The disparity between evidence based, good quality care and actual practice is paramount in developing countries. After the completion of fellowship, I have committed 1-2 weeks every year to providing pro bono medical care for perioperative patients in other areas of the world. Specifically, I work with the United Kingdom-based charity, Silkroad Surgery for Children, to provide an educational curriculum and volunteer medical services at the 550-bedded Mandalay Children’s Hospital in Mandalay, Myanmar.
In 2003, when I was a sophomore in college, my grandmother suffered and passed away from a stroke. As a sophomore in college, I created an awareness and support group for patients suffering from a stroke, then the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. The group focused on providing earli(er) screening for stroke patients presenting with non-specific complaints in the ER, educating the Baltimore community about stroke risk factors and symptoms, and working with patients undergoing physical rehabilitation after stroke.
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15 years later, The Johns Hopkins University Heart and Stroke Awareness (HASA) group is still going strong. Programs include a partnership with Snyder Center for Aphasia Life Enhancement Center (SCALE) to assist patients with aphasia, community health fairs and healthy eating demos on-campus!
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I'm looking forward to working alongside this great group from afar this year:)
Aalap Shah, MD, is a board certified anesthesiologist, specializing in general adult and pediatric anesthesiology.
