“It Was Either Incredibly Brave or Foolish.” How International Mission Work Shaped Dr. Mitch Duininck

“Anybody who does something like this… you’re changed by the experience. Your world is broadened,” said Dr. Mitch Duininck, speaking of how it feels to go overseas on medical missions and treat patients in developing countries. 

Dr. Duininck is the president and program director of In His Image, a family medicine residency program located in Tulsa, OK, which encourages young physicians to practice compassionate medicine in medically underserved populations both in the United States and abroad.  

He has personally taken part in medical missions and crisis response events all over the globe including India, Zaire, Indonesia, Honduras, Pakistan, Iraq, Cambodia, and many more. Today, we’re focusing on two of Dr. Duininck’s most substantial overseas service experiences: Ghana and Afghanistan.  

“When you go to these places, they don’t care what your specialty is. They only care that you’re trained as a doctor. Here in America, a doctor might say ‘Well, I don’t really do this or that. I don’t deliver babies.’ Over there, if a baby needs to come out, you’re going to help,” Dr. Duininck said, speaking during an interview at the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians’ Annual Conference. 

“During these experiences, we are working on a broad spectrum of family medicine. We’re also talking about immunizations, breastfeeding, clean food, and water…  all that stuff is part and parcel of family medicine,” he said. 

Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine since 1988, Dr. Duininck had more than a decade of family medicine experience before he made the decision to move to Ghana, West Africa, in 1999. His wife, Leah, and their six children accompanied Dr. Duininck on the trip where they stayed in the neighborhood of Teshie within Ghana’s capital city of Accra. Together, they lived there for two years, working with nationally trained nurses and doctors, serving a community in desperate need. Among the most prominent diseases Dr. Duininck saw were malaria, gastrointestinal infections, hypertension and stroke. 

“We learned a lot. What does it feel like to enter somebody else’s culture? What do you need to be prepared for? Are your motives right?” Dr. Duininck asked rhetorically. “We had a wonderful couple of years over there. Our kids loved it. You know, kids are incredibly adaptive. They got malaria, and they got better.” 

While the time in Ghana was endlessly rewarding, it was also very hard. “The loneliness, the separation, the uncertainty of our own health care, the education of our kids, all of that stuff is hard. There’s no Walmart. There’s no McDonalds. No 911. There are few conveniences.” 

The trip was a life changing success for the Duininck family, and they helped countless patients in Ghana during their two years abroad. Dr. Duininck and his wife gained a unique perspective they were able to share with other physician families considering the same type of mission. Ten years later, Dr. Duininck, Leah, and their two youngest children would take the lessons they learned and apply them to a more extreme environment: war-torn Kabul in Afghanistan. 

“We were invited to go by someone who said, ‘I know you can’t possibly do this, but would you consider coming to help us?’ After soul searching, talking with family, and praying, we decided to go. It was either incredibly brave…or foolish,” Dr. Duininck said thoughtfully. 

Afghanistan was a much more restrained, even hostile, environment for the family. The children went to an international school, while Leah couldn’t leave the house without being completely covered and accompanied by her husband. They often needed security when they traveled in the country. 

“It was a very strict, difficult place,” he explained. “But Leah was able to come to the hospital with me and make a difference by speaking with female physicians who were looked down upon by their male counterparts.” 

The female Afghan physicians knew English and were very curious to ask Leah about life and family in America. “She had a real connection with those women that I couldn’t,” he said. “It was challenging, but we loved it. The people were amazing. There are some bad actors, we know that, but the Afghan people we met were kind, hospitable, and they valued us being there.” 

Afghanistan in 2011 was not always a friendly place. Dr. Duininck considered times when explosions hit places that he and his family visited. “Fortunately, we were never in one of them, but we would call home quick because it’s on international news.” Trauma and vehicle-related injuries were among the most prominent medical needs that Dr. Duininck treated, along with birth defects and significant amounts of tuberculosis. 

After a year in Afghanistan, Dr. Duininck and his family returned home. In the years since, he’s gone on other shorter medical missions, but his focus turned more towards training the next generation of family physicians practicing at In His Image. 

“We encourage our residents to find an international location and go help. Go broaden your medical experience with hands-on experience you might not get here in America,” he said. “I like to challenge people. ‘What can you do with your skill set?’” 

For medical students interested in a rigorous training program with an emphasis on caring for the medically under-served, In His Image is a popular destination. Dr. Duininck is excited about the program he helped build and the faith which guides his patient care. 

“Our teams believe that God loves all people. He uses us to show his love to people in need or suffering. That’s our motivation,” Dr. Duininck said, discussing how faith comes through in his care. “People may think you’re taking advantage of them or trying to coerce them into your religion. It’s not that at all. If there’s anything good in me, it’s from God. If there’s love in me, it’s from Him. That’s what drives me.” 

In his own words, Dr. Duininck stays true to himself by treating patients physically, mentally, and spiritually.  

“When I care for people, I want to address all three areas. There could be problems in all three, and you don’t always know which is which. Maybe you need to stop smoking or take an antibiotic. Maybe you need to forgive some people who hurt you and go to counseling. Or maybe you should consider the possibility that there’s a God and he loves you,” Dr. Duininck considered. “Patients can come back if they like my care, or they don’t have to. I’m there to serve them the best I can.” 

As Dr. Duininck nears the age of 65, he has just welcomed his eleventh grandchild into the world. That’s as good a reason as any to give more responsibilities to the young physician team at In His Image. His goal is to continue caring for patients and inspiring the younger generation to go and get their hands dirty serving others. 

“My original dream was to be a missionary in Africa, but I realized I needed to teach others. Everything I know is because someone taught me,” Dr. Duininck smiled, reflecting on 35 years in medicine. “For those to whom much is given, much is required.” 

Aaron Burch serves as Editorial Content Manager for the American Board of Family Medicine. He has been writing professionally in the health care field since 2014.