Being a doctor is way beyond healing. A doctor’s duty goes beyond the monotony of prescribing pills and suturing wounds. We believe that a doctor’s job is done when he touches not only the patients but also society at large. In this regard, there is an effort to unite all the like-minded medical students for better healthcare, by creating a forum called “The White Army”. It is a band of white-coated, like-minded medicos, who share their knowledge on the common platform and discuss medical issues to bring a worldwide revolution in medical education.
VARIOUS INITIATIVES:
The Empath Society – to Empower Humanity,
A team of young doctors and medical students organize health camps in various locations with the motive to not only cure the ailing but spread awareness about basic health and hygiene practices to prevent diseases and inform the people about risk factors and how few steps every day can help to prevent major illness. We focus mainly on the underprivileged areas and visit orphanages, and old age homes, where we also distribute items of daily necessity to them.
Language of Healthcare – Articulate To Treat
For communication skills and to help medical students and other medical professionals with the art of perfecting their ways of conversing with patients in the local language, we have published books containing translations of everyday medical lingo into the local language so that we can better talk to them and understand what they exactly have to say. This initiative has been of great benefit to those students who do not know the local language and are pursuing their studies in other states. The books are available in English to Kannada, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Oriya, Assamese, Kokborok, and Tulu languages.
Hope INDIA– our Hunger to curb their Hunger…
With hopes of someday seeing the people free from the shackles of hunger and also preventing wastage of resources, we began this initiative with the aim to avoid wastage of food, distribute excess food to needy people and create awareness regarding healthy food habits. Starting as a humble effort 5 years ago, we have extended our dream to many medical college hostels across the country. A group of 3-4 volunteers from our medical colleges head out every night with excess food that was to rot in the bins packed in containers and boxes with strict adherence to the no-plastic rule, to distribute it amongst the hungry destitute that have outdoors as their homes and the night sky as their roof.
The smiles on their faces and blessings are rewards that give us contentment. Not only that, we distribute medicines to them and also counsel them to visit the nearby hospital in case any ailment torments them. Our efforts also include providing them with blankets and clothes. This initiative is not only directed at helping the needy but also towards mobilizing the youth of today towards making a difference in someone’s life and helping the budding doctors to be more empathetic.
Remarkable support has been received from far and wide. During COVID Pandemic, patients and students suffered the most. In order to alleviate their problems, The White Army started 2 major initiatives of free online teaching for medical students and a free online helpline for needy patients.
FREE ONLINE MEDICAL EDUCATION :
Starting from 02.04.2020, in the past 2 years, we have had more than 600 online sessions totally free of cost for the students, by the best of the Teachers of our country, covering important case presentations, high yield topics, motivational talks, career guidance, exam preparation, etc.
The White Army has now grown into a strong family of more than 1 lakh members.
The White Army Discussions on Whatsapp, Instagram, and Telegram media are carefully curated to the needs and curiosities of medical students. Daily posts include clinical photographs, mnemonics, quick recall questions, MCQs, and more. We post video clips of patient signs and symptoms, specific examination techniques, skill demonstrations, surgical clips, etc.
Epignosis is a national-level online quiz initiative. Engaging quizzes on all pre, para, and clinical subjects are conducted and questions are tailor-made to revise the important concepts for theory as well as PG entrance exams. This not only fosters confidence but also develops competency among the students.
FREE ONLINE HELPLINE :
During the pandemic situations, to help those with minor ailments, we decided to provide medical assistance through calls or WhatsApp messages. We started this initiative to spread awareness about COVID-19, through phone calls and social media.
After the strict lockdown was imposed, many patients were facing inconveniences. Most of the hospitals were turned up for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Whereas other illnesses were ignored. Those patients were panicking about where to go when all the clinics were also closed. To relieve their anxiety, we started this helpline for minor ailments. Whenever there is a doubtful case, we guided them about where to go, what to do, and how to go about it. Meanwhile, in the last 2 years, we have received more than 3000 calls/ messages about various health problems. We want to reach out to as many people as possible.
Dr.Abdul Kalam once said, “creativity is seeing the same thing, but thinking differently”.
The White Army embodies this philosophy. Here is a space where every student, teacher, or doctor can make their own and in that process find inspiration to excel themselves. A space where we learn to not only treat but to help.
In a nutshell, all our efforts are directed toward making the world a better place with the help of the youth of today. Our target is to involve the current generation of medical students in humanitarian work so that in the future they become not only good but empathetic doctors who will not only cure their patients but also heal society at large because as they say-
Helping Hands Are Holier than Praying Lips!
And this would continue with all your blessings, support, and guidance..!!
Welcome to The White Army.
Dr.Kishan Rao,
Founder and Chief of THE WHITE ARMY,
MBBS (BMCRI- Best Outgoing Student), MS (University Gold Medalist), FMAS, DMAS (Course Topper with World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons Scholarship), MCh Entrance Exam – AIIMS New Delhi Rank 2, SCTIMST Thiruvananthapuram Rank 1