Paul Farmer, with Chancelor Dzau and Michael Merson, speak to Duke clinical trainees in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.
Published December 6, 2011, last updated on April 29, 2013
By Duke Research
One of Duke’s most distinguished alumni and one of global health’s biggest names, Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, discussed his latest book “Haiti After the Earthquake” at Duke on Saturday afternoon.
So, what should Duke students take from this individual who just like us lived in Wannamaker, wrote for the Chronicle, and once roamed this Gothic wonderland? “Start as early as you can.”
Upon graduating from Duke in 1982 with a BA in medical anthropology, Farmer spent a year in Haiti: a decision that would help him become the kind of physician he always imagined himself as and would help him uncover his lifelong passion. Farmer then returned to Harvard University (which he humorously referred to as “the Duke of the North”) to obtain his MD and PhD in medical anthropology.
Now, Dr. Farmer is Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Kolokotrones University Professor, one of the highest honors that can be granted to a faculty member. He has been awarded the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize and the MacArthur Foundation Genius Award for his work.
“We must counter failures of imagination.”
Just five years after leaving Duke, Farmer co-founded Partners in Health (PIH), an international health organization committed to improving health care in developing countries. This nonprofit organization focuses on building sustainable health care systems rather than simply treating patients. However, Farmer believes that their biggest challenge lies in breaking the cycle of poverty and disease. And, in essence, helping the Haitian community imagine a world where these hurdles can be overcome.
