Arish Jamil, a volunteer from Emory University, answers the following questions: How has Global Brigades affected your academic path?
As the hot Ghanain sun scorched above me, I ran towards the mosque in Adensimam carrying a five year old. The kid was the Imam’s son (Muslim preacher) and for some reason had grown an attachment towards me, following me everywhere I went. So I went to drop him home one last time. As I board the bus one final time, I looked past the vast gathering that had come to say farewell. As I looked towards the other end of the crowd, I saw two eyes glaring at me, as if saying goodbye. He was back. At that very second I knew I was becoming a doctor.
Dr. Jamil. The title isn’t something I haven’t thought about. I have always wanted to become a doctor but I could never put my finger on why I did. All that changed when I board a plane to Accra last summer.
Coming from Pakistan myself, I saw the similarities between the two third world countries and adapted quickly unlike m
ost of my American friends who were flabbergasted at the way things would run in the third world. The first day in our village Adensimam, however, threw me into a world I had hardly set foot in before. But it wasn’t about being in an African village nor was it about the culture that we were embraced by as we stepped out of our bus. It was the world of medicine and I got my first glimpse of being a doctor. The welcome was overwhelmingly flattering and made me realize what Hippocrates, the Ancient Greek medical historian, had meant by “being honored with fame among all men for all time to come” if you were a good doctor.
The clinic was set up soon and my first duty was at the Public Health station. While distributing toothbrushes into a crowd of people helplessly asking for ‘one more please,’ and teaching basic stretching techniques, I couldn’t help but think how little these people lived on and how important it was for me to learn more about how to improve public health in third world countries. My interest was further solidified when we went door to door selling water filtration devices. I realized the necessity of getting a public health education alongside my medical degree in order to learn more about how to embark on initiatives like this.
Probably the most imp
ortant aspect of the trip was my interaction with the people of Adensimam. This was the most effective in helping me realize why I wanted to become a doctor. Their candidness in talking about their health and the face to face interaction made my career plans seem much clearer. The kids, who I got along with the most, were always looking up to me, making it easier for me to teach them the importance of maintain a healthy lifestyle in their village. While I’m still not a completely sure which field of medicine I would like to pursue, Pediatrics has now become a very plausible option for me after my experiences in Ghana. Through the playfulness and c
urious nature of these kids, I found within myself a passion for curing, teaching and working alongside kids as a doctor.
As I sit back and think about all my experiences in Ghana, I know that I have found a purpose behind my interest in medicine. It is deeply rooted in my passion for serving the underserved, which will hopefully guide me through medical school and any future degrees (like public health) so that I can one day serve in organizations like Global Medical Brigades as a M.D. Our brigade came up with the catchphrase , “YOGO,” (You Only Ghana Once) for our once in a lifetime trip to Ghana. Well in my case, I really don’t hope so.
