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COM Outlook . Summer 2012
Children from the local orphanage were brought to see
us regarding their medical issues, and hoping to receive
some vitamins. Agricultural workers arrived with various
physical complaints secondary to the exhausting manual
repetitive labor they perform seven days a week. Families
with three and four generations living under one roof
were hoping for treatments for their respiratory infec-
tions, headaches, upset stomachs, and earaches. Many
had never seen a dentist, so in addition to the dental
extractions, we were able to provide a large number of
fluoride treatments.
Our next stop was outside of the town of Tandayapa.
Instead of being in a school, we conducted our medical out-
reach at a community center. Following that, we spent time
at two additional communities outside of Milpe. All in all,
we saw approximately 400 patients in three-and-a-half days
of medical service. The medical outreach trip was quite suc-
cessful, and we were able to enjoy the beautiful country of
Ecuador while providing medical care to those in need.
To see the excitement in the faces of the students each
and every day is equally as rewarding for me, person-
ally, as the patient care itself. Getting to know each of the
students on a personal basis has changed me as a person,
and I am forever grateful to each of them. Here are some of
their thoughts on the experience:
“I thought it was an amazing experience to be treated
like colleagues and professionals with our preceptors,” said
OMS-I Angela Kuehn. “Being given the chance to learn and
practice our skills was priceless, and the people of Ecuador
were so patient and appreciative of our help. I think it was
a confirmation of our excitement for our future careers and
our futures of helping people worldwide.”
OMS-I Kristi Martinez-Costa, the incoming vice presi-
dent of the International Medical Outreach Club (IMOC),
said, “Ecuador was a once in a lifetime learning experi-
ence. It fortified my passion to become an OB/GYN in the
future and taught me so much in such a short time span. It
was a wonderful experience in which I was able to practice
my physical exam skills and learn from experienced doc-
tors how to truly assess and plan treatment. It was a great
bonding experience for me and my colleagues.”
“There was so much to learn in Ecuador during our
clinic days, but what I think I learned most about was the
skill required to narrow down a vague chief complaint
into something tangible and treatable,” said OMS-I Emily
Stumpf, incoming IMOC president. The differential [di-
agnoses] were a bit different in Ecuador, where a child’s
abdominal pain could just as likely be a simple gastrointes-
tinal virus or a vicious parasite. I learned a lot from listen-
ing to the preceptors’ form questions based on the patient’s
complaints and direct their questioning in different ways
based on patients’ responses in order to lead to a diagnosis.”
We were very fortunate to be able to bring a great
deal of medications and supplies with us to the various
communities we served in Ecuador. NSU-COM was a
vital supporter of this medical outreach trip, assisting in
providing the necessary medications supplied to the com-
munities we served. Members of the student organization
IMOC also provided a great deal of supplies, medications,
and vitamins that they had collected through a donation
drive. Additionally, we were able to purchase Ready
Relief Boxes from the American Osteopathic Founda-
tion for half of the normal price for one box, and then we
received a second box for free. Several of the participants
also brought clothing, toys, coloring books, and various
school supplies for the children, which were distributed
throughout the duration of the trip.
This outreach trip was only possible through contribu-
tions of time and energy by several people who did not actu-
ally travel with us to Ecuador. Robin Jacobs, Ph.D., associate
professor, played a key role as she did the majority of the
coordinating of the vital components of this trip. Elaine Wal-
lace, D.O., M.S., executive associate dean, was instrumental
in passing along her thorough knowledge of this particular
trip, which allowed it to be as successful as possible.
As president of the college’s IMOC student chapter,
OMS-III Belinda Collias helped to collect and organize
all of the college’s information about the participants and
the supplies that were being brought to Ecuador. Harold
Laubach, Ph.D., dean of the College of Medical Sciences,
provided the necessary laboratory supplies for us to utilize
in our patient care. Joseph O’Connor, office manager of
the Family Medicine Practice, in coordination with Marina
Melendez, family medicine medical assistant, provided
excellent assistance in purchasing additional supplies that
were utilized in our patient care.
“International Medical Outreach: Humanitarianism at its Finest”