Engineering World Health Foundation
EWH is a non-profit organization that I learned about through my advisor, Bob Malkin, who co-founded the foundation in 2001. EWH's goal is to improve the quality of healthcare in hospitals that serve resource-poor communities of the developing world. EWH members install donated and newly-designed medical equipment, carry out repairs and build up local capacity to manage and maintain the equipment. EWH also provides BMET (biomedical engineering technician) training courses in Ghana, Honduras, and Rwanda to help build up the local technical infrastructure.
EWH also hosts two Summer Institutes through Duke University, one in Tanzania and one in Central America. This is what I did! And what I'm working for now. The EWH-Duke Summer Institute is an opportunity for students to gain hands-on repair and design experience while providing support to local hospitals. For the first month, students live with a local family and take Swahili (or Spanish) lessons and training on technical repairs and trouble shooting. The second month, students move out to surrounding towns to live on their own and work in pairs at various hospitals.
I was so excited when I learned of EWH's existence. It's basically the perfect combination of everything I love: engineering, travel to remote countries, global health, and making an impact on others' lives. I think this is something I'd like to be involved with throughout my life, so I was super excited to really see what it's really like while out on the field in Tanzania!
If you'd like to learn more about EWH or make a contribution to their cause, be sure to check out the website at www.ewh.org.
EWH also hosts two Summer Institutes through Duke University, one in Tanzania and one in Central America. This is what I did! And what I'm working for now. The EWH-Duke Summer Institute is an opportunity for students to gain hands-on repair and design experience while providing support to local hospitals. For the first month, students live with a local family and take Swahili (or Spanish) lessons and training on technical repairs and trouble shooting. The second month, students move out to surrounding towns to live on their own and work in pairs at various hospitals.
I was so excited when I learned of EWH's existence. It's basically the perfect combination of everything I love: engineering, travel to remote countries, global health, and making an impact on others' lives. I think this is something I'd like to be involved with throughout my life, so I was super excited to really see what it's really like while out on the field in Tanzania!
If you'd like to learn more about EWH or make a contribution to their cause, be sure to check out the website at www.ewh.org.