Humanitarian Travel Grant: Medical Mission in Lanzhou, China
Thanks to the AAO-HNSF Humanitarian Travel Grant, I was able to participate in a medical cleft exchange mission in Lanzhou, China, in July 2019.
Alexandria S. Ortiz, MD
The opportunity to participate in a cleft mission had been a lifelong dream for me. I am a military resident from San Antonio Military Medical Center, and my decision to become a military physician was driven in large part by a motivation to do work in austere environments and in a humanitarian capacity. Cleft surgery has always been particularly interesting to me and was one of the first things that drew me to the field of otolaryngology.
I am extremely grateful to the AAO-HNSF for making this experience possible for me through the Humanitarian Travel Grant. I am eager to continue training and hope that humanitarian efforts and global surgery will be central features of my career in otolaryngology.