Perspectives Winter/Spring 2018

42 Nova Southeastern University Physical Therapy Tampa Jamaica Medical Outreach: Joining Hands, Hearts, and Minds By Nam (Jason) Ha, Class of 2019 Physical Therapy Student THE 17TH ANNUAL medical outreach trip to Jamaica that took place in June 2017 was more than just a check mark on my bucket list. It was a lifelong dream to pay it forward that finally came true. I embraced the pay-it-forward philosophy because I was a refugee myself between 1989 and 1995. I lived on a remote island that was a two-hour boat ride from Hong Kong. During those six years, I was on the receiving end of the outreach and kindness of others. I resolved to myself that one day, I would give back to others in some way to give them a sense of hope. When I first learned about the Jamaica medical outreach trip shortly after my matriculation into the Doctor of Physical Ther- apy Program at the NSU Tampa Campus in 2015, my heart and mind knew what I had to do. For the next two years, I made it my personal mission to maintain the required academic quali- fications and save financially to make this dream a reality. The 10-day medical outreach trip to Jamaica was the perfect opportunity to provide services to medically underprivileged communities of Jamaica as part of an interprofessional team consisting of faculty members, alumni, and students from dental medicine, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, optometry, osteopathic medicine, and pharmacy. As a third-year PT student, the medical outreach gave me the chance to receive mentoring from faculty members, alumni, peers, and other professionals. It also provided me with an opportunity to help hundreds of Jamaicans who normally do not have access to PT services. During our time in Jamaica, we helped those who were having difficulty moving because of musculoskeletal pain, muscle and joint limitations, neuromuscular deficits, and vas- cular compromise. We assisted children with developmental disabilities who needed positioning devices, orthotics, and range of motion. An interdisciplinary team also visited two prisons to provide services to inmates in need of medical, dental, and rehabilitative care. The medical outreach trip was quite an amazing learning experience in many ways. We provided much-needed physical therapy with kindness and compassion that came from our hearts. One of the most memorable experiences was seeing a five-year-old girl with cerebral palsy being treated and cared for by many disciplines on the trip. The dental, medical, and physical therapy/occupational therapy teams worked together to help teach the child’s mother techniques to help calm and care for the child. It was amazing to realize how teaching the girl’s mother how to manage her daughter was a gift that kept on giving long after we were gone. This trip increased my knowledge and understanding of disease, injury, and movement problems that can be helped with physical therapy. Although it was at times overwhelming to see how many Jamaicans were in desperate need of medical attention, it was also nice to know that in some way, shape, or form, I made a small, but impactful, difference in their lives. It is my hope that one day these individuals may pay it forward in the form of kindness and service to others in need. ●