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Dr. Jeremy Schwartz Speaks About His First Experience in Africa

Dr. Jeremy Schwartz Speaks About His First Experience in Africa

Dr. Schwartz at Mulago Hospital in Kampala,Uganda Dr. Jeremy Schwartz, Doctor of Internal Medicine and Assistant Firm Chief, Yale Primary Care International Medicines Residency Program at the Yale School of Medicine  and KFWH Advisory Board Member, writes of his first experience treating patients in Africa.   I was seated at a small desk against one of the long walls of this large rectangular room. Before me was a never-ending swarm of activity, full of very sick people everywhere. This was my first morning at an African hospital.    I had been to Africa several times for pleasure and for study as an undergraduate. But this time, I was a medical student, fresh out of 3rd year and I was to spend a year in Uganda on a clinical research fellowship. This day, the first of only 2 weeks I spent on the medical wards at Mulago Hospital before shifting up the hill to the considerably cushier confines of our research collaboration clinic, would prove to open my eyes-wide.    A...

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INspiring Thoughts!

 Recommended Reading or film a book about John Dau and the Lost Boys of Sudan for suggested discussion questions, see “Curriculum Guides” /Teacher to Teacher/Education   The Voice-  Submit your quotes and thoughts  by Contact Us! ” Hope is never lost. Impossible things are the things you refuse to do.” John Dau ” With peace, everything is possible, but it must be protected, not just for Sudan, but for all peace loving people in the world. Hope must not be lost. All those miles in the desert, I always said, “Maybe tomorrow will not be like this.” John Dau ” What a journey we have taken through time. And how wonderfully blessed we all are in this work; to connect with humanity at  its most common and diverse.”k “What I would tell all students, is at the appropriate time, move out of your comfort zone.” Nicholas Kristof “As adults, I often hear that we cannot- from children I hear why not? ” “In spite of our differences, the Spirit...

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Chagas: The Facts

Chagas: The Facts

Chagas is a parasitic disease transmitted by insects. It is most prevalent in Latin  America. The beetles that transmit Chagas live in cracks in the walls of mud and straw housing, which are common in rural areas and urban slums.  It affects an estimated 16-18 million people and claims 50,000 lives annually. Symptoms:  There are often no apparent symptoms after infection, with the exception of a  short- lived flu-like reaction. The disease is progressive and after 10 to 20 years, thirty percent of those infected will develop permanent and often irreversible damage to the heart, esophagus, and colon. Diagnosis and Treatment:  Diagnosis is difficult because of lack of symptoms and often requires several blood tests to confirm the presence of the disease.  Two drugs are available, but are expensive. Treatment for a child under 15 is around $40. The drugs are not as effective, though, when the disease reaches its chronic,often fatal, state because of cardiac and digestive complications. Research is on-going for both diagnosis and treatment. Prevention:  Treating...

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