International Research and Education in Surgery:
Serene Perkins, M.D., FACS
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
Director, Global Health / International Surgery Program
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) – Portland, Oregon USA
E-mail: sperkins429@gmail.com
Vision and Purpose
All human beings have the universal right to basic surgical care. Providing the standard of care is difficult in the setting of extreme poverty, but not impossible. It is our only ethical response as surgeons. With this axiom in mind, we formed the Global Health / International Surgery Program at OHSU with a four-fold purpose:
- To render our surgical skills for humanitarian service;
- To develop sustainable programs of surgical excellence;
- To foster intellectual exchange through cross-border collaboration in clinical practice, education, and research;
- To build cross-cultural understanding through respect and sensitivity.
Values
- We value all human life, including life lived in the most desperate of conditions.
- We value surgical knowledge and skill, and the ability of the surgeon to save and improve the quality of human life.
- We value compassion above indifference for the suffering.
- We value surgeons serving in underdeveloped countries and believe that we can strengthen our service through collaborative efforts.
Goals
- Educate, motivate, encourage, and equip surgeons and surgeons-in-training who are dedicated to using their abilities in an international setting.
- Provide financial, educational, and equipment resources to advance surgical care in select hospitals in the developing world.
- Develop international exchange programs for education, collaborative research, and to improve health care systems internationally.
- Utilize technology to accelerate the delivery of surgical care that adheres to internationally recognized standards.
