Global Matters The newsletter of the Office of International Affairs Volume 18, September—October 2011 Fall 2011 Global Health Outreach The rotation began during Block 1 and included four Makes Return Mission to weeks of preparation and two weeks in Guatemala. Global Health The group provided services to more than 400 peo- Lecture Guatemala ple in Guatemala City, Cobàn, Cahabòn and Amati- tlàn, a total that does not include those they saw at Series Since hospitals and clinics. During their limited free time 2009, they also visited Antigua and Semuc Champey. SOP As- sistant “The cli- Professors mate was Drs. different Shawna this year King and as well,” Niambi Horton 12:00 Noon CT Horton said. “Last ACB 120 have year it spent part was much Wednesday of their more tem- September 21 summers introducing SOP students to mission work perate—we were in the highlands of Guatemala— Randy Gallaway of through an elective clerkship program they put to- and this year we were in much more tropical areas Partners in gether known as the Global Health Outreach (GHO). with high temperatures and high humidity. The ac- Development This year they traveled to Guatemala with Lubbock commodations were more humble than last year, but Worldwide still very nice.” P4s Shawna Thomas Nunez and Matt Cox and Dal- las/Fort Worth P4s Joshua Jacobs, Merlyn Joseph, Wednesday Because prescriptions are not required for most October 5 Lauren Miller and Jackie Petty. drugs in Guatemala, including antibiotics and medi- Reed Flora, MS II cations for chronic diseases, Horton said the stu- PLFSOM The GHO mission is to expose students to popula- tions in which barriers to health care exist and to dents were exposed to some of the non-traditional learn how pharmacists can help overcome these ways of practicing pharmacy in a different culture Wednesday and country. She believes these types of experi- October 19 barriers. Students are expected to provide pharma- Sergio Alvarado, ceutical care in a setting with limited resources and ences help the students grow as future pharmacists MD, Resident to patients with different cultural backgrounds and and as people. Instructor, Family languages. The students also learn the role of phar- Medicine, PLFSOM macists on multi-disciplinary health care teams and “During this rotation the students learn about and how to communicate effectively. experience other cultures and see firsthand how Wednesday other countries’ handle health care issues,” Horton November 2 Guate- said. “They have the opportunity to make a profound Bolanle Olaniran, mala was impact on others that will have positive long-term PhD, Professor, also the effects on both the students and the people we help. Department of The students learn what it means to be citizens of Communication location of the world, to truly see firsthand that we are all con- Services, TTU the 2010 GHO nected and to see beyond our self-centered culture to experience different—and sometimes better— Wednesday clerkship. November 16 However, ways of doing things.” Tom McGovern, Horton EdD, Professor, said this Horton said the GHO experience is special to her Psychiatry year’s trip varied a great deal from that of the previ- because it combines the things about which she is ous year. passionate: serving others through mission work Wednesday and teaching. She said she was “awestruck” by the December 7 “None of the places we visited this year were places 2011 mission because of the way she, King and the Student National that Dr. King or myself had been before, so it was a SOP students were able to help so many patients Medical Associ- totally new experience,” Horton said. “The places we despite language, cultural and economic barriers. ation (SNMA) panel presentation traveled to were more rural and remote than before. There was also more poverty and virtually no access “I’m not sure my explanation of what it means to to health care aside from self-medication with pre- Continued at the bottom of page 7. This article originally appeared in scription drugs from the local pharmacies.” From the Dean’s Desk, 2011—Issue III TTUHSC Global Matters | 2 Available Beyond Borders, Featuring photographs taken by from the Katy Britten, Erin Cawley, Jason Beyond Measure Chandrapal, Bree Goodwin, OIA Library Greg Hannabas, Kourtnee Lindgren, Andrew Matthys, The following re- Michelle McClelland, Siobhan sources are avail- The Office of International Affairs Shahan, and Chris Trautman. able for check-out: cordially invites you to attend an exhibit of photographs taken by Book All proceeds from the sale of TTUHSC students photographs will go towards The Immortal Life of engaged in service & scholarships for TTUHSC students Henrietta Lacks study abroad. participating in international programs by Rebecca Skloot and activities. Her name was Henrietta Friday, October 7 Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a 6:00—9:00 pm poor black tobacco farmer Louise Hopkins whose cells—taken with- out her knowledge in Underwood Center 1951—became one of the for the Arts most important tools in Icehouse medicine, vital for devel- oping the polio vaccine, Gallery cloning, gene mapping, 511 Ave J. and more. Henrietta’s Come and go. cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually come to Sweden to meet with a group known as unknown, and her family The Suicide Tourist can’t afford health insur- Dignitas. Dignitas specializes in helping people le- ance. This phenomenal A movie review gally end their own lives. The director and crew New York Times bestsel- by Michelle McClelland speak with Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, about the implications of promoting elective suicide ler tells a riveting story of the collision between and the arguments of opponents, but the film avoids “I’m not tired of living,” Craig sighs. “I’m tired of the ethics, race, and medi- the underlying moral/ethical argument and instead, disease, but I’m not tired of living. And I still enjoy it cine; of scientific discov- follows the Ewert’s on their journey. Viewers accom- enough that I’d like to continue. But the thing is that I ery and faith healing; and pany them to their meetings with a lawyer, a social of a daughter consumed really can’t.” worker, and Dignitas staff, and a final Skype call to with questions about the their children. mother she never knew. Craig Ewert and his wife Mary are a heartbreakingly endearing couple. They discuss their lives together; In the end, it is understood that Craig alone must Movie the hard times early in their marriage and the great make the final decision as he has to be fully capable times as they grew in their relationship. Photos are of drinking (independent of help) the liquid that will Living in Emergency shown, children are described. The only problem, end his life, a feat that would be impossible to un- the elephant in the room really, is Craig’s over- Set in war-torn Congo dertake in the later stages of his disease. As he whelming disability due to Lou Gehrig’s disease and Liberia, Living in listens to Beethoven, with his wife at his side, he Emergency interweaves (ALS), a degenerative motor neuron disease. Craig, chooses voluntary suicide over what he considers to the stories of four volun- a former computer science professor, is slowly los- be a massive burden on his family and a slow and teers with Doctors With- ing the ability to accomplish basic movements by tormenting death. The film highlights the final mo- out Borders / Médecins himself, becoming more and more dependent on ments of a man’s life, how Craig made his decision, Sans Frontières (MSF) as Mary. Eventually, he’ll lose the ability to even they struggle to provide the strength of both Craig and Mary, and in the end, breathe or swallow. emergency medical care Mary’s journey home alone. under the most extreme conditions. Amidst the But Craig and Mary have a plan. They’ve discussed chaos of their surround- it thoroughly, something viewers witness early in the The Suicide Tourist is gut wrenching and leaves a ings, each volunteer must film, as well as their relationship and commitment to lasting impression. I walked away with insight into confront the severe chal- each other. the plight of families burdened with degenerative lenges of the work, the disease, as well as the logistics behind suicide tour- tough choices, and test The Ewerts are the subjects of The Suicide Tourist, ism. While leaving me with thought provoking ques- the limits of their own a 2007 documentary by John Zaritzky that was idealism. tions, the story is one of love, life, and free will—a picked up by Frontline in 2010 as a short film. It fol- message I believe that any and all viewers can re- To view a complete lows Craig and Mary as they travel to Sweden for late to. selection of books and help in the most difficult decision of their marriage, movies available, visit willingly ending Craig’s life. our website at Michelle McClelland is a second year medical student. You can read more reviews of the movies OIA has available for checkout in ttuhsc.edu/cima/library After 37 years of marriage, the two of them have past and future issues of Global Matters. TTUHSC Global Matters | 3 International Medicine Club Column Mark Your Calendar Many children gathered to watch us work. The chil- Medical Missions in dren kept us on our toes with constant requests for for the Nicaragua gum and stickers. We honestly loved every mo- ment. Unfortunately, we were unable to complete OIA Film by Shamini Parameswaran, School of the well as the rainy season set in and flooded the Series Medicine, Class of 2014 hole with water.