Guyana, which means "land of many waters," is a country located on the northern aspect of South America and borders Venezuela to the west, Suriname to the east and Brazil to the south. The country is a former British colony and was previously known as British Guiana. The official language of Guyana is English, reflecting its colonial origins, and is the only English speaking country in South America. Despite the location of Guyana on the South American continent, it is culturally and economically part of the Anglophone Caribbean community and is often considered a Caribbean country. In fact, Guyana was a founding member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and is the host country for the organization.

Guyana is about 83,000 square miles in size, or about the size of Idaho. The capital city of Georgetown is located on the Atlantic coast near the mouth of the Demerara River and has a population of about 240,000. The country as a whole has an estimated population of 772,000. Much of the interior of the country is rainforest and the country has one of the lowest population densities in the world (ranking 225 of 239 listed countries). Major ethnic groups have East Asian, African and Amerindian backgrounds, in addition to smaller groups from Chinese and European extraction.

Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, though its economy has been improving in recent years. Overall, Guyana ranks 127 of 185 listed countries in per capita GDP. Major agricultural exports include rice and sugar. Mining is important for the economy and includes bauxite and gold. Statistical indicators of health status of the population of Guyana lag behind most of the surrounding countries. Guyana ranks 155 of 211 listed countries in life expectancy. Nevertheless, the country has made major efforts in improving the economic and health status of the population in recent years. 

February - March 2011
Brett Bechtel, MD
Georgetown, Guyana
Emergency Medicine Chief Resident
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Brett Bechtel is a native of Southborough, Massachusetts. He attended Wake Forest University ('03) and earned a BS In Biology. During his undergraduate time, he travelled and studied ecology and economics in Peru and Benin. He matriculated to Wake Forest University School of Medicine and received his MD in 2007. He is also a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and currently is Chief Resident of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt. He is engaged to fiancé Whitney, who is a CRNA and just returned from a mission trip to Malindi, Kenya. They will be getting married in May 2011.

Brett is very excited to be working at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in Georgetown, Guyana. He will be doing bedside teaching with the general medical officers and the Emergency Medicine Residents in the newly established Emergency Medicine program that GPHC has established in collaboration with the Vanderbilt Department of Emergency Medicine. Brett will also be lecturing to medical staff and doctors on selected Emergency Medicine topics.     

8 February 2011: Arriving at Georgetown Public Hospital

22 March 2011: Asthma, Trauma, and Emergency Medicine in Guyana

April-May 2011
Shannon Langston, MD
Georgetown, Guyana
Emergency Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Shannon Langston is a native of North Carolina.  He held a previous career as a paramedic and attended East Carolina University where he earned a BA in Anthropology.  He matriculated to Ben Gurion University, Medical School for International Health, in Beersheva Israel in 2007.  While there he travelled extensively throughout the Middle East and several countries in Africa.  He volunteered at local clinic serving an underserved and unrecognized Bedouin community and travelled with an Israeli disaster team to assist with the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.  He completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center.  While there he travelled twice to Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake in order to provide medical assistance to the population.  He is currently a Fellow in International Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is pursuing a MSc in infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 

Shannon is currently working on a project at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in Georgetown Guyana.  He will be providing bedside teaching to house officers and Emergency Medicine Residents in the new Emergency Medicine residency established in cooperation with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  In addition, he will be providing consultations to medical staff, providing weekly lectures, assisting with policy development, and assisting with a needs assessment as a first step in establishing a national EMS system in Guyana.

15 April 2011: Snakes and Caterpillars Can Be Deadly in Guyana

10 May 2011: Little Girl Falls on Head: General Surgeon acts as Neurosurgeon in Hospital in Guyana

30 May 2011: Taking for Granted Access to Healthcare: A Retrospective of Time in Guyana

April-May 2011
Orville Bignall, MD
Georgetown, Guyana
Meharry Medical College

 Orville Newton-Ray Bignall, II, MD is a pediatric resident physician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he is pursuing careers in pediatric medicine, global health, and health policy. Born to Jamaican natives Dr. and Mrs. Orville Bignall, Sr., Ray is a summa cum laude graduate of Howard University, in Washington, DC. He became involved with the Frist Global Health Leaders program while matriculating at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, where he received the doctor of medicine degree. Outside of his avid interest in medicine, Orville also enjoys playing the violin, taking friends and family flying as a licensed private pilot, and youth ministry. He serves as a minister, community organizer, motivator, and mentor.

20 April 2011: Touchdown in Guyana

15 May 2011: Show Me Who You're Working With: Georgetown, Guyana