"The six weeks I spent in Malaysia has forever changed the way I see medicine and the role of a physician in the community. My main project involved tuberculosis re-screening in Malaysia's largest prison. Working with such a vulnerable population and advocating for the needs of people who are often stigmatized solidified my desire to work with similar populations in the future. I also had the opportunity to work on another project involving the correlates of depression in LMIC prison populations. When I wasn't working on these projects, I was able to visit the wards at the university medical center. It was humbling to meet patients with advanced AIDS, tuberculosis, and tropical diseases like Dengue fever that are rarely seen at hospitals in the United States."

- Tilda Nieminen, first-year medical student at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas who received a $1,000 IMEM Award toward a 2024 global health trip to Malaysia

“I had the most amazing time in Niger. I spent the first month at Danja Fistula Center where I cared for specific vulnerable populations, including patients with leprosy, chronic wounds, and birth-related injuries. I then spent the remainder of my time at Galmi Mission Hospital where I provided full-spectrum family medicine services. My main focus was on maternity and newborn care. As such, I provided many women's health services including vaginal and surgical deliveries, gynecologic services, and routine prenatal care. I also cared for infants in the NICU. I spent my last month in Galmi doing adult and pediatric medicine, both in clinic and inpatient. This really pushed me and grew my tropical disease knowledge. I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to serve in a cross-cultural setting. The patient population I cared for was so welcoming and I really had a difficult time saying goodbye.”

- Taylor Russell, fellow at Via Christi International Family Medicine in Wichita who received a $1,000 IMEM Award to support her 2023 global health trip to Niger.

“This international rotation with Child Family Health International was aimed at educating senior medical students on the structure and current state of healthcare in the Philippines. The first segment was spent discussing the system, identifying elements of public versus private sector, and how they are building their universal model ‘PhilHealth.’ The latter half was spent on a rural island with the Municipal Health Officer, seeing patients in clinic and working with healthcare workers to discuss the services offered. This entire program provided me with an invaluable learning experience on the challenges of rural medicine when socioeconomic and geographic barriers impact access and outcomes. This experience has reassured my desire to practice medicine in underserved communities. I know that I want to practice in the Midwest, specifically Kansas, because this is community I know most. Rural Kansas has a lot of work yet to be done and I think my efforts are best served here. Alongside my career here, I want to partner with another international organization long term to assist in their efforts.”

- Kyle Rampetsreiter, fourth-year medical student at KU School of Medicine in Kansas City who received a $1,000 IMEM Award to support a 2023 global health trip to the Philippines.

“City of Hope was initially founded as a primary school and has since expanded into a secondary school and a health center. The health center was started to provide health care to the children at the school but has expanded to OB care as well as general care for the community. I spent most of my time working there with the clinical officer who runs the health center along with a midwife nurse. I initially wanted to study family planning perceptions in the region, and I did get to do this some, but my plans changed as I experienced the needs of the area. I shifted my focus to learning about health systems in Tanzania and how to improve the overall health of a community rather than simply providing sick care. I worked together with the founder and the CEO of HopeCo (the organization who run City of Hope) to explore gaps in care and discuss how to improve the health center. One of those improvements came while I was there; I discovered an unused Butterfly ultrasound someone had donated, but no one knew how to use it. Therefore, I worked with the staff to train them on its use with my phone, especially in OB care. They are still looking for a compatible device to work with it but will hopefully have a functional ultrasound there soon.”

- Emily Long, resident physician at Ascension St Vincent's East Family Medicine Residency in Birmingham, Alabama. Emily received a $1,000 IMEM award to support her 2023 global health trip to Tanzania.

"I spent four weeks within a rural hospital in Jamaica. I was able to provide health care and learn so much about Jamaican culture. It was such a moving experience to see the stark contrasts between healthcare systems and be able to provide my own knowledge to local doctors there. The IMEM award allowed me to further my own cultural perspective while providing medical care to those in need; a once in a lifetime experience.”

- Elizabeth Colvin, third-year medical student at the Campbell School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lillington, North Carolina. Elizabeth received a $1,000 IMEM award to support a 2023 global health trip to Jamaica.

“My experience in Guatemala was an incredible one. I was there for 10 days, allowing me to truly see and enjoy the people, culture, and beauty of the landscape around me. Each day we ran medical clinics in rural communities surrounding our ‘home base’ town of San Lucas. Most of the people in these communities only have access to healthcare when groups like ours come, sometimes only every 6 months. Our group got great experience working with translators as well, sometimes translating from English to Spanish to the native language of Kaqchikel. Travelling to Guatemala allowed me to pursue my passions for serving the underserved and creating impactful relationships with others. This award helped ease the financial burden of travelling internationally and made this incredible experience more feasible for me as a full-time student. Thank you IMEM!”

- Meaghan Sievers, third-year medical student at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. Meaghan received a $1,000 IMEM Award toward a 2023 global health trip to Guatemala.

“I had a great time in Thailand learning about the healthcare system, endemic diseases, and the different approaches Thai physicians employ. The doctors in rural Thailand had limited resources so it was enlightening to see the conservative measures they took to treat the same illnesses American patients have. The trip also gave me insight into the herbal medicine part of Thai culture as we spent a few days working with Thai Alternative Medicine doctors. I also helped educate the university's medical students on the versatility and application of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS).”

- Min Ji Son, fourth-year medical student at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine who received a $1,000 IMEM Award toward a 2023 global health trip to Thailand.

"My experience in Ghana was insightful and eye-opening. I worked in a large, busy trauma center in Kumasi with local emergency medicine residents and Ghanaian attending physicians. I witnessed and got to assist in resuscitating patients with multisystem traumatic injuries, tropical diseases like severe malaria, and many other conditions that we may not see often in Kansas City. While I did see some common diseases and injuries, having limited resources complicated most treatment plans that I would normally pursue at KUMC. I met some wonderful people both inside and outside the hospital, whom I hope to see again!

"Even though I had participated in several mobile clinics prior to this experience, I realize now that I did not understand the nature of global emergency care and services until I worked in a busy hospital in central Ghana. This experience was insightful and I met so many wonderful people.”

- Daniel Masin, resident physician at the University of Kansas Emergency Medicine program who received a $1,000 IMEM Award to support a 2022 medical mission trip to Ghana

“I spent four weeks in Pamplona, Spain, where I observed and scrubbed into cases in the OR, participated in clinic, and got to know the attendings, residents, and medical students. Overall, the experience was incredibly stretching, challenging, and rewarding. I learned a lot about the differences in medical education and healthcare infrastructure in Spain vs the USA. It was exactly the experience I was looking for! This trip has reminded me how much I grow and learn when I'm surrounded by a new, unfamiliar culture, and how that growth will benefit my future patients.”

– Alyssa Belford, fourth-year KU Medical Student in Kansas City who received a $1,000 IMEM Award toward a 2023 global health trip to Spain

"Our focus was on the rural Guatemalan community of San Pedro La Laguna. There were many different facets of medicine that were faced with and had to respond to with limited resources. Our main focus was in the local hospital where we saw patients that came in every day with a plethora of different health concerns. We were also able to observe how a different culture responds to similar health concerns that we have here in the states. Another aspect of our trip was that of educating the community on chronic disease management. We spent time at the local markets recruiting people to come and get their blood pressure and blood sugars checked and found a staggering amount that needed medication or further evaluation. It was an incredible opportunity to integrate with the culture and to hear about why traditional medicine is a ‘plan B’ for most Guatemalan people.”

– Wyatt Bell, second-year KU medical student in Wichita who received a $1,000 IMEM Award toward a 2023 global health trip to Guatemala.