UNMC exchange program sending Dr. Paul Kolkman to India
Daily Nebraskan News Ruth Angelina September 18, 2009
Local doctors will get a chance to see the world while making it a better place. The University of Nebraska Medical Center recently formed a partnership with one India's leading medical schools, Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad.
The agreement called a memorandum of understanding allows for an exchange of students and faculty. UNMC is sending its fourth year resident physician in general surgery, Dr. Paul Kolkman, as early as next week.
Kolkman's had a memorable year. Last month, he married Marcy Deaver, a nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit at UNMC.
On Sept. 26, the Kolkmans are heading to Hyderabad to gather data on surgical patients and address the disparities in surgical care between resource-rich and resource-poor countries.
Dr. Chandra Are, the general surgery program's associate director and lead architect of the partnership, said he is currently working on the benefits of the memorandum and Kolkman's travel arrangements.
Kolkman will conduct the health disparity research under Are's guidance, who has served as his mentor for two years.
"Initially, Dr. Are and I shared a common passion for international health," Kolkman said. "Dr. Are is from that area, and he had the connection. He was kind enough to set up the inter-rotation and all the groundwork. Then, he allowed me to participate in this."
Kolkman said he has always enjoyed working with the underprivileged, and he's especially excited for the opportunity to work in a government hospital.
Prior to this, he had experience working in Guatemala and Nicaragua.
During his six months in India, he'll participate in research, clinical work and operations. His goal during his stay is to address the differences in surgical techniques between first world countries and developing nations.
"I love traveling, seeing parts of the world," Kolkman said. "I look forward to being able to share medical knowledge. I am very excited to learn from them medically and spiritually."
Kolkman hopes to gain a greater understanding of concerns that need to be addressed throughout the developing world.
"This will be a tremendous cross-cultural experience for our students, residents and faculty," Are said. "It will allow them to encounter diseases that aren't seen in the U.S. and also get a firsthand look at how the same diseases are cared for in a resource-poor environment."
Dr. Kolkman to undertake surgical rotation in India
by Tom O’Connor, UNMC public relations September 11, 2009
It's been a memorable year for Paul Kolkman, MD,and it promises to become even more so.
Last month, he married Marcy Deaver, a nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit at The Nebraska Medical Center.
This month, the Kolkmans head to India to spend up to six months in a country they've never visited before.
Rotation to have clinical and research facets
A fourth-year resident physician in general surgery, Dr. Kolkman will leave for India to undertake an international surgical rotation composed of clinical work and research.
He will perform health disparities research under the guidance of Chandra Are, MD, associate program director of the general surgery program and the lead architect in the establishment of a partnership between UNMC and India.
Dr. Are said the rotation will be part of the broader memorandum of understanding signed between UNMC and India to allow for the exchange of medical students, residents and faculty.
Dr. Kolkman to examine international health disparities
Dr. Kolkman's research mission will be to investigate the health disparities that exist between resource-rich and resource-poor countries across the world.
Some of his research will include studies to determine the different treatment approaches and outcomes for patients with surgical conditions such as cancer, trauma and various benign diseases.
Dr. Kolkman also will perform research to analyze the increasing global burden related to surgical disease as detailed by the World Health Organization.
Rotation offers unusual opportunities
Traditionally, the research track for surgical residents has focused on basic science, said Jon Thompson, MD, resident program director for general surgery. The international research year offers a rare combination of clinical experience and clinical research, he said.
Dr. Kolkman's enthusiasm for global health coupled with Dr. Are's efforts and expertise in this area have created this exciting opportunity, Dr. Thompson said.
"Marcy and I will be gathering data on surgical patients," Dr. Kolkman said. "We will be addressing the disparities in surgical care between developing nations and the first world. I'm excited to be a part of the process. I'm hopeful that we can eventually level the playing field on an international scale."
Better care remains the goal
Ultimately, the goal is to address how to give effective and affordable surgical care, he said.
"There are differences in disease presentation and type, investigations performed, surgical techniques and post-operative care between the United States and India," he said. "By exchanging students, residents and faculty, it will be a tremendous learning experience for both institutions."
When he returns from India, Dr. Kolkman hopes to publish his research findings.
Research from India
- Kolkman P, T Subramanyeshwar Rao, Srinivasulu M, Deaver M, Thompson JS, Are C. Disparities in screening and stage at initial presentation for breast cancer patients between the USA and India. American College of Surgeons, Washington DC, 2010.