Mission elective program
School of Medicine seniors may work at overseas institutions for up to three months
 Parents often traveled for miles by foot and local transportation to bring their children to receive health care at Adventist hospitals like this one located in eastern Africa. |
Loma Linda University has a tradition of serving. Ever since its founding in 1905, students and graduates have given of themselves in overseas services--as well as serving the local community.
Loma Linda students have continued in this tradition throughout the years. Each year, nearly 700 students participate in short-term mission ventures--some as short as a two-day trip to a medical clinic in Baja California, and some as long as three months serving at an overseas Seventh-day Adventist medical institution.
All of Loma Linda University's Schools allow--and strongly encourage--their students to participate in a mission elective program. Close to one third of the School of Medicine faculty spend personal energy and money supporting international projects, according to Brian S. Bull, MD, dean, School of Medicine, and executive vice president for medical affairs, LLUAHSC.
"This is unique in our medical school," Dr. Bull points out. "It is true that many medical schools have international programs for medical students, but none to the extent that Loma Linda has.
"Currently, 55 international projects are being supported by our faculty. In addition, another 20 projects are being supported by other Schools of the University.
"This is one of the defining aspects that makes Loma Linda University unique among health-science institutions throughout the nation," comments Dr. Bull.
 Some of the members of the School of Medicine class of 2001 who participated in the School of Medicine mission elective program gather for a brief reunion prior to receiving their diplomas on Sunday, May 27. From left are Andrew S. Florea, Randall H. Kerr, Michael C. Yu, Carla A. Cargill, James J. Park, Christopher E. Gibb, L. Jay Brodie, Wanda J. Abreu, Michael S. Schroeder, Judi M. Cain, Melanie A. Edwards, David A. Cain, M. Belen Lohr, Jason L. Lohr, Marvin S. Mina, Marisol Perales, Melissa E. Gutierrez, David W. Cadogan, Cherrie A. Heinrich, Margaret M. Song, Jane E. Lewis, Janine M. Hwang, John G. Foster, David H. Ng, Julie A. Goo, and Obed B. Rutebuka, PhD, MSPH, coordinator of the mission elective program. Below is a complete list of all participants in the School of Medicine mission elective program during the past academic year. |
"We want to make sure that our students catch the vision of what is possible to do. That is why we encourage and support our faculty in various international projects.
"It would be odd with our faculty participating in such projects," Dr. Bull continues, "if we didn't involve our students as well."
Many School of Medicine students are involved in projects that are initiated specifically for students, such as the Students for International Mission Service (SIMS) programs.
"Other students become involved in international projects being run by our faculty," Dr. Bull says. "Still others become involved with medical institutions that are a part of the larger medical outreach of the Seventh-day Adventist Church."
Currently, the Seventh-day Adventist Church operates 162 hospitals and sanitariums throughout the world; an additional 361 clinics and dispensaries are also run by the Church.
"We have faculty sponsors who are willing to take medical students and supervise their educational programs around the world," Dr. Bull continues. "We allow this to happen during the senior year of the medical curriculum."
Program coordinator for the School of Medicine mission elective program is Obed B. Rutebuka, PhD, MSPH, assistant professor of public health and preventive medicine, School of Medicine; and assistant professor of environmental and occupational health, School of Public Health.
"This past school year we had 41 School of Medicine students participate in the elective program," Dr. Rutebuka says.
Students participated in programs in 17 countries on four continents.
"Our students usually begin planning for their senior elective during their junior year in medicine," Dr. Rutebuka explains. "For some of the electives, it takes a lot of lead time to make it happen."
Just any hospital may not be acceptable for a student elective.
"We try to match up the student with his or her first choice as much as possible," Dr. Rutebuka says. "But first, we need to explore such criteria as seeing if the hospital is well-managed, if there is a variety of patients, and if there is a physician who is able to spend time with our students in this training program."
The School tries to keep the cost to the students at a minimum, according to Dr. Rutebuka. The School subsidizes the international travel of each student by 50 percent up to $750.
When the students arrive at their destinations, they are on their own as far as in-country living and personal expenses are concerned.
"Usually, the sponsoring institution provides room and board for our students," Dr. Rutebuka says.
What motivates a student to participate in the elective program?
There are a variety of reasons, according to Dr. Rutebuka.
"Some students are exploring the possibility of future mission service and want to see what it is like before they make a final commitment," Dr. Rutebuka states.
"Others hope that the elective program will provide them a 'jump-start' in their residency program. Still others like the adventure of international travel and exploring other cultures.
"No matter what the reason, all of our students come back with a much larger world view," Dr. Rutebuka continues.
To date, no hospital that Dr. Rutebuka has contacted has indicated that they do not want to participate in the program.
In addition to traveling to Seventh-day Adventist institutions, several students this past year chose to spend their elective time at non-Church-related facilities. For instance, senior student Marketa Van den Elzen traveled to her home country of the Czech Republic to take her elective. Cherie Ann Heinrich spent her elective time at the All Africa Leprosy, Tuberculous, and Rehabilitation Training Center. Ian E. Bare and Jeffrey K. King received their training at Jos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria, while Kurleet K. Chaudhary traveled to Nepal to take her elective at Manipal College of Medical Sciences.
"I would recommend this program to anyone," says James I. Boyd III, who is now an orthopaedic resident at Loma Linda University Medical Center and who took his elective at Scheer Memorial Hospital in Banepa, Nepal. "A fourth-year student can rotate through any specialty he or she wants. I hope that I can return someday to serve as an orthopaedic surgeon.
"The best part of my trip was working with the Nepali people. They were so receptive and thankful."
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2001 School of Medicine mission elective participants Name of student Medical facility Country Comments from the students Editor's note: Following is a sampling of the comments from members of the School of Medicine Class of 2001 who participated in the mission elective program during the past academic year. "My experience while on my mission elective was rewarding in many aspects including culturally, medically, and spiritually. During our elective, we were exposed to a variety of aspects of medical care as it is practiced in India. Spiritually, the trip was a rewarding experience. After the rigors of medical school, this experience was certainly a great refresher for my spiritual life. I would recommend this elective to anyone who is interested in a unique medical experience as well as involvement in the spiritual activities of the local church." Christopher E. Gibb, Simla Sanitarium and Hospital, India. "Each morning at the hospital the medical director had an hour of prayer where the medical staff were free to join with him in praying for the hospital and patients. The two doctors in charge of the hospital would pray with each patient, and tell them of Jesus' power and love. I was amazed and awed by what I saw. I saw miracles happen where people who had back pain for years were healed and where a young girl had a demon cast out of her. We learned how to be bold in sharing Jesus with our patients no matter what religious background they have, and we learned that there is more to medicine than just a diagnosis." Jason L. Lohr, Pune Adventist Hospital, India. "I spent four weeks at the Manipal College of Medical Sciences in Nepal. It was one of the most memorable rotations of my medical school career. Perhaps what I will remember most about Nepal is the people. I learned as much about a patient and their family and personal story as I did about their medical history. Even now I can remember the patients I met in Nepal by their personal stories and not just their medical diagnosis." Kurleet K. Chaudhary, Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Nepal. "The experience I had at Andapa Adventist Hospital in Madagascar was an opportunity for me to learn about third-world country medicine and how blessed we are with our abundance in the United States. The care that patients received in this hospital was the best care possible. Some patients walked several days to come to the clinic to see a physician. In spite of a lack of abundant resources, the hospital had one thing that was the most important anywhere in the world--the presence of God. Every morning, staff members gathered for morning worship. After worship, they scattered to patient rooms to share Christ through a short devotional." Christy Yoon-Hee Chai, Andapa Adventist Hospital, Madagascar. "My responsibility as a student was similiar to that as a student here. We were expected to see all types of patients, participate in rounds, see patients in the clinic, and assist in the operating theater. I did, however, feel more autonomy at the hospital--especially in the clinic--because once I was used to the drugs available and the more common illnesses seen in that country, I was seeing patients on my own. I felt that the responsibility given to me was appropriate and there was always someone around to help me out and give me advice. Thankfully, the nurses there spoke English, so translation was not too difficult, although it was still sub-optimal. I very much enjoyed my time at Maluti. I made some good friends there. I definitely would not change my experience for anything, and I would definitely do it all over again." Christine A. Tan, Maluti Adventist Hospital, Lesotho. |
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