We went to Guatemala to provide medical care for the people of the community who are not offered medical care and do not have easy access to prescriptions and medications they may need. We opened a medical clinic for 5 days and went around spreading the word to those in the community to come and have their vision, teeth and overall health examined. We went in the beginning of January before we came back for school for the Spring 2020 semester.
This experience was impactful for me because it allowed me to use my love of working with people and combine it with my love of health and medicine. We were able to help hundreds of people in Guatemala and make connections that will last us a lifetime, not just with the people we met in Guatemala but also those who attended the trip with me from Penn State. We made a difference in the lives of all those struggling with their health and even in the lives of those who did not think they even needed assistance.
I am currently a BBH major and I am currently in the process of the Global Health minor application in hope to attend PA school after I graduate. In BBH we learn about helping the whole person and the needs of those around us based on socio-economic status. These people that we helped were in the lowest class of socio-economic status that I had ever been aware of. They went to the bathroom in a hole, they did not have electricity and some people did not have running water. Despite all of these things they did not have that we find essential they remained positive and happy and were able to live fulfilling lives. BBH tells us that those who have lower SES are more at risk to certain infections and such however this information fell short when comparing it to those in Guatemala.
I learned how to interact with those who did not share the same language as me. I picked up several Spanish words and was able to briefly communicate with the people as I worked along side of the Physicians to offer the people care. I also learned that certain places truly struggle to get clean food and water to eat. A lot of the people in Guatemala were losing tons of weight because they were not eating due to parasites in their stomachs, something I only knew happened in animals until I got on this trip. This allows me to be more knowledgeable in my endeavors post graduation as I pursue PA school. I eventually, if all goes accordingly to plan, would love to give back to communities such as this one some day and use my PA skills to treat them.
These images include the posters that were used to teach the children of Guatemala about dental and daily hygiene. The kids would be taught these things by us, the students of Penn State as we practiced our Spanish and did demonstrations on how to properly wash your hands and brush your teeth.
This image is of all of the Penn State students who attended the trip. This picture was taken at the compound where provided medicine to the community. The location was set at an old school in the middle of the community, making it accessible to those around us.
This image was taken of my friend Alex, at the dental station. This picture includes the tools that were used in performing teeth pulls and cavity fillings of the patients.