Global Missions Health Conference: Dr. S
Cahaba Medical Care is looking forward to the 2022 Global Missions Health Conference! Learn more about Cahaba Family Medicine Resident Dr. S’s experience at GMHC below.
Meet Dr. S.
*Name changed for safety purposes
Dr. S is a graduate of Cahaba Family Medicine Residency and is working as a Community Medicine and Global Health Fellow with Cahaba Medical Care. The Cahaba Family Medicine Global Health Fellowship is a one-year post-residency fellowship that aims to train family medicine physicians who wish to devote much of their clinical practice to international medicine. Upon successful completion of the fellowship, fellows will have obtained a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (through the UAB Gorgas Course), and be eligible to sit for the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene CTropMed exam for a certificate in tropical medicine.
The fellowship also includes a spiritual development curriculum. The goal of this component is to first encourage the fellow to grow in their faith and their obedience to Jesus Christ. It will also help the fellow grow in their commitment to love and serve people all over the world and will help them learn to integrate the practice of medicine and their faith.
Why did you come to Cahaba-UAB FMR? My faith is the most important part of my life, and I want to use medicine as a tool to serve the underserved and marginalized here and around the world. I’m lucky to be at Cahaba Urban and here are some of the things I’m most passionate about with this program!
Community - I’m so grateful to be in community with other physicians and friends who share the same mission and heart for reaching others with the message of hope. We challenge, encourage, and sharpen each other on a daily basis.
Outreach - We get to live among our patients, which gives us first-hand experience of what their lives and struggles are. We can sit on their porches, eat dinner with them, and walk through darkness and brokenness with them. Though it’s not always easy, it is always a blessing to be given the chance to learn from this community.
Primary care - I think primary care physicians are uniquely able to provide holistic medicine through caring for the body and the soul.
What drives you? My faith is what motivates me on a daily basis - it's what drives my purpose in medicine, my desire to live in underserved areas, and how I think about the world. I want to follow God wherever He leads, and I'm motivated by seeking intimacy and joy with Him that overflows into all parts of my life!
What year did you attend GMHC? 2019 and 2021
What is one thing you learned from your experience at GMHC? I enjoyed learning about the global network of physicians who want to serve the underserved and minister to these populations.
What is one way your experience at GMHC has impacted your career here at Cahaba? GMHC connected me with teams and organizations to support me in my pursuit of full time work overseas.
Why would you recommend GMHC to others? GMHC is a great conference where like-minded people gather; it's helpful to network with groups on the path to working overseas some day.
What is your post-residency plan? My husband and I desire to someday be overseas wherever God will lead us and serve in an area with little access. We still have a lot to learn and are trying to follow God day by day as He directs us over the next few years.