Thanks to the invaluable support of the New York Section of the American Urological Association, Dr. Jacob Taylor fulfilled “a lifelong dream” as an IVUmed Resident Scholar in India under the mentorship of Dr. Amar Singh.
Dr. Taylor shares his experience:
“In October 2019, I had the privilege of participating in the 95th “Mega Free Urology Camp” in Bhopal, India. Under the mentorship of Dr. Amar Singh and other U.S. and Indian based physicians, I spent three days operating at Sewa Sedan Eye hospital in Bhopal, fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine to provide free medical care to people in need outside of the US.
“During my time in Bhopal I was impressed by two key things which helped contribute to the success of the camp. The first was the extreme efficiency with which the camp ran. Over the past 25 years the camp has been 
refined and tweaked to become the smooth-running weeklong effort it is today. Prior to my arrival, many doctors and other support staff screen hundreds of patients living locally in the Bhopal area who need urologic care. After creating the list of patients to undergo surgery, ~30-50 patients per day are hustled through 3 rooms with 5 operating room tables. The turnover is incredible. The operations included basic PCNLs, TURPS, and DVIUs, which were all conducted under spinal anesthesia and more often than not took a shorter time to perform than general anesthesia in the US. After completing the procedure, the patient was whisked off the table and the next patient was brought in after a quick clean of the bed. Instruments were either sterilized in an autoclave or cleaned in various anti-septic basins. Although the sterility standards are not that of the U.S., patients did not appear to get sick likely due the antibiotics that we gave to frequently antibiotic naïve patients.
“The other, arguably more special, aspect of my trip was how incredibly kind everyone was. From the moment I got off the plane in Bhopal, everyone from the patients, families, support staff, other volunteers, to the local residents, were beaming with gratitude and kindness. Despite our limitations in facilities and instruments, the entire camp came together to provide high quality care to the patients we treated. Coming from a busy U.S. institution where one can get easily frustrated by lack of supplies or staff, the camp environment of uplifting collaboration was amazing to experience and gives me special memories I can lean on when things get stressful or busy at my work back home.
“Early in my career I always envisioned providing free medical care in an international setting to disadvantaged populations who need it most. It is my intention to continue to give back internationally in my career where I can provide quality urologic care to patients around the globe. I am deeply grateful to the Bhopal staff and volunteers, IVU Med and its donors, and most importantly the gracious patients I worked with, for giving me the opportunity to take part in something I will remember forever.”