Missionary Medical Training in Salt Lake City, February 14 - 17

After completing our MTC week, we returned home to Lyman for the weekend before returning to Salt Lake where we participated in four days of training specific to senior missionaries called to work with Missionary Medical.  We learned about policies and procedures related to missionary health, and we also had excellent instruction regarding the most common ailments effecting our missionaries. 

In regards to our role as Area Medical Advisors, the Church has divided the world into administrative areas and an Area Medical Advisor is assigned to a specific area where we help mission leaders care to the young missionaries under their charge.  We are assigned to the South America Northwest Area, which includes Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and includes 34 missions, 2 mission training centers and over 240 stakes.  In our area we have 3 AMA's. 

We learned that the mission president and his wife have the primary responsibility for the health of their missionaries. The role of Area Medical Advisor (AMA) is to help the mission leaders care for the young missionaries under their charge - to be a resource to help them in their tremendously demanding calling. We do not practice medicine in the sense of examining missionaries and prescribing medicines.  We advise on such things as treating simple ailments, when to go see a doctor, where best to be seen, what resources are available, and what is appropriate to be treated in-field and what is better treated at home. 

We work closely with other health professionals such as the Area Mental Health Advisors,  and Area Dental Advisors. Many areas of the world also have Mission Health Advisors - medical professionals assigned to help a specific mission. They are also a very valuable part of the team, but unfortunately, none of the missions in our area were blessed with these.   We are very involved in decisions regarding medical releases for young missionaries. 

We are assigned specific missions and we have regular contact with the mission leaders including regular mission health counsels in which we meet by videoconference. Theses meetings, lead by the mission leaders, are where all the medical professionals join mission leaders to counsel together regarding the best care for missionaries. 

We completed our training in Salt Lake with an amazing group of dedicated disciples of Christ. Members of our group will be serving in Chicago, Alaska, the Philippines, Slovakia, Tennessee, Florida, California, Missouri, Africa and Peru. The safety and wellbeing of His missionaries is of utmost importance to our Savior.  We had excellent training and on the last day of training, Elder Jackson of the Seventy came and spoke to us.  We feel it a blessing and opportunity to serve the Lord's missionaries.