Volunteer Works by Medical Doctors

Park, Jae Hyung

Abstract

The mission of medical doctors is to take care of patients and to work for well-being of each member in our community. In addition, it is our privilege for medical doctors to participate in volunteer works with our medical talent. Various motives are present for medical doctors to participate in volunteer works. There are many needed people such as the homeless or the aged living alone in our community. The sympathy for the needed people is the first step to be a medical doctor. Through volunteer works, we may have enough chance to communicate with our neighbors to establish good relationships with them. Today, the most important social value is the well-being for individuals and the social welfare for a society. Medical doctors are the best prepared group for the well-being and the welfare. There are many fields of volunteer works for medical doctors around the world; refugees in Africa, the rural people in India and China, the poor in North Korea, homeless people, and foreign workers in urban areas. We may start from emergency relief for disasters, continue one step forward with hygiene and preventive medicine, and finally participate in social welfare system to take care of the aged and handicapped people. Volunteer works by medical doctors should not be like an event but a daily life. It should be accomplished continuously throughout our life, not for only one time. Volunteer works by medical doctors should cover not only medical works but also all the fields of our society including social welfare.