tropical or third world opportunities

[njaqua]

Do military docs ever get the opportunity to set up "shop" in a third world country or tropical areas (i.e. areas with prevalence of infectious diseases) to practice medicine? Or is this beyond the scope of the army and left soley to organizations like WHO and Doctors Without Borders? Essentially I'm just wondering what "cool" experiences, aside from serving country and soldiers, one could get from being a military, and specifically army, doc. For an example, although not exotic, did military docs go down to help with Katrina victims?

Thanks.

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[USAFdoc]

Do military docs ever get the opportunity to set up "shop" in a third world country or tropical areas (i.e. areas with prevalence of infectious diseases) to practice medicine? Or is this beyond the scope of the army and left soley to organizations like WHO and Doctors Without Borders? Essentially I'm just wondering what "cool" experiences, aside from serving country and soldiers, one could get from being a military, and specifically army, doc. For an example, although not exotic, did military docs go down to help with Katrina victims?

Thanks.

I have heard of docs doing this, but in my carreer it was never an option, and I suspect with the financial strain, and manning strain on todays military healthcare system, this will become even more rare in the future.

 

[USAFGMODOC]

I went to the USAF Global Medicine course (lots of good information and well run course for 10 days in San Antonio TDY) last year and met several of the ID guys/gals. One Navy staff guy hooked up a 2 yr deal in Chile with some attachment to embassy duties and alot of tropical medicine stuff. The Army ID guys are also doing some research into Malaria prophylaxis and new drugs as well as some of the other world ID stuff. Most volunteered to be sent to 3rd world disaster relief (hurricane/earthquakes/Tsunamis) for ID/prev med reasons and the Army docs seemed to have all spent numerous tours in the sandbox. Since we left Panama in the mid 90's and the phillipines in late 80's; there are less and less types of the ability to do alot of this type of medicine. Most services do perform some type of annual rotation in South America (teams from Wilford Hall and others) to perform 2 or 3 week humanitarian type missions.... Some day, I'd love to go on one of these....
Hope this helps!

 

[njaqua]

I went to the USAF Global Medicine course (lots of good information and well run course for 10 days in San Antonio TDY) last year and met several of the ID guys/gals. One Navy staff guy hooked up a 2 yr deal in Chile with some attachment to embassy duties and alot of tropical medicine stuff. The Army ID guys are also doing some research into Malaria prophylaxis and new drugs as well as some of the other world ID stuff. Most volunteered to be sent to 3rd world disaster relief (hurricane/earthquakes/Tsunamis) for ID/prev med reasons and the Army docs seemed to have all spent numerous tours in the sandbox. Since we left Panama in the mid 90's and the phillipines in late 80's; there are less and less types of the ability to do alot of this type of medicine. Most services do perform some type of annual rotation in South America (teams from Wilford Hall and others) to perform 2 or 3 week humanitarian type missions.... Some day, I'd love to go on one of these....
Hope this helps!

That does help. Thanks!