My Nonprofit Reviews

As a volunteer with the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) in the Summer International Health Fellowship (SIHF) program, I spent two months in the Bududa District of Eastern Uganda. I am a medical student and had the opportunity to work alongside local clinicians in the FIMRC clinic, to provide free or nearly free medical care. Along with the other volunteers, I assisted the FIMRC staff (comprised entirely of Ugandans) with tasks they are fully equipped to perform year-round without the aid of volunteers, in FIMRC’s solidly built sustainable model of healthcare delivery. We worked alongside them to take vitals, scribe during clinical consultations using the clinic’s EMR system, take blood samples and stain and assess blood smears for malaria parasites in the lab, document medications dispensed in the pharmacy, and assist in the Maternal and Child Health clinic. Volunteers also developed health education and other projects. I worked with fellow volunteers to create educational materials and lesson plans on disease states ranging from tuberculosis to malaria to seizures. We routinely stepped out of the clinic and into the community to provide health talks in schools, homes, and community gathering places, administer vaccinations, check on pregnant women and new mothers, provide education on sanitation, and work in gardens of the homes of Orphans and Vulnerable Children. FIMRC far exceeded my expectations and I had a truly incredible experience. I would highly recommend FIMRC to anyone interested in global health!