As some of you already know, my wife Alicia is currently a fourth year medical student at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she is studying to become an Emergency physician. One of her goals for her medical career is to do regular international medical mission trips to various countries around the world. Her first chance will come in November as she goes to Kenya for a short-term trip to work at a medical clinic there.

She is going through the SHARE Kenya program, an annual trip arranged by the Ohio College of Osteopathic Medicine. Here’s a bit about the program from the website:

SHARE Kenya is 3-week clinical program in which students, faculty and clinicians deliver healthcare in rural Western Kenya. In 2006, participants shared in the celebration of a new free-standing clinic in Masara. The clinic was the culmination of a promise SHARE Kenya founder B.S. Bonyo, D.O. (’98), made as a child to help underserved Kenyans through medical care.

As you can expect, Alicia is beyond excited for this opportunity. This trip provides her with exposure to a great international medical program that will serve as a capstone and highlight to her medical education. And it will hopefully set in motion a career full of international medical service for her and the other students participating in the program.

If you would like to support her she needs medical supplies, financial support, and prayer. She is trying to raise $5,000 to cover the cost of the program, and I’ve put her ChipIn widget in the sidebar of my blog to track her progress. For more information and to keep up with her progress you can go to http://aliciainkenya.org.

I should probably take this time to say that I’m super proud of her! It’s hard to believe that in less than 8 months Alicia will be Dr. Cleaver. It’s been a long, hard journey, but great opportunities like this make all the effort worth it. I hope you will support her in any way you can.