Physician Scholarship a Go!

       
A unique physician scholarship program is off to a great start! The Nova Scotia Allergy and Environmental Health Association (NSAEHA) has established a scholarship program to address the drastic shortage of Nova Scotian doctors trained in environmental medicine.
        
This spring, two local GPs will attend intensive medical education courses on environmental medicine thanks to the Dr. E. Bruce Elliott Scholarship.  Dr. Craig Ferguson of Bridgewater will attend a week-long program, and Dr. William Harvey of Elmsdale will attend a three day program. The courses, organized by the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), are accredited by American and Canadian medical bodies, and are the only training in this field available in North America.
        
"Many physicians who would like training in environmental medicine are not even aware it exists in the form of 5-day courses," said Karen Robinson, chair of the NSAEHA treatment committee and a major force behind the scholarship project. "Through this program we hope to increase the number of doctors trained in this field and to raise awareness of the courses' existence."
        
"In my time as president of the NSAEHA," said past president Frank Metzger, "I saw first hand the desperate need for treatment for environmental illnesses.  I have seen how completely this disease can devastate people's lives. The most frequent enquiry received by NSAEHA over the years has been 'Where can I find a doctor who understands my illness?' Metzger continued, "The shortage of specially trained doctors in this field became even more severe with the death in 1999 of Dr. Bruce Elliott. Hundreds of his environmentally ill patients still have no doctor to take
his place."
        
Robinson credits the project's success to generous support from many sources. The AAEM has been a major supporter. The Halifax Camerata Singers donated copies of their CD, "Songs from Home", which are being sold to benefit the fund, and many individuals have made donations. "We are still a bit short of our goal for this year," says Robinson. "We hope that donations will continue to come in.  The program will continue next year, and we hope to be able to support other doctors in gaining  this valuable training."
           
The sooner environmental health problems are diagnosed and treated, the more likely a person is to recover. The Dr. E. Bruce Elliott Scholarship is a critical tool to help Nova Scotian children and adults find physicians who can help them on the road back to health.

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Donations for the physician scholarship fund in environmental medicine can
be sent to NSAEHA, Box 31323, Halifax, N.S. B3K 5Y5    Please specify the
donation is for the "NSAEHA/Elliott scholarship". Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $10.00 or more.  Donations can also be made through the United Way, by specifying the NSAEHA/Elliott Scholarship under donor options.

Purchase  "Songs from Home" CD to benefit scholarship fund.

Information on the AAEM courses can be found at www.aaem.com/  or by faxing
1-316-684-5709.