Responding to disasters Once again the world has been hit by tragedies of unimaginable proportions in Burma and China, and once again there is a cry for healthcare workers to respond to the medical consequences. Perhaps we are becoming immune to the needs that scream at us from TV, newspaper...
New Head of International Ministries We are delighted to announce that Vicky Lavy has been appointed to head the international work of CMF and will take up her post on 1 September. She is ideally qualified to take on this much expanded role, which hopefully will draw all the...
Our forebears took their coffins with them It is encouraging to see the continuing trickle of folk setting off to work overseas and to hear of the many short term trips that UK based members are making in response to needs. Recent suggestions for future training programmes seem to leave...
Where are there needs? We are told to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out more labourers into the field ripe for harvest, and many of us are doing that. We know he hears our cries - so why do I receive so many requests from members overseas...
Developing Health Course surpasses expectations Two weeks prior to its start, in the midst of the office move, we were wondering whether the course would be viable. As it was, a record 64 people attended for all or part of the course, and over 50% booked in that last fortnight! They...
What an awesome opportunity you have as medical students during your final years to visit another part of the world and experience medicine in a totally different environment. It can be the most rewarding experience of your student years and if you are able to go to a resource poor...
Elective Days CMF Days were held in Leeds and London during March. As always, these were evaluated highly but numbers were down. Less formal elective events have been held in Norwich, Brighton and Belfast (and no doubt elsewhere). We would encourage such events within medical schools regionally and the National...
It's a real privilege to be on the receiving end of the many newsletters our members working abroad send to us. Some leave you in tears, others fill you with laughter. I've extracted details from one of them, changing some of the details slightly for security reasons. It gives a...
We need your input You will be aware of the restructuring process going on within CMF Office as we try to become more effective in serving the needs of our members. In the overseas section, we would like to hear from members with comments or suggestions about the services...
It is always both a challenge and an encouragement to meet folk at the Developing Health Course (see the report in CMF News) who are working overseas and to hear something of their story. The problems they face may be common to all - working in difficult and trying circumstances...