Department of Pediatrics

Residency Training Program

Child Health International Program (CHIP)

Where in the World are the UNM Pediatric Residents?

At the University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital we recognize the global nature of child health, and our Child Health International Program (CHIP) is doing something about it.

We believe that working with children in the developing world can be a profound experience - one which often generates a gratifying sense of achievement as well as lifelong implications on the practice of medicine. Therefore, the goal of CHIP is to provide our pediatric residents with the tools, the time, and the training necessary to provide specific and ongoing service in the international arena.

CHIP provides funding for international rotations through a $100,000 endowment from the Tom Dooley Heritage as well as funds raised and donated by our local New Mexico Pediatrics Society. We endeavor to support each resident with funds of ~ $1,000 based on the service and research components of the projects.

Our pediatrics program already has a strong record of providing international service. In recent years residents have provided services in Uganda, Botswana, Thailand, Russia and Zimbabwe. The service in Zimbabwe, which began as a one month resident driven PARC project, has evolved into a highly successful and nationally recognized non-profit organization which provides ongoing HIV education to African children (please see www.grassrootsoccer.org).

Bolstered with strong support from our Chairperson and Program Director, pediatric residents at UNM have the opportunity to arrange international rotations in both second and third years of residency. In coordination with our PARC program, interns have the opportunity and dedicated time to initiate plans for an international advocacy project which they may pursue on site in the following years.

CHIP is directed by a small group of faculty and residents dedicated to international child health. Please contact Dr. Aaron Jacobs (Director of CHIP, ajacobs@salud.unm.edu) to obtain any further information. Should you choose to pursue your pediatric residency with us at UNM, we would look forward to providing the training and support necessary for success in international child health.

2005-Present

Emily Macdonald :: DO, Pediatric Resident, 2007-2010

How does one accurately describe a life defining experience? For me, words may never properly convey November of 2009.

During the winter of my third year of residency, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to India with my . husband, a surgical resident at UNM. We spent one month at the Vivekananda Hospital and Polyclinics in northern India, providing care at a large charitable hospital.

Certainly, I had expected to see infection, malnutrition, and poverty. And I did, much of which transcended my expectations. What, perhaps, I didn’t anticipate was the reaffirmation of the human experience—the idea that we are all the same, that the bond of humanity transcends all borders and cultures. I saw the same adoration between a mother and a baby, the pride a father has in a growing child, the endearing antics of all toddlers, and the ache of losing a newborn. I witnessed the beauty, pain, charity, and anguish of the soul that unites all of us.

My time in India imprinted my life in ways beyond just expanding my clinical understanding. I learned about medicine and disease, but most importantly, I learned about myself. Without question, this experience has resulted in me becoming a better physician, and yes, a better human.

Oni Guha :: Resident

The flexibility and faculty support available in the UNM residency program has enabled me to explore my areas of passion in pediatrics. With my interest in international medicine, I was excited about the possibility of working with HIV/AIDS affected children in Africa. However, I would not have been able to participate in this transformative experience without the support of the child health international program. With the assistance of a travel grant, I spent a month working in an HIV clinic in Maseru, Lesotho.

On a daily basis I saw patients with pathology less commonly seen in the US, and observed the differences between the practice of medicine between resource-rich and resource-poor areas. I also appreciated the great opportunity to study the practice of healthcare in this different setting, and observed how evidence-based medicine and practice guidelines save lives on a daily basis.

Through this experience, I realized that I am compelled to contribute my enthusiasm and knowledge to work with children and healthcare workers in different countries to improve the health of the global community. This perspective inspires me on a daily basis to continue learning and building my skills as a clinician throughout residency and beyond.