AMA’s WorldScopes program lets physicians donate much-needed stethoscopes to colleagues worldwide
Posted by Jorge Gamba on 10-19-2002
Officially launched at the Annual Meeting in June, WorldScopes is a collaborative effort of the AMA and AMA Foundation with support from the AMA Alliance. The AMA has set a goal 100,000 stethoscopes, hoping to collect them from U.S. physicians and distribute them, with the help of humanitarian organizations, to needy communities around the world. The project has already piqued the interest of a variety of physicians nationwide. Ney M. Gore, MD, a critical care physician in San Antonio, Texas, first heard about WorldScopes through an AMA colleague. The initiative struck a chord with Dr. Gore who, as a military physician, vividly recalls the dismal conditions of a Korean hospital he visited in 1978. Sadly, even 24 years later, there are still clinics and medical centers where even the most basic of medical supplies are scarce. “We as physicians in the U.S. need to look a little bit further than our own practices and recognize the other challenges physicians around the world face when trying to provide care for underserved people,” Dr. Gore said. He donated a stethoscope last month by making an online purchase via the WorldScope Web site’s vendor. Child psychiatrist Timothy J. Whalen, MD, from Wilmington, NC, heard about WorldScopes via email, and instantly felt inspired to participate. “I thought it was a great idea for physicians in the U.S. who have extra stethoscopes or the money to buy them to be sending them to places that don’t,” he said. Dr. Whalen also echoed Dr. Kao’s nod to the universal symbolism of the stethoscope: “It’s a basic tool for medicine.” Stethoscope donation through WorldScopes is a simple, practical way to provide tangible assistance to an associate across the globe. You can order a stethoscope for as little as $15 through the AMA or organize a stethoscope collection at your hospital, medical school, office practice or local medical society. The AMA will provide posters, pamphlets and other materials to help in your local collection efforts. Purchase a stethoscope, or get more information about this humanitarian effort online, or call (888) 881-6744
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