Author: Aylie Baker
The late Studs Terkel once said that "most of us have jobs that are too small for our spirits."
He never met Dr. Paul Farmer.
Providing free healthcare to over two million patients in 10 countries, one might even venture to say that it's Farmer's job that's running to keep up with his spirit.
Farmer is a man veritably cloaked in accolades. With seeming ease, he fills the role of anthropologist, doctor, epidemiologist and professor, not to mention father and distinguished author. He lives on very little personal income, signing over any awards to the international non-profit organization Partners in Health (PIH), of which he is a co-founder. Renowned worldwide for its community-based healthcare strategies for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, PIH is devoted to providing healthcare services and engaging in research and advocacy projects on behalf of both the sick and the poor.
The ultimate Renaissance man, Farmer's persona has been reified in Tracy Kidder's biography "Mountains Beyond Mountains," a title arising from the Haitian proverb, "Beyond mountains, there are more mountains." In Farmer's line of work, the horizon is forever studded with new challenges to overcome and new heights to reach.
This past Saturday, Feb. 28, through the hard work of a dedicated group of students, tFarmer found himself bracing the cold here - in the mountains of Vermont - to give a lecture titled "Rethinking Health and Human Rights."
When I arrived at the local caf
Paul Farmer kicks of Global Health Symposium
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