Dr. Jason Morgenson, MD

(former medical student) United States of America

Jason and the boys in Fr. Doug's village

Prelude

If you haven't guessed it already, I'm the webmaster for the Thanarbaid Health Care Centre's website. I hope you have enjoyed the site. I am trying to make it as comprehensive, quick loading, and browser friendly as possible. If you have any questions or suggestions, just let me know.

From Skateboarding to Thanarbaid

I grew up in the United States of America in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (north-central USA). After attending high school in Milwaukee, I completed my college degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My major was Molecular Biology, but I took many humanities credits in addition to my science courses. Currently I am a medical student at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. My interests include skateboarding, snowboarding, art, music, creative writing, gardening, cooking, languages, and people. I decided to go into medicine, because I wanted to help people living in impoverished conditions. I felt medicine was one way I could help. At one point during college, I emailed Fr. Doug Venne (my mom's cousin), saying that I was interested in medical mission work. Doug, being a missionary, emailed me back in the fall of 1998 with an idea. He said that he knew a doctor who had a clinic in Bangladesh. He had talked to the doctor, and the doctor said I could come for a month if I wished. In July 1999, off I went to the Thanarbaid Health Care Centre in Bangladesh.

Education in Thanarbaid

I flew to Bangladesh with Doug. He was in the States for his 40th anniversary of his ordination as priest. After visiting Doug's village in Bangladesh, Doug dropped me off in Dhaka (the capital) with Dr. Edric Baker. Edric had just returned from New Zealand. His father had been ill, so Edric had been gone for three months. Edric and I traveled to the Thanarbaid Health Care Centre where I spent the next three weeks learning about its work. Edric had me read through all of the annual reports and the book that Judy Walter wrote about Thanarbaid. In the mornings I would join the staff and patients in prayer and song. After prayer and song one morning, Edric sent me out with Shuprila, a Mandi woman, to see what is done in the village program. We visited several homes where Shuprila showed me how she weighed the children and kept track of their growth on growth charts. On another day, Edric sent me to the Kailakuri Diabetes and Tuberculosis Subcentre. Staff at the subcentre showed me how they treat Diabetes and TB. TB is treated according to the standard WHO recommendations. The Diabetes program is geared toward illiterate patients, 80% of whom leave the subcentre with diabetic control. Diabetic patients are taught what to eat, how to administer their insulin, and how to measure their urine sugar. Edric also had me update the Medicine Dosage Book for the staff at Thanarbaid. I transferred it to computer at the local school's computer lab, printed out two copies, illustrated them, and gave them to Edric for the staff. (One note: computer labs are extremely rare in Bangladesh. This computer lab is due to the work of Father Eugene Homrich [USA] of the Holy Cross Fathers. He has worked in the surrounding area in education and development for the past 40+ years.)

Witnessing

I enjoyed my time immensely in Bangladesh. The houses were mud or bamboo. Toilets were squat toilets with no toilet paper. The heat and humidity was intense. Muddy roads were extremely slippery in the rain. I saw a monkey in the trees outside of my room. We ate dal and rice everyday with our right hands. And the people were stupendous. Going to a country that was predominantly Muslim and Hindu, I didn't know what it would be like to witness to my faith. I am a Lutheran Christian, and my family is a mix of Lutheran and Catholic. I like the methods Doug and Edric use: simply living with the people and working with them. In Bangladesh I was a foreign Christian with white skin from a rich country. I stood out, and everything I did was noticed and witnessed to my faith. In June and July 2000 I returned to Bangladesh for a second time. I cannot even begin to describe the amount I learned on that second trip nor the numerous friendships I made. After my medical training is finished and my debts are paid off, I hope to return to Bangladesh to provide healthcare for the people there.

2003 Update

In May 2003 I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School. Right now I am in my first year of residency in Family Practice at the Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, California. This is a county hospital serving a very poor population in this area. Many do not have insurance or have USA government system insurance (MediCal/MedicAid). Like many USA government associated programs, the hospital is suffering from overwhelming USA government debt and has the threat of possibly closing this next year. Let us pray that it stays open just as we pray that Thanarbaid stays open despite its current financial problems (see recent newsletters and 2002 Annual Report). The poor of both areas need the medical care.

Contact Information

If you would like to contact me, you can email me at jason@thanarbaid.org, which I check weekly. You can also send me a letter at JASON MORGENSON, 1528 EL DORADO DR., SALINAS, CA 93906, USA. If it is an international letter, please allow 10-14 days for delivery.