CIR Member Helps Form Global Physician Corps

The Global Physicians Corps works with communities in Tanzania and Ethiopia.

When Dr.Arta Bakshandeh, PGY 1 in Internal Medicine at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center,was in medical school, there was no formal international program. But that didn’t stop him from expanding his medical education beyond the borders of the US.

“Ever since I can remember, I wanted to do medical work in Africa,” Dr. Bakshandeh said. Under the guidance of Drs. Walter Hartwig and Eiman Mahmoud at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Bakshandeh and several students came together to establish an International Health focus group. Their efforts evolved in 2005 into the formal establishment of the Global Physicians Corps (GPC).

They began by setting up malaria bed nets and conducting public health research. Over the years, they have pioneered new initiatives, with a focus on partnering with local communities who were already engaged in public health efforts and creating sustainable long-term programs. One example is the award-winning “Bike Project,” started by Katie Townes (now a Pediatrics resident in Oregon). It’s a three-year intervention program designed to provide access to safe deliveries and other health care emergencies for women living in rural areas in Tanzania.

Finding innovative ways to treat patients in low-access areas that are both sustainable and affordable is always a challenge. Dr. Bakshandeh recalled a patient who was suffering from advanced HIV/AIDS and came in with acute seizures. He had Cryptococcal Meningitis, and the best available treatment was an anti-fungal medication that costs $1 a day. In Tanzania, a two-week course of treatment would cost the patient roughly a third of his yearly salary.

When the team of medical students realized the scope of the problems and the need for long-term, sustainable solutions, they began building a permanent organization and obtaining not-for profit status. The organization has found creative ways to grow without raising overhead costs. Board members and participants are all volunteers, so there’s no overhead expense. They have partnered with companies that can provide discounts on everything from paper and envelopes to airfare for volunteers.

In just three years, the Global Physicians Corps has made strides. The organization, which is now a mix of medical students and physicians, expanded their work in 2007 to include a village in Ethiopia, where the doctors hope to set up mobile clinics. They’ve conducted diabetes education and have built two water pumps in the area. All told, fifty volunteers were signed up to go to Tanzania and Ethiopia from the end of May through early July 2009.

Dr. Bakshandeh said that the experience has taught medical students and doctors a great deal about working with local communities and international organizations.

“The reality is that as students . . . we ended up learning from[the local communities] more than us teaching them, “Dr. Bakshandeh said. “But we came back with a sense of responsibility which translated into action and the founding of the GPC.”

For more information, visit www.globalphysicians.org.