Education
Child Health International Program (CHIP)
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
Elizabeth Lundeen:: Resident
This summer, the summer of my 2nd year
of residency, I traveled to Gaborone, Botswana. It may seem like
international travel is hard to arrange in residency, but our program
encourages and supports it. I received a CHIP grant which covered part
of my expenses, and was able to use educational funds to help cover the
rest, making the trip an economic possibility.
While I was in Botswana, I was able to work with a
Pediatric AIDS Corp group based out of Baylor. I worked for four weeks
in the national clinic for Pediatric HIV treatment and saw dozens of
children each week. I worked directly with patients in the main clinic,
but I was also able to travel off-site to outreach clinics where my
training in pediatrics made me part of an expert team available to teach
and offer consultation for unusual pediatric disease. Most doctors in
Botswana are incredibly overloaded with very sick patients and they
function with little official training beyond medical school. Even as a
very junior pediatrician, my contribution was meaningful.
Here in NM, we see all sorts of disease—including
advanced pathology that I never encountered while training on the east
coast. However, many of the illnesses I saw in Botswana, both HIV and
non-HIV related, were new to me outside of text-book knowledge. The
elective time I spent abroad definitely added to my clinical acumen and
experience. Perhaps more importantly, my time away taught me confidence
and pride in my abilities. In many ways, this trip jump-started my
career as a pediatrician and it certainly has made me a better
resident.
With all the advances and opportunities we have in
the world of western medicine, time spent in the developing world
teaches you things that you can’t learn from books and power-points.
It’s an amazing thing to be in a program where that this type of
experience is both valued and supported.
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.
Dept. of Pediatrics,
UNMH 3 Ambulatory Care Center,
Albuquerque, NM 87131 |
Phone: (505) 272-5551 |
Fax: (505) 272-6845
