I've been thinking a lot recently about this topic, and here is my (somewhat snarky) analogy. I may write more later, but for now, here is the analogy.
Review of ‘Learning Service’
I was delighted to recieve a review copy of the new book 'Learning Service' by Claire Bennett, Daniela Papi-Thornton, Joseph Collins, and Zahara Heckscher. These four experienced volunteers and program directors explore the dark side of international volunteerism and offer suggestions for improvement. Most of my international development experience has been and is with highly … Continue reading Review of ‘Learning Service’
Consortium of Universities for Global Health
Having been active in global health for over a decade I have witnessed and experienced many alterations of plans, and many episodes of project failure. Most have been easily attributable to single causes e.g. an individual’s incompetence, a lapsed grant, or a political coup. However, a recent collaborative failure in which I was involved was … Continue reading Consortium of Universities for Global Health
Ketamine
China is pushing the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to place ketamine on a schedule of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.This would severely restrict access.As many of you know, ketamine is the only available anesthetic in most rural areas of low resource countries, and is the anesthetic of choice in disaster relief.Placing ketamine on any schedule … Continue reading Ketamine
Adaptability
Extreme Affordability Conference 2015
© 2014 The University of UtahSave the Date!University of UtahCenter for Global Surgery Extreme Affordability Conference: Collaborations for Surgical CareLocation: Rice Eccles Stadium,Salt Lake City,UtahWhen: April 10th & 11th, 2015Registration and Call for Abstracts will be open soon.@UUCGS (and others) will be tweeting with #ExAff(If you missed the talks from the 2013 conference, here they … Continue reading Extreme Affordability Conference 2015
Recovering one by one.
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” - Isaac Asimov, "A … Continue reading Recovering one by one.
Global Health Credentialing
Yale medical diploma awarded Asaph Leavitt Bissell, Class of 1815There is a trend in the global health literature calling for an authority to credential those who undertake medical humanitarian missions in low-income countries (LICs). The argument is that there is no oversight as to the medical or cultural competencies of these providers, and that harm … Continue reading Global Health Credentialing
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Despite being involved in global health for over a decade, I have only just read "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder. I had seen some criticisms of Dr. Paul Farmer and his model, and I think I expected the book to be a glossy overview of Partners in Health (PIH) and their good works. I was pleasantly … Continue reading Mountains Beyond Mountains
Failure
I co-direct the "Public Health and Surgery" course here at the University of Utah. This week in class we were discussing 'failure'. We heard from colleagues who had experienced program collapse, we watched David Damberger's talk on "Learning From Failure", and we had a nice chat about how and why projects 'fail'.As I was listening … Continue reading Failure
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