Fedex gives back to Filipino clients

MANILA, Philippines - United States logistics giant Federal Express (Fedex) Corp. is known around the world for what it really is: A friendly and efficient express delivery service.

But in a recent interview with The Star, Fedex managing director for Indonesia and the Philippines Rhicke Jennings revealed a little known fact about Fedex, the Fedex Fellowship Program.

Nope, fellows don’t get to be the next Fedex delivery guy, driver or manager but instead become better medical ophthalmologists.

Part of Fedex’s corporate social responsibility programs (CSR), the Fedex Fellowship Program provides an opportunity for local ophthalmologists to receive continuing education at some of the world’s leading eye institutes outside their home countries.

In return, the fellows can help share their new knowledge and skills to address the leading causes of avoidable blindness within their home country.

Fedex has been awarding 12 fellowships to doctors globally, Jennings said.

And the Philippines is no exception.

In 2010, the Fedex Fellowship in Neuro-Ophthalmology was awarded to Filipino doctor Buenjim Mariano, making him the first Filipino Fedex Fellow.

 In an interview, Mariano shared his experience as a fellow.

A doctor of St. Luke’s Hospital, Mariano received his fellowship training at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, United Kingdom, one of the world’s leading eye institutes. He is now one of only 19 Neuro-Ophthalmologists in the Philippines.

Neuro-Ophthalmology is a complicated field that deals with a variety of eye disorders such as multiple sclerosis, strokes, and brain tumors.

It also treats a variety of visual complaints such as blurred vision and double vision. 

“Because this specialty includes the fields of ophthalmology, neurology, neurosurgery, and neuroradiology, most neuro-ophthalmologists have received training in all of these areas,” according to data on the Fedex Fellowship Program.

Mariano said it was a privilege to be a fellow. He said he learned a lot from his mentors in Moorfields.

“It was a privilege to have received the award. During my first three months in London, I just wanted to go home. I was homesick and it was very difficult. It’s a different population altogether. At first, acceptance was very hard – for patients. Patients would think ‘this doctor looks very young’ and I don’t have their English accent, automatically thinking I’m from another country again. And some of the consultants, they would expect a lot of things from you already. The day after I arrived, I started working already, without knowing what to do. I just had to study really hard. What I learned is that there are no shortcuts to success. During my first three months there, that’s the time you’re in your training wheels. But when the consultant was confident with me already, he’d let me have my neuro day and he would let me see patients even without his guidance already,” he said in an interview.

Under the Fedex Fellowship Program, Fedex ties up with the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital.

The so-called Flying Eye Hospital is a surgical and training hospital with wings. It brings together and eye care professionals and aviators that they may be able to provide eye surgery and eye care to developing countries around the world including the Philippines.

Orbis and the host hospital in the respective country jointly select the FedEx Fellow among the hands-on trainees during the Flying Eye Hospital program.

Mariano was a hands-on trainee at the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital in Manila.

His interest in Neuro-Ophthalmology comes from the love of being challenged.

“Because it is hard, only a few are interested. I feel it can be not only sight-saving, but life-saving as well,” he said.

Mariano returned to the Philippines in February 2012 and participated in the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital Program in Iloilo.  

He introduced the next FedEx fellow, another promising ophthalmologist from the Philippines to study at a leading global eye institute.  

He has been using his skills from the fellowship program to improve ophthalmology services at St Luke’s Medical Center and other hospitals and help save the sight of the people in Philippine communities. 

“My most valuable learning is that if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right – studying, caring for patients, all of it. If you receive such rare opportunity, you really have to make the most of it. I am the first Filipino doctor to train at Moorfields for a year period. The FedEx Fellowship gave me the opportunity to learn from the best – and you become their legacy,” he said.

 He said that when he becomes a teacher, he would be sharing with his students what he learned at Moorfields. 

“Training is much needed and there should be even more opportunities across the world.  I am looking forward to being a neuro-ophthalmology consultant, helping other hospitals develop their services,” he said. 

Fedex’s Jennings, for his part, said the Fedex Fellowship Program is the company’s way of “giving back” to its clients.

 â€œWe wanted to make a difference in the countries that we serve,” he said.