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Hospital Doctor, 29th June 2006
If the conventional path to consultancy isn’t
for you, maybe you would derive greater satisfaction from working,
like Dr Michael Woodman, as a doctor with an aid agency in the developing
world.
BRITISH doctor, Michael Woodman (35) has a wealth
of experience working in remote clinics with limited resources in
the developing world. On June first, he will be arriving in his
third conflict zone in the last five years to administer health
care to the beleaguered population of the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) in central Africa, with international humanitarian agency,
GOAL.
Son of a British father and African mother, Michael
was born and brought up in Harare in Zimbabwe but has spent a significant
amount of time working throughout the UK, in various house officer
roles, including stints as an SHO in emergency medicine at the Bristol
Royal Infirmary.
However, it was in Zimbabwe that he first realised
his destiny of dedicating his working career to those less fortunate
than himself.
“I’ve always wanted to work with the underprivileged”
he said. “For the last six years I have been following this
career. I will never go back to working as a GP or in a hospital
after what I’ve seen and done abroad.”
From a very young age Michael saw, first hand, the
major problems facing Zimbabwe, and his resolve to make a difference
has never left him. He has spent the last five years travelling
and working in countries as far flung as Indonesia, where he was
Medical Director in Batu Hijau Medical Service with medical agency-International
SOS. Here he was responsible for setting up and running clinics
in some of the remotest areas of the province.
He also worked in Sri Lanka with the same agency,
and before that with the French aid organisation, Medicins Sans
Frontiers, in Afghanistan.
Dr Woodman obtained his primary medical degree in
South Africa, his masters in public health in Australia and his
diploma in tropical health in the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine. Additionally he received a diploma in advanced life support
in Birmingham and was drug and alcohol medical review officer in
the UK College of Occupational Health in Indonesia.
While working for Medicins Sans Frontiers, Michael
heard about the work that GOAL do in the developing world. He explained:
“I liked GOAL’s vision and mission statement. They work
to ensure that most vulnerable in the world have access to the fundamental
needs and rights of life. GOAL has a feeling of being independent.
They are outspoken when necessary, which is important when raising
awareness”.
Dr Woodman is visibly excited about the time he will
spend in the DRC. The country is emerging from seven years of war,
which has contributed to the deaths of approximately four million
people - 98% of whom died from disease and malnutrition, caused
by a healthcare system destroyed by conflict.
“This part of Africa has always fascinated me,
especially in terms of the conflict and how it has affected the
health care system. It will be a great challenge. I will be working
in areas where the need is greatest. It will also be a challenge
working in French, but I have no doubt I’ll get a lot out
of the whole experience.”
Doctors contemplating working in the developing world
should moderate their expectations of what it is possible to achieve,
he warns. “It’s not possible to produce the same level
of care that people are used to in the west. It’s about how
you can do the best you can with what resources are available. For
people who come from the first world, the feeling of frustration
can be overwhelming, so it is a challenge.”
The logistics can be a major problem, he adds. “Where
I’m going in the Congo with GOAL, there are no roads; everything
has to be flown in,” he says. “It’s difficult
to be in the one place all the time to receive equipment. Another
challenge is spending enough time training the national staff so
that when GOAL moves out, they are left with enough skills to carry
on the work.”
Dr Woodman has worthwhile advice for any professional
from his field thinking of going abroad to offer their medical services
to the poor and dispossessed. “If you’re even considering
it – GO! It can be very difficult to step off the medical
conveyor belt. There is so much pressure to move up the ladder -
become a consultant. But it’s a big world; I would encourage
people not to be afraid to take that first step. They will be fully
supported by organisations like GOAL, that’s what they’re
there for” he concluded confidently.
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