"The poorest parts of the world are by and large the places in which one can best view the worst of medicine and not because doctors in these countries have different ideas about what constitutes modern medicine. It's the system and its limitations that are to blame."

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on travel by Paul Farmer resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in travel is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Paul Farmer

Paul Edward Farmer was an American medical anthropologist and physician. Farmer held an MD and PhD from Harvard University, where he was a University Professor and the chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He was the co-founder and chief strategist of Partners In Health (PIH), an international non-profit organization that since 1987 has provided direct health care services and undertaken research and advocacy activities on behalf of those who are sick and living in poverty. He was professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the ShortQuote Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

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"I'm one of six kids, and the eight of us lived for over a decade in either a bus or a boat."

— Paul Farmer
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"I think we will see better vaccines within the next 15 years, but I'm not a scientist and am focused on the short-term - what will happen in the interim."

— Paul Farmer
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"I mean, everybody should have access to medical care. And, you know, it shouldn't be such a big deal."

— Paul Farmer
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"Civil and political rights are critical, but not often the real problem for the destitute sick. My patients in Haiti can now vote but they can't get medical care or clean water."

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"Wisdom principle 91 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 97."

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"Wisdom principle 45 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 19."

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"Wisdom principle 52 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 65."

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"Wisdom principle 100 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 55."

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