In January 2006 I participated in World Camp, Malawi. Sandwiched between two trying semesters of Organic Chemistry at Middlebury College, a January term spent away from Vermont’s winter, had a remarkable impact on me. Allow me to share with you three specific examples:
1) A profound emotional reaction provoked
Recently I ran across an email I wrote to a friend about a month after finishing the Malawi session. Its reflections seem to capture the deep impact of my time in Africa.
"...So I have been having a hard time hopping on the focus train for my orgo exam. I just couldn't find the motivation. Tonight I watched The Constant Gardner though. As the children ran towards the car screaming “wazungu” and giving thumbs up, nostalgia overtook me...knowing the faces of the children on the screen, remembering those same big eyes and then watching them be denied proper medical attention...is the strongest illustration of why simply slipping back into our comfortable lives in the United States is unjustifiable.
On its own the movie presents a powerful message that needs to be told...it seems impossible to not feel emotions towards the situation. Alongside relevant personal experiencee, it resonates even deeper. When you know those children- “ring worm eye”, “home girl”, “hanging butt boy”- when you remember their genuine bliss in life and appreciation of what little they have, it is impossible to not imagine them as the victims- eventually suffering or dying as a result of the economically driven greed that is the western world.
It breaks my heart. And despite the requests by my friends to "go out ‘cause its a Friday night" I can't muster up the justification to simply push aside the first real opportunity in which I have felt a natural reflection on my time in Africa.”
2) Unknown skill sets uncovered
Although I was initially inspired to work with World Camp because of the clinical relevance of HIV/AIDS, the experience afforded me an opportunity to take on novel roles and employ more diverse skill set. As an intern with World Camp I was a: teacher, leader, friend and team member. I had to follow rules and structure, yet be creative. I had to perform small tasks and large, from packing supply bins to curriculum development. I had to constantly be surrounded by our work and my teammates, yet find ways for personal reflection. I had to live up to the long-standing World Camp reputation, but also help in creating a new legacy of outreach initiatives. I discovered that these experiences served me well when I began work at The Advisory Board Company in Washington, DC. I joined the company as chief of staff in a department conducting analyses and research required to develop strategic advice for hospitals. From here I became Manager of The Expert Center, where I managed all the research and expertise that the Advisory Board had acquired over the past thirty years. I supervised a team of research associates and the processes of connecting hospital executives with content experts. This position enabled me to have a direct impact on the organizational health of hospitals, and at the same time, employ and further cultivate the analytical, leadership, and team-based skills that World Camp first illuminated.
3) My definition of the “good physician” evolves
After two wonderful years in the professional world I decided to finally pursue my dream of becoming a physician. My experience at World Camp greatly influenced my applications and is still with me as I continue to chug through medical school in Maine. World Camp taught me that the role of health teacher and mentor to patients is intrinsic to a physician’s success. Despite the hurdles of language barriers and unconventional classrooms, the innate curiosity and interest in understanding tactics for prevention displayed by my students confirmed the power of accessible education in contributing to effective health care. Daily the medical school experience molds the physician I am becoming. In these moments, my time at World Camp persists as a primary influence in the type of physician I aspire to be - a physician who works with patients to make their health relatable and less daunting, and through the power of understanding, engages them in their own health maintenance.
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Overall, World Camp is an organization that I would recommend to anyone who is looking to build strong relationships with inspiring people, challenge their cultural experiences, learn to appreciate the benefits of prevention through education, build their own character and find that the most rewarding way to travel is to impress oneself in the community and culture.
My time at World Camp touched me personally and has prepared me for my time in corporate life and now for years of medical experiences yet to come.
Submitted by: Suvi Neukam, Volunteer - Malawi 2006
**Part V in a series of reflections on how we internalize what we learn abroad into who we are back home. Email submissions to info@worldcampforkids.org or katy@worldcampforkids.org. Articles, thoughts, poems, quotes, pictures, etc. are welcome!*
I'm truly inspired! What a great way to incorporate the rare experiences one encounters on such a journey into a future that focuses on aiding those in need!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Suvi!
ReplyDeleteYour first point made me think about a few things. How hard it is to "re-enter" our worlds at home sometimes, especially when we don't want to. How all we want to do at other times is find a way to connect back to what we experienced. And, still at other times, how it's so easy to connect back even through something that is not quite exactly the same (like a movie).
I was also thinking about how sometimes all of that leaves me feeling guilty--guilty for having so much more that others but not always being able to fully appreciate when I get back bc instead of being in the present i am thinking of them, guilty at other times for letting those experiences hit me so deeply and make me so sad/angry when I am not the one suffering through whatever it is. Almost like, it's not my pain so why do I claim the sadness to bear it?
I remember visiting the war museum in Ho Chi Minh; there was this photo exhibit of the American-Vietnam war with a section by one of the most famous photo journalists killed in the war, Larry Burrow's work. Under one of his war photos was written:
"...and so often I wonder whether it is right to capitalize, as a i feel, so often on the grief of others. But then I justify, in my own particular thoughts, by feeling that I can contribute a little to the understanding of what others are going through, than there is reason for doing it."
I guess the best we can do is be patient with ourselves, realize the reflection process never ends, and recognize that there's always something good to be found and something to learn wherever we are!