Physicians, medical students serve on medical mission in Rwanda
Led by the Christian Medical Ministry of South Alabama , the group helped care for patients at Kibogora Hospital, a rural referral hospital in southwest Rwanda in East Africa.
By Carol McPhail
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A group of fourth-year medical students, residents and faculty from the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine traveled to Rwanda recently for a two-week medical mission.
Led by the Christian Medical Ministry of South Alabama (CMMSA), the group worked alongside physicians and staff to care for patients at Kibogora Hospital, a rural referral hospital in southwest Rwanda, a country in East Africa.
Providers on the mission performed dozens of surgeries as well as OB-GYN procedures, organizers said. The Mobile team was joined by orthopaedic surgeons from South Carolina and nurse anesthetists from Mississippi.
Fourth-year medical student Connor Posey accompanied physicians on rounds in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit in the mornings and helped in the operating room in the afternoons. “Through our team, I was able to not only participate in medical procedures but see firsthand what a Christian example in medicine would look like in future positions where I will be placed,” he said.
Posey, who plans to pursue pediatrics, said he was impressed by the people of Rwanda. “We went with the goal of providing aid in areas of need, but I left feeling as if I had gained more than I had given,” he said. “The love, gratitude and acceptance that we received exceeded any expectation I had.”
Caleb Butts, M.D., a trauma and burn surgeon at USA Health and associate professor of surgery at the Whiddon College of Medicine, said some of the most rewarding cases involved patients suffering from burns. “In many settings, open fires are commonly used for cooking and daily tasks, which unfortunately places some of the most vulnerable – especially children – at risk for injury,” he said.
Several burn patients had already received excellent inpatient care and were ready for skin grafts during the team’s visit. “Being able to contribute to their care – helping close wounds, reduce pain, and move them closer to returning home – was incredibly meaningful,” he said.
A case involving a 7-year-old burn patient required the team to pivot. With limited access to staples typically used to secure a skin graft, they needed to use sutures instead.
“Given the size of the area, the procedure required many hands, and we had an attending, several residents, and medical students all working together, each helping to place and tie sutures efficiently to minimize the time under anesthesia,” Butts recalled. “It was a powerful example of teamwork, adaptability, and shared purpose, all focused on providing the best possible care for a single patient.”
Butts brought his eldest daughter on the trip to share the experience he first had as a fourth-year surgery resident. “It was special for her to experience a different part of the world, gain a broader perspective and see firsthand the kind of work that has been so meaningful in my own life,” he said.
