| Nurse and Physician Assistant Students Improve Global Health
Students from two Samuel Merritt University programs had a chance to use their medical skills and Spanish fluency when two academic programs traveled to South America this summer.
In mid-August, 14 students, three faculty, and two alums from the University's Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program traveled to Panama to work with the nonprofit organization Global Medical Brigades. During the week stay the group visited three villages providing acute care examinations, medicine, and medical assessments for nearly 500 Panamanians.
"Several of us enjoyed combining our medical experience with helping others globally," said Evelyn Shober, FNP student, and trip organizer. "If we can make the world just a little bit better of a place for a few people, take away some suffering, I think that resonates throughout all of humanity."
Suzanne August-Schwartz, DNP, APRN, FNP Director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program and Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing said as a faculty member the experience was memorable and at times, intense.
"The press of people who were sick and needed to be seen, and the lack of services available, put us all into a kind of "response" mode that served us well and got us through 12 hour days. I was so proud of the students, they could have complained about the conditions of the trip, PB&J sandwiches for lunch, sleeping on the floor on air mattresses in one big room with everyone, no hot water and just trickles of cold water to shower in, but they didn't. They were just happy to be helpful to these people."
Entry-Level Master of Science in Nursing (ELMSN) student Pablo Sarmiento said being fluent in Spanish does have its advantages, but added, so does just being there. "You find someone with a mass in their abdomen what do you do? You don't have an X-ray or CT scan, how do you treat these people? You treat them for the pain. That's why I wanted to go, you really have to count on the skills you have, not the supplies you don't have, to care for the people. Sometimes that could be a smile and an understanding nod."
That same week 18 Physician Assistant (PA) students and PA Program Academic Coordinator Tana Rhodes PA-C traveled to Peru, where they worked either at an urban hospital in Trujillo or a rural hospital in Agallpampa, which is at 10,000 feet in the Andes. The group worked through the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children.
Brett Sibley, Physician Assistant student, said she organized the trip because she thought it would be a good opportunity for PA students to practice their medical skills and Spanish. "By educating ourselves to the issues effecting Peruvian quality of life we hope it will enable us to provide healthcare to the Spanish speaking population within the immediate Bay Area with a greater sensitivity."
The students assisted doctors in the exam room and recorded vital signs. Besides the work in hospitals, they also ran health education workshops teaching children how to brush their teeth, the importance of hygiene, washing hands, and treating minor cuts. The students also spoke to adults about the importance of safe and hygienic water treatment and cooking practices.
For Jessica Wilcox, PA student, the opportunity to work alongside local Peruvian doctors and learn about diseases that are not commonly seen in the United States was an experience she'll never forget.
"I met patients with severe neurological deficits from cysticercosis and tuberculosis. We also saw how healthcare teams heavily relied on their physical exam skills in the absence of expensive radiographs," explained Wilcox. "The experience made me feel connected to the international healthcare community and proud to be a part of this amazing profession of helping others."
Each group of students distributed over $2,000 worth of supplies donated by Alta Bates Summit Medical Center to rural villages and county hospitals.
View more photos from the Medical Mission to Panama.
View more photos from the Medical Mission to Peru.
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