UTSG MEDLIFE

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Our Story

There are a lot of NGOs out there that can appear to be similar to MEDLIFE. To make sure that we are never confused with the rest of those organizations, we have created this document to highlight the morals that we hold dear and that separate us from the rest. We Developed the Mobile Clinic Model - The current Mobile Clinic Model that has been graciously copied by several other NGOs doing volunteer brigades is one that WE DEVELOPED! And while we agree with the old saying that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", we still believe that we do it best. We have been improving our Mobile Clinics since the first one in Ecuador, in 2004. We are glad that we have influenced others to try and follow our path, but we encourage you to come and see a Mobile Clinic in its truest form with MEDLIFE. Founded in Medicine, Forged in the foothills - MEDLIFE's founder is Dr. Nick Ellis and therefore our roots have always been in medical attention. Our programs were not created by an economist who sees people simply as numbers or by a businessman who sees clinics as "market growth". We started with a focus on the individual and although we have grown organizationally, we have never lost sight of our purpose. We exist for that sigh of relief or that faint smile that you see when a patient receives care they so desperately desire and need. So many of our patients have had more doors closed in their face than they dare to count, but MEDLIFE is there to take care of them in their time of need. Morals and Ethics are our foundation - Would you let a 1st year Med Student perform any type of procedure on your family? We didn't think so, and we wouldn't let them do the same to one of our patients. Many NGOs let uncertified participants perform actual procedures on the poor, as if they for some reason should not get the same careful care as someone from a more developed country. We allow participants to shadow doctors and assist while learning but they are never allowed to perform anything that would not be allowed in their home countries. People are people wherever they live and regardless of their economic situation, MEDLIFE chooses to treat them as such. A MEDLIFE desk job does not exist - All MEDLIFE staff, from our Directors to our Nurses must spend time in the field working with communities throughout the year. At a minimum, all staff must take part in either a Volunteer Trip or Patient Follow-Up Care visits once a month. Poverty is ongoing and so is our work, MEDLIFE believes that getting our hands dirty, talking to our communities, and creating those personal bonds is what truly sets us apart and gives us the resolve and determination to continue to face down world poverty. Cultural Understanding - MEDLIFE knows that truly effective care starts with understanding your patient. The majority of MEDLIFE employees are from the host countries in which we work. Cultural understanding can not be learned overnight. By working hand in hand with local communities and by filling our ranks with people from those very same communities, MEDLIFE continues to ensure understanding of our patients in order to guarantee that the work we do is exactly what they need. Follow-Up Care - This is definitively the most important part of MEDLIFE. Follow-up patient care is often and extensively neglected by the majority of NGO volunteer brigades. Too often brigades will arrive, make a poor surface diagnosis and leave no system or stability in place to actually help their patients. If you can't resolve a medical issue with one doctors appointment in the developed world, why do these organizations think that they can in some of the most impoverished regions around the world? MEDLIFE makes sure to educate their patients that we are and will be there for them to see them through their treatment until their ailments are resolved. Ease of Entry - If you are motivated enough to want to give your time and resources to helping others, then who are we to put barriers in your way? Many organizations put up barriers for their volunteers that slow the process of actually helping. There are literally no restrictions to joining a MEDLIFE Mobile Clinic or one of our other Volunteer Trips. Find us online, Sign up, and you are on your way to taking part in one of the most meaningful ways of spending a week of your time. Dedication to host countries We chose to have our primary office in Lima, Peru. By maintaining our primary office in the field we see on a daily basis what we're fighting for. We don't get distracted from our mission. We fight harder than anyone else you'll find doing this work, we devote all of our energy, our resources and time to helping poor families gain better access to Medicine, Education and Development.