The mission this year was a complete success, far beyond any expectations. We saw over 1100 patients in 5 days at 2 simultaneous missions (more than 4 times the volume of MSIA 2006) with over 50 medical students (we had 1/3 of the entire freshman class of the UM med school; this was a historic University participation). Seven senior students and one junior student returned this year, which was a tremendous asset to our medical teams. We were able to run simultaneous clinics at the prior site north of Palenque (which included the mountainous and very impoverished villages of Los Botaos, Hoyos de Niza, and Ranchos al Medio) as well as a new area identified to us by the Health minister north of the city of Bani (in a very dry almost desert-like area).
We began seeing patients on Palm Sunday and daily through Thursday evening. The first year students working under the upper classmen honed their clinical skills with history taking and physical examinations. By the end of the week, they were presenting their patients to the attending physicians and recommending treatment plans. They were integrated into the pharmacy and prescribing protocols throughout the week. Overall, a significant learning experience for the younger students.
The students were exposed to an array of medical problems: various acute and chronic skin diseases: tinea pedis, corporis, cruris, capitus, intertrigo, scabies, impetigo, cellulites, dermatitis, hypertension, acute coronary sydndrome, rheumatic heart diseases, congenital abnormalities, anemia, poor dentition and periodontal disease, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases: genital herpes, HPV, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis (primary, secondary and tertiary), pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cyst, pelvic pain, menstrual disorders, vaginitis, breast masses and discharges, diabetic complications, arthritis, ocular dryness and foreign bodies, hernias, phimosis, orthopedic fractures and dis-locations, dehydration, respiratory conditions, parasites, bites and stings,TB, giardia, diarrhea, URIs, poor hygiene, burns, malnutrition, foreign bodies, lacerations, etc……
Each morning didactic lectures were provided by the physicians, oral surgeon and senior medical students. Throughout the day, it was common to see students with reference books in their hands perusing the vast amount of information they were experiencing.
Diagnostic equipment included abdominal and vaginal ultra-sonography, obstetrical ultrasounds, echocardiograms, EKGs, Rapid Strep A test, urinalysis, Chlamydia testing, pap smear testing, gluco-meters and hemoglobin analysis. The students all had ample exposure to these various tests.
Our in-house pharmacy was expertly organized by the second year medical students and distribution and categorizing of medications always seemed to be accurate. With pocket PDRs and Pharmacopeias in hand, the pharmacy crew was always very efficient and knowledgeable. This truly is one of the most tedious and difficult jobs of the medical mission.
The only major mishap was the loss of 10 bags of luggage with most of the dermatological medications at the beginning of the trip. As a result, we scrambled to visit the local pharmacias and had to go personally out of pocket on a daily basis to pick up dermatological medications. The bags eventually arrived 3 days later.
Additional personnel traveled with us this year including Dr. Arquelles’ wife Vickie and daughter Caro with her high school friend, Josie Aguila. My 14 year old son Curt, was excused from Belen Jesuit School to attend the mission this year. They served as Spanish translators, educators, gophers and participated in the “kids day” that occurs on the final mission afternoon as they give out toys, books, clothing and schooling materials which we bring each year. Curt worked closely with our oral surgeon and assisted with many procedures throughout the week. We also had a business woman, Carla Brown, on board for administrative/organizational support which included preparing a full patient and pharmacy database on a wireless network running off a router and syncing the laptops. This is still an ongoing process which is vital for maintaining patient records, treatment plans and measuring outcomes. Lastly, we brought a professional videographer and producer, Judy Eshavez, to film our trip and create a documentary. We are all looking forward to the final edit.
We have posted many pictures from this year’s trip which can be viewed at the website:
www.medicalstudentsinaction.com Click photos.
Over the course of 4 years, we are beginning to see improvements in the healthcare and dental care status of our patients. Our educational classes are making an impact on the people. Many women are aware of contraception and prevention of STDs. It is enlightening to witness these changes.
Your generosity and support are greatly appreciated and vital to sustaining our Mission. The people we help thank you with all their hearts.
Sincerely yours,
Sincerely
Steven E. Chavoustie, M.D., FACOG
Medical Director MSIA