Team meeting

One of the strong suits of Resurge is communication and their good organizing skills. Before each trip, the team has a conference call. Part of it is scripted and read by each chief, bringing us all up to the same expectations for each aspect of our work. It also gives us a chance to "meet" one another and share some information about our pasts. Our call went well and everyone seems excited to begin.

The unique partial-team model of this trip will be a challenge. The familiar aspect is that we are bringing information, organization, and teaching from our part of the globe to initiate very specific care for those who need it. The difficult part is to do so while maintaining equity among all members of an multinational team. We want to be sure everyone is working at the same level and with the same set of rules to maintain the standards and expectations of Resurge and its donors, yet respect the abilities and gifts brought to the table by our Vietnamese colleagues. We have all made these volunteer trips before, and it would be easy to fall into our usual mode and just get to work. But we must resist and take the time to share, even if it slows us up. It will not only be about how many cases we can do and patients we can help, but also about how many connections we can make and relationships we can foster among our new colleagues. I am excited by this opportunity to be a useful consultant where I can, a tactful facilitator when necessary, and at all times a grateful and humble guest.

"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy."
Isaac Newton