PURPOSE: My goal is to raise awareness for the medical needs and disparities present in Tanzania, an East-African country bordered by Kenya and Uganda. I will be raising money for FAME that was started in 2002 by Frank Artress and Susan Gustafson. Dr
. Artress, an American-trained physician, and his wife moved to Tanzania to enhance medical care and provide educational opportunities for local individuals. FAME is close to completing their inpatient clinic and is expanding their medical service to access more remote villages. Tanzania is a developing country that suffers from many medical problems, most notably HIV/AIDS, malaria, and many other infectious diseases. Resources from the USA can greatly directly benefit Tanzania and I am hoping to raise $10,000 to help FAME achieve its goal of improving the quality of medical care in East Africa. More information on FAME can be obtained from: http://www.fameafrica.org.ABOUT ME: I am currently a first-year medical student at the Medical College of Georgia and will graduate in 2011. In order to combine my personal and professional interests, I would like to pursue a career in infectious diseases and international public health.
I have lived in Atlanta, GA for the majority of my life and obtained my undergraduate education at the University of Georgia with degrees in Cellular Biology, Microbiology, and Psychology. As a recipient of the UGA Foundation Fellowship Scholarship, I had the eye-opening opportunity of living in Arusha, Tanzania for four months during the summer of 2004, teaching HIV/AIDS prevention and working in a local hospital with Dr. Urasa and Dr. Mshana. This is where I met Frank Artress and started to cultivate my passion for international medicine and public health. After graduating from UGA, I also spent 8 months in South America, volunteering in clinics to gain a more global perspective on medicine in developing countries. I am an avid outdoorsman, having completed thru-hikes of the 2,174 mile Appalachian Trail (2005) and the 2,655 mile Pacific Crest Trail (2006) and have also been racing bicycles 6 years.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: My charity ride on the Great Divide will be dedicated to the Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME) and I am hoping that you can help support my cause. 100% of your donation will be given to FAME and all donations are tax-deductible. If you decide to support FAME, you will be listed as a sponsor on my website that will be tracking my ride as I progress towards Mexico.
Sincerely,
Matthew Stewart
mastewart@mcg.edu
MCG SOM 2011 class
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