The University of Lethbridge Doctors of Tomorrow (DOT)/Flying Doctors of Canada Team is awaiting takeoff for its 2012 trip to Central America.

The six-person group joins Flying Doctors founder and U of L alumnus Dr. Ben Cavilla (BSc '00) in Izalco, El Salvador in July, and will fan out to several small villages to help people with medical challenges that might be simple in Canada but can be complex in remote locations without proper care. This marks the fourth year a U of L team has participated.

Respresentatives from the Flying Doctors of Canada include, (left to right) Alexandra Garven, Calgary, Alta.; Jesse Johnson, Barnwell, Alta.; Ashlee Matkin, Lethbridge; Shelby Eisbrenner, Calgary, Alta.; Scott Anderson, Jaffray, B.C.; Miriam Belsheim, Tulliby Lake, Alta.

"The Flying Doctors program has helped a number of U of L students have real experiences in the medical field and in meaningful humanitarian service," says Scott Anderson, a neuroscience student and team spokesperson.

"As well, by sending groups for four years in a row, we can see results of how the people in past groups have cared for improve and change with our help. Many organizations do not do this, long-term care and basic medical record keeping is often non-existent, and can often be just as helpful to people as the immediate on-site medical attention."

For more information about the DOT Team, contact Scott Anderson at

scott.anderson@uleth.ca

or Ashlee Matkin at

ashlee.matkin@uleth.ca

. The group's Facebook page is

www.facebook.com/DOT2012

. Additional donations to the team are welcome. Visit the Flying Doctors of Canada website at

www.flyingdoctors.ca