For the past 5+ years Imelda has been working side by side
with us in her Masters of Rural Registry Program. The Masters in Rural Registry Program is a 6 year program that seeks to train the
PNG doctor to be able to go out to a Rural District Hospital in PNG and care
for the needs of the community and hospital.
They get training in Administration, Xray, Surgery, OB, Peds, Medicine,
Anesthesia, Solar Installation and everything in between. Mel is in her last year with us and it has
been a joy and pleasure to see her grow during her time with us. We don't know what the future holds for her
and her husband, but would love to see them continue to serve and work with
us.
Part of the Rural Registry program is to have surgical training, which occurs through 3 surgery
rotations for 3 months at a time, over 3 years.
Imelda did her rotations away from us, getting training from other
surgeons in PNG, but other Rural Registrars come to Kudjip to get their surgical
training with our surgeons. We have had a number through
the years, and this year have had three.
Winis, is the one with us currently and has been with us for almost 3
months now, working with Ben and Jim in surgery. I have done a few Csections with him and know
he has learned a lot and will be a great doctor for the Telefomin hospital and patients he will serve.
We also have had a PNG medical student working with our
Surgeons over his Christmas Break. Glenn
grew up here, his mom works for us, and is in his 5th year of Medical School in
PNG. He hopes to become a surgeon, and
thus is trying to learn all he can while he can.
We hope to continue to be a place for training of PNG
doctors - surgeons, rural registrars, and medical students, with the hope that some will stay with us and serve with us and some will be called to go out and serve in other parts of Papua New Guinea, improving the health care of the country. We are scheduled to start having regular PNG
medical students rotate with us later this year. It is
exciting to see what might come of being more focused on training PNG doctors.