Each man has his own vocation; his talent is his call. There is one direction in which all space is open to him.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tyler Gress

Michael Clark and Tyler Gress here- two medical students at the University of Minnesota - Duluth School of Medicine. We are both driven by a desire to help provide for the basic needs of people who aren’t able to provide for themselves, and desire to do so in a way that challenges us intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. There are many ways to provide for such needs, but none are as deeply personal and at times emotionally exhausting as being with someone through their journey of illness and health, life and death. Through a career in medicine, we hope to fulfill our own vocation: using our passions and skills in a way to positively affect those in need.

Michael Clark

In order to provide the best overall care for a patient, understanding the science of medicine is simply not enough. A physician must also master the art of medicine. Doing so involves an awareness of cultural sensitivities and constructing a model of care that does not jive with the patient’s values and wishes. To help future physicians realize how to do so, the University of Minnesota- Duluth School of Medicine offers an elective course called MEDS (Medical Education through Diversity and Service). Through MEDS, we will spend time immersed in a foreign culture (in this case, Chuuk and Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia) to learn how to do just that- understand the cultural and social factors that motivate health related decisions in a culture vastly different than our own. In many cultures, “health” is not so easily defined as a state of physical and mental wellness; religion, tradition, myth and many more factors often contribute to health and cannot be thought of as separate entities. In an increasingly globalized world, we can then apply this understanding to our own future practice in order to provide the highest possible level of care for our patients.

We are joined on this trip by Donna McNear, a visual impairment specialist who has been visiting the region for over a decade. She has been working to improve the learning conditions of children affected by a variety of visual impairments, namely anophthalmia, microphthalmia, and achromatopsia. She has offered to travel with us for the first part of this trip to introduce us to the people she has met and friends she has made throughout her work here. We are very grateful for all of her help.

It is our hope that this blog will help us think through what we are seeing, learning, and experiencing while allowing you to join us on this journey and maybe even learn along with us. We apologize ahead of time for our often convoluted thought process, but hope you will understand what we are trying to say. Feel free to ask questions, give advice, or just drop us a line. See you in Micronesia!