RAM Remote Area Medical

The Remote Area Medical® (RAM) Volunteer Corps is a non-profit, volunteer, airborne relief corps dedicated to serving mankind by providing free health care, dental care, eye care, veterinary services, and technical and educational assistance to people in remote areas of the United States and the world. Founded in 1985, Remote Area Medical® is a publicly supported all-volunteer charitable organization. Volunteer doctors, nurses, pilots, veterinarians and support workers participate in expeditions (at their own expense) in some of the world’s most exciting places. Medical supplies, medicines, facilities and vehicles are donated.

 

Letter From The Founder
A half century or more ago, I was living in a part of the upper Amazon basin where health care was a 26-day march away on foot. I survived malaria, dengue fever, numerous wild animal attacks and various encounters with Longhorns and mustangs without the help of a doctor. Others were not so lucky and I buried a number of them. It occurred to me that designing an all-volunteer health and veterinary care program for such desolate places might make life easier for a whole lot of people. It took a few years to work out the concept, but in 1985, Remote Area Medical® was born. We have been called RAM ever since and in quite a few parts of the world, the appearance of a RAM Team means an opportunity for poor folks to get some real treatment free of charge from real doctors and veterinarians. But real doctors can’t do it without real help from nurses, technicians and all sorts of support people. In fact, over 26,000 of you have temporarily left your comfortable homes, jobs and families behind and signed up as RAM volunteers and about 300,000 patients are very glad you did.

So, if you are a physician, dentist, ophthalmologist, optometrist, veterinarian or any one of those support people these specialists cannot function properly without, please realize how important you are to the lives of thousands of people in desperate need of your help.

Browse through our web site and see where your skills might fit in. Then give us a call or signal us via e-mail. Yes, we fly airplanes that are probably older than you are and sometimes we parachute out of them. And, although you should glance at our WARNING page, don’t be deterred. Most of our work is done with two feet on solid ground and you don’t have to be an athlete to participate. You just need to be willing and compassionate.

I look forward to seeing you.

Stan Brock

Posted in Service.