Dr. Santiago Calderon's Reflections

When I was young, I used to dream about caring for the sick and the poor. I used to make drawings of how my hospital would appear. It would be Y-shaped with a central courtyard for socializing, the back building for administration. I worried about how many people would fit and how to feed them.

Then, I entered the main stream and reality of American medicine with its lawyers, finances and business. My romantic dreams of medical care slowly took dust and cobwebs in a place all the way back in my mind. When I see a patient now, I worry about liabilities along with the patients well being.

Two events happened to me in 2008. I had family changes and I visited Santiago de Chuco, my hometown in Peru. We brought two boxes of medicines to the local hospital but Dr. Mantilla showed us how desperate the people are. The Healthcare in Santiago de Chuco is scarce and rudimentary.

At this stage in my life, I find myself in a unique position in which I may achieve some of those old dreams. The joy of seeing a person recover his health outweighs the long hours of work and the many nights on call. I want to turn my attention to the needy and the poor.

Pablo Perez, MD organized a medical mission in July, 2009 and I fully supported it. Our group of 31 sacrificed their family, rest, vacation, and paid their own way to Santiago. The group brought donations, medical skill, smiles and hope. The results of the sacrifices were grateful children, men and women who humbly allowed us to peek into their bodies and souls. The group also had the opportunity to savor some Peruvian culture: music,
food, archeology, crafts, etc.
The medical mission accomplished its objectives and I plan to continue helping my people for years to come.
Moreover, Pablo, Mario, Luis, Harold, Carlos, Alfredo, our sisters and I plan to pay tribute to the spirit our grand-father Socrates. We are creating the Socrates Perez Legacy group. This nonprofit institution will seek donations to bring education and healthcare to those left behind. We intend to share those same principles our Socrates engrained in our lives through his children, our parents. He believed that hard work, skill, compassion, honesty and respect to others enrich our lives and make worth this our human experience.

Santiago Calderon, MD