Cardiac Care in Cameroon

Cardiac Centre at Shisong Hospital, Kumbo, Cameroon

Background
As many of you know, I'm a third year medical student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. It has long been my dream to complement the medical training I'm receiving in the United States with a global health elective abroad. I'm thrilled to share that I now have a chance to do just that.

For four weeks beginning in mid-February of next year, I will be traveling to Kumbo, Cameroon, in West Africa to assist and learn from local doctors and patients. My destination is the Cardiac Centre at Shisong Hospital, the only cardiosurgical center in Western/Central Africa, providing both invasive and non-invasive cardiac care to children and adults from the region.

Goals
At this site, I will be paired with cardiologists and technicians and immersed into an environment where I can learn how to care for congenital and acquired cardiac conditions across the lifespan. Realizing that these conditions in Cameroonians are the same as those in Americans, it will be to my advantage to experience how disease is diagnosed and treated with more limited resources. This knowledge will directly translate into my ability to care for patients when I return to the US.

Costs
The cost of this trip is significant, which is why I'm turning to my family and friends to help. I hope to raise $2,000, which will cover the cost of airfare, visa, and passport fees. I have applied for a scholarship to cover the remainder of the trip costs.