THEUNDERSECRETARYOFHEALTHANDHUMANSERVICES

             WASHINGTON. D.C. 20201

August 21, 1981

Carl Taylor, M.D.
DepamentofInternationalHealth
!SchoolofHygiene
JohnsHopkinsUhiversity
6l5NorthWolfeStzeet
Baltimore,Maryland 21205

Dear Dr. Taylor:

  Iamdeli~~toleamthatyouarewillingtowritealetter~
behalf of C. Everett Koop, M.D., whoseconfimetimhearingsmnmming
his appointment as SurgeonGeneralofthePubl.icHealthServicewillbe
heldinmid-Sepimber.  Yourlettershouldbeaddzssedto: Senator
OnrinHat~,~~,C<mrmitteeanLaborandH~~souroes,United
States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20501.  Iwouldappreciateaoopybeing
sent to II-E.

  It is my understanding that you will stress Dr. Koop's contributim
tipublichealththrough theMAl?13eader1sDigestInternationalFkllmship
program*  Letrrrerefreshyourmrmy conoemingDr. Koop's involvement
withthisproject.

  'Dxtxmghhis oantacrtwith.~cineintheThird~rld,Dr.Koopreoog-
nized not only the need for mre physicians dedicated to international
public health, but also recognized the fact that many young physicians
acceptedanassigm-mkinmdicine in the ThirdWorldonly to findthat
theirrmonticid~ofwhatitmightbe likewas incorrpatiblewiththeir
am life style or that of a spouse.

  Inorder topreventtheeaxcmicloss,aswell as the loss ofdedi-
catedmanpower,Dr.Koapde~~tofindawaytogi~~dicals~~ts
anapportunitytoseeThirdWorldrnedicineinprimiti~c ircumstances so
thattheirdecisi~toenterinternationdLhealthasa caxeerwouldbe
an info& one.

  Tenyears ago,heabtainedfram~.DewittWdllace,ofthe~ader's
Digest, agrantofseveralmillimdollars,the inaxfeofwhichwas to
beusedtofinan&thefellmshipprogram.


E-SF? 2 - Carl Taylor, M.D.

  I amenclosingacop~of the l981annualreportoftheMAP Reader's
DigestIn~ti~~FellckJshipsandhave~~severalareas~whic.h
yourfaywish to referinyourletter. Here are scuteofthe salientfea-
tures of that report:.733 medical students havebeen recipients of a
fellckJshipawardforperiods rangingfran1Oweeks to6mths. All
but 77 of these anpleted their fell~hips; 385 went to Africa, 191
to Asia, and the rez&ningtoIatin~caandAlaska.  studentsfrom
97Anericannedicalschools and 15 Canadian,British,orAustralian
schoolshavebeenassignedto54 countries.

  Perhaps the~stsignificantinpactoftheprogramwas revealed in
aquesti onnaireretumedby 356 fellcwshiprecipients. Ninepercentof
the felluvship recipients have changed their career planstointemational
nedicineandanadditionall9per~are currently ccnsidering that
option.  E2ic$tpercentamundecidedaboutacareer in international
l-leiicine.  Tknty-five students plan toentera schoolofpublichealth.

  If you agree that the M&P Reader's Digest Fellcwship Program is a
significantcantributionto intemationalpublichealth,itwouldbe
helpful toDr. Kooptostateyouropini~ in thatway.

Yourwillingness towriteinDr. Koop'sb&alfisnx.&appreciated.
                  ,/'  /it

-kWmselor to the
IJnder secretary

Enclosure

P.S. - If appropriate, you might also rention that in 1960 Dri Koop
YepresentedtheStateDepartTllentinoanvincingtheMinistryofHealth
ofchanat6acceptan~icanrredicalschoolratherthananesupported
by IheSovietblocnations.  After the schoolwasbuiltbythe forerunner
OftheAgency forInternationdlDevel~t,Dr.Koopnegotiated for the
American facultytoberecruitedunderthe~~llaofthePhila~lphia
College of Physicians until the schccl's nenagenentwas turned over to
Chaniansfiveyearslater.