Hero doctors

The Medical Republic

Voluntourism is an enticing form of travel: exotic locales, cultural immersion, serving needy populations with your skills – all wrapped up in your four weeks’ annual leave.

Not so fast. Before packing your passport and mosquito net tune in to The Medical Republic podcast to hear from two guests who might make you reconsider.

Dr Andrew Browning has been doing fistula surgery in Africa through the Barbara May Foundation for around 25 years. He says its life changing for patients who start to live normal lives again after the deeply distressing injury caused by obstructed labour. However, Dr Browning says a donation that funds local health workers may better support outcomes than a short-term volunteering stint.

“When you're there for a short term the people don't know you, you don't know them. You don't know the culture, you don't know the way things work or don't work.

“The people there are very polite, very long suffering and will put up with you for the time that you're there. Then as soon as you leave, they just go back to their normal ways,” Dr Browning says.

But if you're still keen Dr. Browning said there are some spaces for shorter term volunteers if you have specialised in obstetrics, gynecology or midwifery.

“Around 40% of these girls have been suicidal or attempted suicide with this injury, a hundred percent of them are depressed. And when you treat them they just turn back to be normal, happy citizens,” Dr Browning said.

It’s the kind of heroic work that many doctors dream of, says rheumatologist Dr Rob Baume. After a bout of professional burn out, Dr Baume considered medical voluntourism but ended up not buying a plane ticket after all.

“When I did a bit of more research, I found that unless you have a specific specialties such as anesthetist or an obstetrician, you need to sign up for nine months. The other part of the equation is that I don't speak the language. Then there’s also the cost, the health risks and the risk to your life,” he said.

Instead of volunteering himself, Dr. Baume has just raised $1 million for healthcare in developing nations through his charity, Twice the Doctor.

Dr Baume said that research by Dr Greg Lewis shows that if a doctor wants to make maximum impact on the world, it doesn't matter which specialisation they do.

“What matters is that you give a fair bit of your income to third world causes,” Dr Baume said.

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