Students for International Mission Service (SIMS)

Outlook, Spring 2000

Coming full circle
By Ken Rose, MD, FACS, School of Medicine '88

"Abre la boca!î
There I was, supposedly a medical student, but acting more like a dentist as I asked my "patientsî to open their mouths for a better look inside.

It was one of those twists in life that only happens in the mission field„or on a SIMS trip.

Instead of listening to hearts trying to diagnose an unusual cardiac murmur, or palpating one's abdomen looking for a mass, I was giving oral injections and pulling teeth.

We went with SIMS all prepared for one thing, but ended up doing the unexpected. Needless to say, I came back much the better for my experience.

It was after my second year of medical school (1986) that a group of both medical and dental students organized a SIMS medical mission trip to southern Mexico.

The medical students had just finished physical diagnosis and had gained valuable practical experience in SAC clinics. Now we felt ready to face the world, and experience medicine in a foreign land.

We each boarded a plane to Mexico with our little black medical bag filled with a stethoscope, blood pressure set, tuning fork, and whatever else could fit.

Once we arrived, it took a short time to divide up the group into teams as we spread out to cover different villages throughout the state of Chiapas.

Because I had learned Spanish as a child having lived in South America, I was assigned to accompany a group of four senior dental students as their translator. But before long they taught me the ropes of pulling teeth, and then put me to work.

Our assignment took us to several villages during the next five days while we slept on many hard floors, ate food the locals shared, and prayed that we would not pick up any of the "usualî GI flora of Mexico [that visitors are often warned about]. Fortunately our prayers were answered„at least until we made it back home!

As we entered each village, the kids spread the word that a group of "gringosî had arrived. We would set up our shop in a local schoolyard using the wooden desks as our dental chairs. Our every move was constantly watched by hundreds of curious little peering eyes.

It usually took a brave soul to be the first patient. But once one came, our patient list was soon filled.

For several in our group, it was their first time to visit a foreign country. The needs were great, and they were able to see firsthand how a majority of the world really lives.

The simple things we so often take for granted in the States are often a blessing or a miracle. At times we felt helpless in the face of the enormous needs.

However, to those who walked away with a smile, albeit a little skewed from a numb cheek or two, we knew we had made a little difference in their life, and that made us feel good.

The greatest benefit I gained from my experience with SIMS (other than learning to floss three times a day while living with four dentists) was not the medical knowledge I gained from traveling to foreign lands, but rather the life-changing experiences I had by living with those less fortunate than myself.

To see how blessed I've been, and how my life could help another human being„that was the greatest lesson I learned by being part of SIMS If you don't want your conscience to be touched by seeing the poverty and needs of others, then don't join up with SIMS But if you want to experience the joy and rewards of giving of yourself, there is no better way than to help out with SIMS

May your life be a blessing to another person in need.

Editor's note: Dr. Rose is a general surgeon who has spent the past six years serving as a medical missionary at Penang Adventist Hospital in Malaysia. Dr. Rose has accepted a call to serve as medical director for Gimbie Adventist Hospital in Ethiopia, where he continues his work with SIMS, now as a mentor to other students who share the same passion for mission and service. He is supported in his work by his wife, Lana; and their three daughters: 6-year-old Kalyse, 4-year-old Kami, and 3-year-old Kristi.

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