Dr. David Marks, F.C.C.P., is and always will be a "yes" man. When it involves helping his community and the world around him, he has a hard time saying anything but yes. So in 2008, when an opportunity arose to be part of a medical mission trip to Moldova to help out in orphanages, Marks took it.

When he came back to the United States, he realized something.

"It was about how privileged we are here in this country for what we have and our access to health care and how unfortunate people are in this world," Marks said. "We wake up every day, and we complain about how much cream is in our coffee and we have a sense of entitlement.

"Whereas these kids [in Moldova], they have to sleep two to three to a bed, and that's the future they have: They have no future. But yet, we talk to them, and they all have a sense of worth and a sense of hope."

Moldova was just the start. Marks went to Nigeria and Mexico in 2009, he made multiple trips to Haiti after the earthquake hit and he took another trip to Nigeria this past July. He plans on returning to Nigeria and Moldova, and to take new trips to Sri Lanka and South Africa in the future.

Marks also explained the major difference between disaster relief medicine and humanitarian medicine. Disaster situations, such as his trip to Haiti, are chaotic and have limited resources and abrupt changes to the normal pattern of living. Humanitarian efforts, such as his trips to Nigeria and Moldova, are slightly different.

"Humanitarian medicine is called 'complex, medical emergencies' because it's ongoing," Marks said. "It's more of a political issue that's going on than just people [who] don't have medical care."

When dealing with complex, medical emergencies, it's important to tailor your efforts to the specific needs of the country. In Nigeria, for example, it's Malaria.

"There is no malaria control in that country," Marks said. "Malaria is a big time killer." Malaria, along with high blood pressure, diabetes and other treatable health issues, were mostly what Marks dealt with in Nigeria. During the course of the five days he was in Nigeria this summer, Marks estimated that he saw around 2,000 people and gave prescriptions to around 1,000 people. The prescriptions weren't anything special – mostly medicines to treat common ailments.

Despite seeing all of those patients, Marks knows he can't save all of them. "Did we change the lives of 1,000 people?" Marks asked aloud. "No, I would be lying if I said that. Am I confident that I helped one or two people [who] might have died? Absolutely."

Therein lies his overall goal: saving lives no matter what it takes. "How much is one life worth?" Marks asked aloud once more. "Are you willing to travel for 18 hours to save one life? Most people would say yes."

Despite being a successful doctor, money holds little value to him. He frequently posts his own money to travel to these countries and pay for additional medicine and room and board while he is in the country. That doesn't even include the amount of money Marks loses while away from his practice. When it was all said in done for the Nigeria trip, Marks said he spent between $8,000 and $10,000 of his own money.

More than anything else, Marks wants to inspire his fellow Americans to help people. And that doesn't mean taking elaborate trips like he does. "You don't have to go to Nigeria to help people," Marks said. "A lot of people here need help – whether it's your neighbor or being a mentor [to someone]."

Day by day, our society grows more complacent with helping the world. "A lot of people now, they see an accident and they just keep driving by, or somebody falls down and they don't rush to help," Marks said.

Instead of accepting that unfortunate truth, Marks wants people to change their ways. Just because things are bad, doesn't give people an excuse to not try. "Our society has evolved like that," Marks said. "If we don't see problems, then they don't exist. We have huge problems, but they're nothing we can't deal with.

"The first step is the desire to go. Then, once you get the desire, it's just finding what you really want to do. You don't want to go to a third world country to do something you don't want to do." After coming back from Haiti earlier this year, Marks found himself depressed and remorseful. He felt that because he wasn't in Haiti, he wasn't having the impact on the world that he wanted to have. It wasn't until a patient of his told him everywhere he goes he has a positive impact that Marks changed his perspective.

"Everywhere I walk is my mission ground," Marks said. At the end of the day, Marks is a strong believer in the idea that every human being is equal. While every human is equal, his or her life doesn't have a price. "People are human beings just like we are," he said. "They all deserve the same respect and camaraderie. We're not any better than they are."

For more information on Marks, his practice or his medical trips, Marks asks that you e-mail him at davidamarksmd@hotmail.com.