Volunteer - Take your passion for medicine outward to the world
The Canadian Medical Foundation (CMF) has partnered with Leave for Change (L4C) to deliver our international volunteer program. The program enables volunteers to participate in a two- to four-week volunteer assignment in a developing country. L4C is a component of the Uniterra Program, Canada’s largest international volunteer cooperation program, funded in part by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and implemented jointly by World University Service Canada (WUSC) and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI).
In November 2010, the CMF will support 7 physician volunteers to go to Malawi, Burkina Faso and Nepal to provide volunteer services that will help build the capacity of health care workers .
|  |
2010
Pierre Allard, MD - Ottawa
Pierre Allard received his medical degree at Laval University in 1971. In 1980, after a few years of practice in family medicine at the Pointe St-Charles Community Clinic, Montreal, he received his certificate as a Community Medicine Specialist. In 1988, he completed his PhD in Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, United States. Until summer 2000, he was a clinical researcher and professor in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at Laval University, while practicing palliative medicine at the Maison Michel Sarrazin, the Regional Palliative Care Center of the Quebec region.
Since 2000, Pierre has been an associate professor in the Division of Palliative Care of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He was Chief of the Division until 2008. Since then, he has been an active member of the Division of Palliative Care, while pursuing a career as a clinician and researcher at the Ottawa Hospital and the Bruyère Continuing Care.
Pierre will be volunteering in Bobo Dialasso, Burkina Faso with Responsabilité-Espoir-Vie-Solidarité (Rev+). He will help strengthen the knowledge of REVS+'s medical staff around medical support, palliative care and psychosocial care of patients undergoing ARV treatment.
Doris Barwich, MD, CCFP - Surrey
Doris has been the Medical Director of the Hospice Palliative & End of Life Care program in Fraser Health since 2001. Initially trained as a family physician she has worked in Palliative Care for the past 20 years in South Africa and various programs in Canada. She has lived all over the world and will spend time in Malawi developing more capacity for Palliative Care services at St. Anne's Hospital in Nkhotakota, Malawi.
Sandy Buchman, BA, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Toronto
Dr. Sandy Buchman has practiced comprehensive Family Medicine in Mississauga for over 21 years with special interest in Palliative Care, HIV/AIDS and International Health - including volunteer experiences in South America and Africa. He practices as a full-time Palliative Care Physician with the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care doing home-based care. In addition, he is the Regional Primary Care Lead for the Toronto Regional Cancer Program for Cancer Care Ontario. He served as President of the Ontario College of Family Physicians from 2006-2007 and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and McMaster University. Sandy will volunteer in Malawi at St. Luke's Hospital to strengthen the capacity of clinicians, nurses and student nurses who work in this in general surgery and management of HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic diseases.
Martin LaBrie, MD - Calgary
Martin is a palliative consulting physician with Alberta Health Services. He is also a staff physician at the Southern Alberta HIV Clinic, attending to patients with HIV and HIV/Hepatitis C co-infection, as well as a consulting physician for HIV and Hepatitis C care for Corrections Services Canada at the Drumheller Penitentiary. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and the Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Oncology at the University of Calgary, involved in undergraduate education for medical and nursing students as well as postgraduate medical education. He is an avid hiker and skier, and enjoys being out in the mountains throughout the year. Martin will be volunteering in Yako, Burkina Faso with L'association Solidarité et entraide mutuelle au Sahel (SEMUS).
Romayne Gallagher, MD, CCFP - Vancouver
Romayne is a family physician who has worked in palliative care for over 18 years. She has been the director of the University of British Columbia Division of Palliative Care ancurrently works as the Physician d Program Director for the Hospice Palliative Care Program at Providence Health Care in Vancouver. Romayne has had opportunites to work with healthcare providers in other countries before but this will be her first time in Africa. Romayne will be based in Llongwe, Malawi at Likuni Hospital.
Kristin Smith, M.Ed - Ottawa
Kristin is the Director of Communication and Programs at the Canadian Medical Foundation. She has 15 years experience working in the charitable sector and has been integrally involved in setting up the medical outreach program. Kristin will be working closely with the Palliative Care Association of Malawi, in Llongwe, to build their communications and fundraising capacity. Although she has traveled extensively, this is her first time to Malawi.
Latest Post
You do not see this in Canada!22 January 2010
As we drove to Likuni Hospital this morning we slowed right down on the road as there were 100s of people all around. I had never seen the road so busy and there was something not quite right about the situation. Glenda explained to me that a truck had just dropped off refugees from Somalia and left them in the middle of nowhere. The sides of the road was lined with men, women and children who had nothing but the clothes on their back. The police were on their way, and everyone would be moved to the refugee camp. The impact of this situation was hard for me to handle, we really have no idea how fortunate we are to be from Canada.
This afternoon we had a meeting at the District Hospital, where I was exposed to the death of a young child in the paediatric ward. All of the sudden I could hear wailing and mourning from many women - it grew louder and louder broke my heart. The body was moved swiftly to the mortuary. Within an hour, a really large truck appeared and the body was loaded into the truck with about 40 people surrounding it. They would take the child back to the village and have a traditional ceremony that will last for 3 - 5 days. Life comes to a standstill here for funerals. I did not know the child but this reinforced what a common sight this is here. When you are driving along the road, one often sees leaves across the road, which indicates that someone has died. One is obliged to slow right down out of respect for the family.
The sun is shining today and it is about 32 degrees. For the rainy season, it is not raining enough. This is crop growing season and the impact will be large for Malawi if the skies do not open. The people continue to be incredibly hospitable and happy. We are located next to a school and I can hear the kids reciting their lessons - a great way to put a smile on my face today.
Kristin