From the Field
“Youth! Rise Up For Your People.”
Education Updates
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
PROVERBS 3:5-6 NIV
Meet Saw Tamla Htoo, Education Assistant
Interview by Bway Pale Htoo, Communication Manager
Saw Tamla Htoo just joined our Education team as an Education Assistant:
“My name is Saw Tamla Htoo. I just graduated from Pu Taw Junior College in Mae La refugee camp, specializing in Education. I live about a 30-minute walk from Rain Tree Clinic. Since RTC was established in 2019, I have known about its PA, E-Tech, and now Natural Farming programs.
After graduating, I wanted to join Earth Mission’s Education Department at RTC because it aligns with what I studied in college—education development in our community. I am very grateful that young people in my community now have this higher education opportunity.
I joined RTC as an education staff member to both share and learn from this program. My responsibilities include supporting student wellness and helping the department. I also teach critical thinking to the Year 1 PA students. From this subject and from my students, I learn so much. I always go to class well-prepared, studying carefully before I teach.
Beyond teaching, I am also here to grow in leadership, management, and teaching skills. Every day, through my work and experiences, I continue learning and developing in these areas.”
Student Life
Beyond the classroom, students have plenty of opportunities to learn and serve. Pray for endurance and encouragement as they grow. Here are some things they have been up to:
Bible Recitation Competition
We celebrated Bible Sunday by having each class of PA students participate in a Bible recitation competition. The prize winners were:
1st - Year 2
2nd - Year 4
3rd - Year 5
4th - Year 1
5th - Year 3
Case Discussions
Each week on Thursday or Friday, PA students are required to attend a case discussion with their instructors. They review any recent mortality cases and discuss how they can learn from and navigate similar cases in the future. Mortality cases are prioritized for discussion, but if there are none, then they study an interesting, difficult, or common case.
Monthly Seminar
Every month, RTC hosts a seminar of an encouraging or motivational speech given by staff or local leaders.
In September, a local leader gave a motivational speech titled “Youth! Rise up for your people.”
Year 5 Final Presentations
Year 5 PA students completed their final presentations about their internship experience. As part of their final year, students were required to complete 180 hours of clinical internship in remote clinics across Karen State. The purpose of this internship was not only to apply the knowledge and skills gained at Rain Tree Clinic, but also to prepare them for the real challenges of delivering healthcare in low-resource, conflict-affected areas. Every student did a great job presenting their internships. We are very glad to see our students are engaging with the local community well in health care.
Trauma Patient Transport
Some war injuries need advanced care beyond our jungle hospital’s capacity. These cases are referred to Thailand. Over the past month, 2 trauma patients needed transport to Thailand. However, the roads were still impassable by truck because of rainy season damage. But in Karen State, when a truck can’t travel, a volunteer-run bambulance is formed. Over 30 young males at RTC, including PA and Engineering students and staff, helped to carry these 2 trauma patients on the long journey to Thailand.
Sponsor A Student
This summer, you helped sponsor 10 more students! Thanks to Jed, Mary, Paw, Michelle, Chloe, Laurie, Susanna, Tara, Florisson family and friends, Greg & Laurie, Htoo, Simon & Geri, John & Cathy, Jane, and Barnabas Aid for your generosity and care for these students.
To become a sponsor, meet our next featured student below! If you want to sponsor multiple students, reach out to Jill at jill@earth-mission.org.
Saw Hsar Gay Htoo, Year 2 PA Student
“In my community, there is a significant shortage of healthcare professionals. We have to hire doctors from other regions to meet our needs. I aspire to establish a better healthcare system in my community. I believe that the more educated individuals we have, the greater our development and success will be.”
Three generous sponsors have already given $2,500 towards his $6,000 goal. Thank you! Now Saw Hsar just needs 3-4 more sponsors, or $3,500, to fund his next year of school. You can give online at the link below, or send a check to PO Box 6411, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.
Physician Associate Training
Learning Update: July - September
Year 1 students studied critical reading, critical thinking, practical English, biology, computers, anatomy and physiology, basic math, general English, medical math and medical terminology. Other medical staff and former graduates have jumped in alongside Susan to teach these students, like Sai Sai Poe, Hsar Moo Paw, and Khu Paw, along with our new Education Assistant Saw Tamla Htoo.
Year 2 students studied:
Pharmacology: dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, diuretics, and anti-platelet, anti-diabetic, antihistamine, analgesic, anti-tuberculosis, asthma, antimalarial, anti-anemic, gout, anti-amoebic, and anti-emetic drugs and medications.
OBGYN: obstetric history taking, physical examination, antenatal care, and female genitourinary system disorders.
Clinical Training: history taking, physical examination, and skill lab procedures, with studies of conditions such as headache, splenomegaly, jaundice, anemia, dyspnea, chest pain, edema, genitourinary disorders, diarrhea, nutrition, and eye problems.
Year 3 students learned about:
Pharmacology: antiviral and antifungal medications
OBGYN: partograph use, normal labor, neonatal resuscitation, hypertension in pregnancy, preterm labor, and premature rupture of membranes.
Clinical Training: skill lab procedures (blood grouping, urine examination, and stool examination), ECG interpretation, peripheral vascular diseases, connective tissue diseases, snake bites, and neurological problems.
Mental Health: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, psychosis, substance abuse, self-harm, insomnia, and epilepsy.
Year 4 students studied:
Pharmacology: antibiotics, antiviral, and antifungal medications.
OBGYN: operative vaginal delivery and episiotomy procedures, and logged 60 hours of practice sessions with the Sonosim.
Case Discussions: Students participated in SOAP case discussions with their peers and instructors, along with medical ethics discussions.
As Year 4 students, the majority of their learning is now hands-on. Monthly clinic experience looks like one week in the outpatient department (7-hour shifts) and three weeks in the inpatient department (12-hour shifts) split into rotations of one week on day duty, one week on night duty, and one week of rest while performing supportive roles such as autoclaving and assisting in emergency surgeries.
Year 5 students spend the majority of their learning time on duty at RTC. Their monthly clinical rotations include one week in the outpatient department (6-hour shifts, 5 days a week) and three weeks in the inpatient department, with rotations consisting of one week of day duty (11-hour shifts, 7 days), one week of night duty (12-hour shifts, 7 days), and one week of rest while performing supportive roles, such as autoclaving and assisting in emergency surgeries. In between duties, they had public health and mental health lectures, along with researching and presenting case study projects.
Postgraduate Surgical PA and Internal Medicine PA students had 2-3 hour classes every Wednesday and Thursday with Dr. Hsar, Dr. Augustine, and Dr. Zue.
Engineering Tech Training
This month, Year 1 students continued developing their foundational engineering skills across core subjects. In Construction, they learned how to properly mix cement and practiced pouring concrete slabs smoothly with attention to leveling and finishing techniques. For Electrical, students built simple circuits on breadboards and explored the differences between series and parallel connections. In Mechanics, they were introduced to the basic working process of a motorcycle engine, including an overview of the main components and the four-stroke cycle. In Drawing, students were taught the fundamentals of Orthographic Projection and learned how to represent 3D objects in 2D views accurately. Additionally, guest instructor Boris led sessions on Engineering Communication and Presentation, where students learned how to express their ideas more clearly and professionally in both written and spoken formats.
The Year 2 students focused on advancing their technical knowledge in both theory and practical skills. In Construction, they studied the foundation systems of reinforced concrete buildings, understanding the function and construction of structural footings. In Electrical, students explored basic home breaker box wiring systems, learning how these systems work and how to install them safely. For Mechanics, the topic centered around the working principles of truck engines and basic maintenance techniques. In Project Management, students applied their design skills through AutoCAD 3D drawing by modeling a one-story building, focusing on layout, structure, and visualization. They also participated in Engineering Communication and Presentation classes taught by Boris, further enhancing their technical communication skills.
This month, Year 3 students were introduced to key concepts in Project Management. They discussed what a project manager is, the responsibilities involved in managing engineering projects, and how project leadership contributes to successful outcomes. These sessions aimed to prepare them for real-world roles by building their understanding of planning, coordination, and leadership within engineering work.
Medical Highlight
Six trauma patients arrived at the MKSH site who couldn’t travel to RTC because the roads were too dangerous—so our team went to them. Dr. Augustine and three Surgical PAs (Aung, Eh Blu Htoo and Hla Win) journeyed two days on motorcycles, carrying the vehicles on poles at several river crossings. For four days, they addressed 13 war injuries and performed several surgeries, including amputation, chest tubes, and foreign body removal.
We are thankful to have staff and students positioned to provide this care. Please pray for God’s strength, peace, and protection for our team. Pray for all of the patients and villagers caught in this war.
Thai Program
For our community programs in Chiang Mai and Mae Sariang, we donated a drive-through tent to the kindergarten in San Pu Loei subdistrict municipality. In Mae Sariang, we donated mushroom logs which have grown and are now ready to eat!
