In June 2025, two Meharry Medical College pediatricians, Dr. Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge and Dr. Susanne Tropez-Sims, joined The Giving Circle on a two-week mission trip to Jinja, Uganda, bringing medical care, health education, supplies and compassion to hundreds in need.
The Giving Circle Inc. (TGC) is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization based in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Giving Circle has partnered with international communities for nearly two decades, building schools, opening a clinic and providing vital resources in Uganda. Drs. Wyche-Etheridge and Tropez-Sims were part of a team of 23 volunteers, including physicians, builders, students and educators who worked side by side with local leaders. Over the course of the latest trip, the medical team treated nearly 400 patients, ranging from newborns to the elderly, providing care many would not otherwise access.
Practicing Medicine Without “the Bells and Whistles”
The group included pediatricians, family medicine physicians, internists and a cardiologist, allowing them to treat a wide range of conditions. Without access to advanced equipment or abundant medication, the Meharry doctors relied on ingenuity and clinical skill. Dr. Tropez-Sims recalled treating a 9-year-old boy with severe asthma with the assistance of another physician.
“Dr. Dan Muwanguzi created a makeshift inhaler spacer from a water bottle, securing the edges with tape to make it comfortable. He attached the inhaler to the mouthpiece of the bottle and administered the medication. It was a creative solution that ultimately stabilized the child’s breathing. You don’t have to have a fancy inhaler spacer to be able to give the patient the medicine, and I’ll remember that forever,” she said.
Another patient, a newborn with a heart murmur, was connected with the region’s only pediatric cardiologist. Others were screened for infections, vision problems and chronic illnesses. At one school, the team discovered that nearly 40% of students had tinea capitis, or ringworm, and arranged treatment for the entire school to break the cycle of infection. The team is also seeking funds to repair a 1-year-old boy’s omphalocele, a condition in which a baby’s abdominal organs develop outside the body.
Dr. Wyche-Etheridge recalled an emotional encounter while holding a small boy in her arms on the day village members were preparing to baptize him. “A little baby whose mother died in childbirth and most likely had, as we say, an oxygen deprivation emergency. As a result, he has severe cerebral palsy. He’s got contractures, so he’s very stiff and bent. He’s unable to speak but seems to hear okay. We were there to offer any medical recommendations while he was baptized and given a name since he didn’t have one. Just seeing the community rally around him, he was a beautiful little 4-year-old the size of a one-and-a-half-year-old.”Beyond Medicine: Building Dignity and Community
The mission trip was about more than medical care. The team outfitted the clinic staff and students with scrubs donated by the Meharry Medical College School of Medicine Class of 2024 and 2025. They also collected donations to provide menstrual hygiene products to keep girls from missing school during their monthly cycles. The group even tested creative hygiene solutions, such as makeshift handheld bidets, to improve the quality of life for young girls.
Both physicians were deeply moved by the sense of joy and resilience in the Ugandan communities.
“What struck me most was the incredible sense of community and joy,” Dr. Wyche-Etheridge said. “The children didn’t need things to be happy; they were simply happy being kids. They played, teased one another, and made fun out of whatever they had, even kicking around a water bottle when a soccer ball was not available. They were amazed by the phones and smart watches, but not addicted to technology. Watching them thrive with such simplicity was wonderful to see.”
For Dr. Tropez-Sims, the trip highlighted the importance of cultural exchange and representation. She described the powerful moment when an elderly man clasped her hand and expressed his gratitude at seeing an African American physician in his village, someone who looked like him, serving him with dignity.
Looking Ahead: Opportunities for Meharry Students
Both physicians hope to expand Meharry’s global health presence in Uganda, with the potential to create future mission trip opportunities for medical students. While the rural conditions may pose challenges, such as limited plumbing, electricity, and resources, they believe the experience would be invaluable for students to practice medicine with creativity, cultural humility, and compassion.
“This trip was about healing, but it was also about community,” reflected Dr. Wyche-Etheridge. “It showed us how little it can take to make a profound difference in someone’s life. If you are truly public health, then this is what we do. This is kind of fulfilling the ‘MD, MPH mantra’ and to be able to practice medicine and not technology is a wonderful thing.”
Click here to see scene from the mission trip.
Written by Brandon Marshall, communications director, Meharry School of Medicine
