Remote Area Medical (RAM), is a volunteer group that includes physicians, veterinarians, optometrists, dentists, technicians, and registered nurses, who travel to remote communities around the world, providing routine and emergency medical care. The organization was founded by Stan Brock, a life time adventurer and humanitarian, who you may recognize as part of the Marlin Perkin’s team on “Wild Kingdom.”

RAM’s veterinary programs began in 1995, when a group of veterinarians and students from the University of Tennessee went to the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, in South Dakota, to set up a rabies immunization program and help with stray dog problems there. Our mission, ever since, has been to deliver veterinary care to communities where economics or geography make such care otherwise unavailable. This program differs from some other veterinary aid organizations in a couple of ways. First, we deal with both small animals and “livestock” species. RAM's activities are directed at animal welfare, not at agricultural development or human health. We believe that improving the lives animals improves the lives of their owners, but the welfare of the individual animal is our primary concern. Another difference is that clinical teaching has become a major activity of our program, as the majority of RAM's volunteers are veterinary students.

Though none of the twenty veterinary schools that have students volunteering for RAM trips provide any financial support to RAM, most offer externship or clinical credit for participation. In 2002 there are over 400 students will be participating in the RAM veterinary program. Supervising veterinarians and technicians are experienced in delivering quality veterinary care in all sorts of environments. Some are employed by RAM or the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Some are dedicated volunteers. RAM holds veterinary clinics in 18 Indian reservations in the USA, numerous counties in Appalachia, the Peten region of Guatemala, Guyana, several Caribbean islands, Micronesia, and Guam. Plans for expeditions to India and Turkey are in the works.

RAM provides all supplies and equipment, as well as several vehicles and trailers. All of these materials are purchased with funds donated by private individuals and foundations. Remote Area Medical is a tax exempt 501c non-profit organization, with no paid employees. Using these donated vehicles, ground transportation to clinics is provided by RAM. Host communities provide room and board. This means that, besides travel to the site, volunteers only have to provide is a sleeping bag, camping mattress, scrubs, a stethoscope, thermometer, and enthusias. Besides the very real contribution that volunteers make to animal welfare in poor communities, this is a terrific learning experience. With our large case load, the practice and reinforcement that is so often absent at veterinary teaching hospitals is in large supply at RAM clinics. For instance, a student may vaccinate 10 horses at a veterinary teaching hospital, over a twelve month period, but each of our students on a Guatemala expedition would deworm and vaccinate 20 to 30 a day for two weeks. Where a senior veterinary student may do two or three spays in a year, RAM volunteers may do 40 on one trip. Furthermore, the experience of working in places like Guatemala and Pine Ridge is important to the education of students who will be professionals and, hopefully, leaders in a “smaller” , more interrelated world. Veterinary students often talk about “getting out into the real world.” It is critical that we realize that most people do not live in the comfortable, well-organized “real world” that most of us regard as familiar.

Meeting people in the poor rural areas of this planet, where they and their animals often lack medical care and economic opportunities is important to developing a realistic world view. Some other aspects of Remote Area Medical’s operations: This is an organization that has a very solid record in delivering quality veterinary care. This has been recognized by the AVMA, the University of Tennessee's Thomas Jefferson award, and the Brooke Foundation in the United Kingdom, among others. Remote Area Medical is an organization that collaborates with other groups to improve service, increase efficiency, and avoid duplication of efforts. Navajo Veterinary Services, the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, the Indian Health Service, as well as various local humane associations and tribal health services work directly in our projects. Local input makes our programs sustainable and popular. We pride ourselves on providing the maximum quality of care for the lowest amount of money. Besides our large, motivated volunteer base, we are able to achieve this by minimizing “overhead.” Our veterinary organization has no office staff or publicists. Virtually all donated funds and materials go to delivering service and student teaching.