Fellows

Fun Facts about you: The first time I pumped my own gas I was 20. I have an extra set of molars. I used to have a collection of over 50 ties, but that’s been changing since learning about minimalism and essentialism.

Why did you do the fellowship?  What are you hoping to gain/learn from it?  What do you want to do afterwards?

I was instilled with a global perspective having two parents who were born in Haiti.  That perspective ignited my desire to engage in the needs of the marginalized.  I chose family medicine to be the avenue in which I partner with the Global South. I am pursuing the International Family Medicine Fellowship to expand upon my knowledge base and training opportunities that go beyond what I learned in residency. I appreciate the experiences we spend moonlighting in rural Kansas to also build on our skills in lower resourced settings and growing in confidence in our autonomy.  With the five months we train abroad, I hope to learn what life might look like in medical missions with a family with my wife and young children. I look forward to experiencing how to grow in resourcefulness, creativity, and adaptability. I think the Via Christi International Family Medicine Fellowship allows the freedom to get a practical  sense of what global medicine can look like in a sustainable way that is not too short to not acclimate or too long of a commitment.

After the fellowship, we plan to pay off loans in order to have more financial freedom before we go abroad. We have hopes to serve in long-term medical missions most likely in Latin America.

Fun Facts about you: I’m a twin (sister)!  I’m snobby about coffee and beer.  I love swing dancing.  One of the best gifts I have ever received is a reference book for Greek and Latin roots of medical words. My favorite cults are church and CrossFit (feel free to join me!).

Why did you do the fellowship?  What are you hoping to gain/learn from it?  What do you want to do afterwards?

Medical missions work has been a pull in my heart for a long time. My interest in medicine at all was first piqued on a medical missions trip with my church youth group. Since that trip, in 9th grade, I have been pursuing a career in medicine with the goal of using that to be involved in international work.

As my residency experience came to a close, I knew that I wanted to get additional training to be better prepared to work as a full spectrum doctor in low resource settings. I applied both to OB fellowships and to the Via Christi International Family Medicine Fellowship. Ultimately, I ended up at Via Christi and I'm incredibly grateful to be surrounded by Christian mentors who have really valuable experience to draw from. Even now, 3 months into my fellowship experience, I feel like I've been acquiring skills that I was not able to work on in residency and getting exposure to practice settings that are new to me. I'm really enjoying the rural locums work that we do, and it's made me interested in pursuing that kind of work in the future.

Following this fellowship, my long-term goal is to practice and teach medicine in the developing world. I think this fellowship is excellent preparation to build important skill sets and get exposure to low resource settings in addition to forming contacts with incredible physicians and people doing really impactful work around the world. I don't think that I will be going abroad immediately, and I may end up doing some full spectrum work here in the States before spending time abroad.

Fun Facts about you: I’ve white water rafted on the Nile River. I’ve flown a plane (not well). There’s a pretty good chance I’ll starve living in a country without Costco. One of my favorite activities is cycling with Disney or action movies.

Why you did the fellowship?  What you're hoping to gain/learn from it?  What you want to do afterwards?
I have always wanted to serve communities in low and middle income countries. I completed my training at VCFM Residency due to the scope of training and caliber of teachers here. Truly, every provider in the area is so impressive and has an amazing heart for service. It seemed like a no-brainer to sign on for an extra year of globally-focused training and mentorship. While overseas, I hope to gain a better understanding of what tools, support, and training I will need to have longevity in a resource-limited setting.  I’m holding my post-fellowship plans loosely. However, it will probably entail a (hopefully, short) stint Stateside to pay off debt, establish partners, and gain region-specific training.