Abstract
To the Editor.— Lest the medical profession (and other health workers) be seduced into a tranquil venture of international service, I would like to bring some reality to the correspondence of Charles Failmezger, MD, On Volunteer Physicians in the Developing Nations (241:132, 1979). He encourages short-term rotations (which in his case become even more abbreviated, with an average of less than two months spent in each country) while at the same time advising extensive prior preparations that he does not seem to include in his length of duty. I have been working for nearly 18 months in the same urban region of northeast Brazil, and even with on-site language training and experiences concerning local customs, I am just now at the periphery of understanding the people and environs here. The language problems should not be minimized. Whereas one may learn common expressions that help basic survival, involvement at a university
Published Version
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