Mission and Vision Statement:
MEDS strives to establish quality medical training, employee placement services, and exchange opportunities between Africa and the United States by improving technical health care education for young African adults, providing rewarding employment opportunities, and strengthening the relationship between the
United States and Africa.
The Current Situation:
Africa is experiencing a pandemic of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases which impair the health of individuals and prosperity of societies. There is a high demand among secondary graduates to attain further education, but the technical institutions and universities are in short supply. Even though many have the passion and financial means necessary for higher education, many potential students are being turned away. Additionally, minimal unskilled employment opportunities force many to live at or below the poverty line and the region is also in desperate need of medical aid and assistance.
The Opportunity:
Medical Education and Development Services (MEDS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting individual and social esteem through education. MEDS trains, certifies, and provides employment placement services for African young adults as Medical Laboratory Technicians within Cameroon. MEDS is establishing the first Medical Laboratory Technician Training institution in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Staffed with experienced medical experts, along with students and faculty from the University of Washington, MEDS provides a highly interpersonal and stimulating educational environment. Upon completion of the MEDS program, the graduates will be equipped with the necessary skills to give back to their communities in immeasurable ways.
Services and Benefits:
• Two-year intensive training and certification program instructed by international experts in the medical field
• Employment placement connects graduates with local, secure, and career-enhancing opportunities
• Strategic partnerships with local hospitals, government, and businesses for employment and practicum work
Competitive Strategies:
MEDS will be the first and only international MLT training and education institution in Cameroon. Its distinctive competitive edge is secured in the fact that MEDS will not only educate individuals in underdeveloped nations, but will also seek out and secure quality employment positions for its graduates.
Scalability and Future Growth:
MEDS is committed to eliminating idle resources and will therefore make the training clinic accessible for local hospitals to utilize. In addition to steadily increasing class enrollment size and number medical students teaching at the facility, MEDS also plans to scale-out operations by utilizing our partnerships with other organizations throughout the continent.
Revenue and Funding Sources:
MEDS generates revenue from four primary sources 1) MLT program tuition paid by Cameroonian students 2) US university exchange program fee 3) grants and donations from philanthropic organizations and private donors, and 4) clinical testing services for local hospitals and laboratories.
