benefiting from altruistic volunteers across the spectrum of surgical care providers, each has arrived
Volunteers in times of disaster
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Potential avenues that enable volunteers to provide surgical care for the domestic uninsured may be gleaned from the process of establishing our response to future domestic disasters. Recent natural and human-made disasters have focused a spotlight on the inefficiencies and obstacles in our current system of response. The need for health care providers to cross state lines to provide relief in a
The educational value of volunteerism
The next generation of surgeons, while meeting needs locally, must also take a leadership role globally—the need for international partnership has never been greater. —Doruk Ozgediz, MD
There is a groundswell of understanding, interest, and action in surgical volunteerism. This is especially apparent in the emerging generation of health care providers. Increasingly, students entering medical school have international volunteer experience and an avid interest in global health issues.
Proven models
An international one month elective in Kenya has been in place for 9 years for general surgery residents at Brown Medical School. A retrospective study was recently conducted to assess the perceived educational, professional, and social growth of participants from the first eight years. From the perspective of participants, fellow residents, and faculty, those residents who took part in the Kenya elective were noted to demonstrate improved physical examination and decision-making skills,
The role of the American College of Surgeons
By giving of your time and heart, you will not only help to advance the humane practice of surgery, but you will also reap the rewards of belonging to the greatest humanitarian profession in the world. —Kathryn Anderson, MD, FACS
Humanitarian instincts and actions are deeply ingrained in surgeons' professional identity. Sir William Osler noted, “Medicine arose out of the primal sympathy of man with man; out of the desire to help those in sorrow, need and sickness” [25]. This “primal sympathy”
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