An exciting opportunity afforded the residents at the Brown Medical School Department of Surgery is a chance to travel to Kenya for a two-month elective rotation at a mission hospital. Dr. Russell White, a 1995 graduate of the Brown program, is a general-thoracic missionary surgeon at Tenwek Hospital located in rural southeastern Kenya. A generous endowment from Drs. Stanley Simon and Martin Felder (senior faculty members based at The Miriam Hospital) provides for the resident’s salary, travel, and housing expenses.

Tenwek Hospital is a 300-bed facility, large by Kenyan standards, that has two operating rooms, procedure rooms, maternity/birthing rooms, and an ophthalmology suite. The hospital has x-ray and ultrasound capabilities. The hospital is run by the Christian organization, World Medical Mission. In addition to Dr. White, the hospital has one additional full-time missionary surgeon, Dr. Michael Chupp and several full-time medical and pediatric physicians. Much of the staff support comes from short-term visiting attendings, residents, and medical students. Kenyan doctors, students, and nurses provide much of the patient care. In addition, they offer their friendship and collegiality without reservation. Residents who complete the rotation will not find a more rewarding experience.

Each year one PGY-3 resident is chosen for this elective. This individual functions with the independence and responsibility appropriate to his or her abilities. The resident will see patients in the clinic and the ER, book surgical cases and operate, and take call. One of the full-time surgeons is always available for back up. The breadth and volume of cases and opportunity to learn about third-world disease is endless. The first resident to rotate to Tenwek Hospital in 1997 completed nearly 80 cases and 50 endoscopic procedures ranging from esophagogastrectomies and thyroidectomies to bowel obstructions, appendectomies and hysterectomies. Orthopaedic, neurosurgical, pediatric, and trauma cases including burns are also plentiful. The opportunity for growth in mind, body, and spirit are limited only by the resident’s stamina and fortitude.