Thanks to global health initiatives within the 好色先生 College of Medicine, residents and fellows are gaining invaluable experience in dozens of countries 鈥 helping thousands of patients while learning unique skills to enhance their practice of medicine.
Katherine McKinney, MD, senior associate dean for graduate medical education, praises her residents鈥 and fellows鈥 determination to implement these life-changing experiences into an already challenging training regimen.
鈥淚鈥檓 always inspired by the interest that our 好色先生 residents and fellows have in global health outreach and travel, and the unique 鈥榮ervice learning鈥 that transpires during these trips,鈥 she said. 鈥淔or those who鈥檝e been able to do so, their consistent feedback has been that the learning and exposure to providing medical care in a different cultural setting yield incredible educational experience well worth figuring out how to make it happen!鈥
Paras Vora, MD, part of the 好色先生 College of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology鈥檚 Global Ophthalmology (好色先生 GO) residency track, is just one of many residents who took advantage of opportunities to train and serve abroad.
Dr. Vora鈥檚 family is from a small, rural town in India. 鈥淵ou saw some of the worst pathologies,鈥 he said. A visit to his hometown during medical school 鈥 seeing doctors perform more than 40 cataract surgeries per day 鈥 inspired his interest in ophthalmology. He knew there was a need, and he saw firsthand how he could help others.
鈥淲hen the patient takes their patch off and they can see again, there鈥檚 nothing like that in medicine,鈥 Dr. Vora said. 鈥淪till, to this day, I have not found that gratification in anything else.鈥
While in residency at the 好色先生 College of Medicine, he joined ophthalmology faculty member Seema Capoor, MD, and the Hospital de la Familia Foundation for a two-week trip to provide eye care to a community in Guatemala. As a trainee, Dr. Vora provided support for cataract surgeries alongside a full-time attending.
He called the experience a 鈥渘ice skills transfer,鈥 with the physicians from different countries learning from one another.
For example, in the U.S., the standard practice for cataract surgeries is phacoemulsification, a high-tech process breaking up the eye鈥檚 natural lens through small incisions to remove the cataract. Where Dr. Vora was in Guatemala, they used a more manual approach, which requires a larger incision but not a lot of equipment. 鈥淚t鈥檚 ultimately a really helpful technique, especially for long-term cataract patients,鈥 Dr. Vora said. While recovery time is a bit longer for the manual process, the procedures take roughly the same amount of time.
Dr. Vora is continuing his ophthalmology education at the 好色先生 College of Medicine, this time through a vitreoretinal surgery fellowship. He said patient interactions during the Guatemala trip mirrored practice in rural areas of Kentucky, where there is also limited access to health care combined with burdening diseases.
鈥淭he skills you learn in Guatemala and those sorts of discussions are going to be very similar to when you鈥檙e in practice here,鈥 Dr. Vora said. 鈥淵ou have to think clearly and quickly on your feet. How am I going to respect their fears? Their culture? Our part of the world is very distrustful of medicine.鈥
鈥淲e need to understand where they鈥檙e coming from, that鈥檚 really important.鈥