Let the World Change You in Mexico

Name: Tropical Medicine in Puerto Escondido
Item: Let the World Change You in Mexico
Rating: 7
Author: Ranya Mulchandani

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Become immersed in rich Oaxacan culture by living with local families and observing how local healthcare professionals are addressing the challenges of literacy, sanitation, unemployment, and access to healthcare. Join CFHI’s immersion programs to understand the relationship between socioeconomic status and health access, as the state of Oaxaca trails behind the rest of Mexico in its health and economic indicators. Partake in the following programs:

Intensive beginner Spanish and Healthcare in Mexico
Women’s Reproductive Health, Mexico
Realities of Health Access and Inequities
Tropical Medicine and Community-based Care on the Coast of Mexico

CFHI participants may organize weekend trips to nearby destinations such the Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán. In the city of Oaxaca, participants may also shop, explore museums and art galleries, or hang out with locals in the vibrant Zócalo or main plaza.

Highlights

In addition to learning about tropical diseases, students will be assisting doctors in diagnosing and treating diabetes in communities that often lack the necessary resources to handle the disease on their own.
Students may also get the chance to participate in Malaria Brigades, a common health initiative for malaria control.
CFHI's rotations are designed to offer you clinical and observational experiences relevant to your level of medical education.
This program is open to those who possess: * Conversant Spanish * Fluent Spanish * For those who are not completely confident with their language skills before participation in this program, we strongly recommend that you arrive at your program site
Clinical rotations Monday-Friday, working with a local physician who has opted to participate in CFHI as a teaching preceptor.

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Growth 8.5
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My time in Puerto Escondido on the Tropical Medicine and Community-Based Health programme was an invaluable professional development opportunity. I have the chance to discuss with the local doctors on topics ranging from the political instability which resulted in hospital strikes, to an overview of the fragmented health system to how the vector control programmes worked within the region. Through being part of Oasis Surf & Spanish, I learnt how to surf and had lots of opportunity to improve my Spanish through living with a host family and taking medical Spanish lessons.

How can this program be improved?

It took a while to get used to the change in pace of life - last minute planning and disorganisation is daily life in Puerto. I think slightly more direction for the local Medical Director and increased communication over what the programme would look like and being available for concerns would have made me feel more secure in my programme.

My time in Puerto Escondido, Mexico was nothing short of extraordinary. Upon arrival, I was greeted with warm smiles and open arms. While I had done quite a bit of traveling prior to this experience, this was my first time traveling truly alone and with a more career-oriented goal. That being said, I was very nervous and I apprehensive about how my experience would be.

Luckily, my apprehension soon dissipated after my arrival. In my short time in Puerto, not only did I work on my project regarding childhood obesity in Mexico and learn an incredible amount about the Mexican healthcare system, I also was given many unique opportunities to learn about the culture and the people of Puerto. Being associated with the Oasis Surf and Language school allowed me to meet a ton of new people and have access to many amazing activities. To name a few, during my three weeks I was able to learn how to surf, freshen up on my Spanish, go to the local market, eat amazing local cuisine, release baby sea turtles on the beach, visit two different midwifes, learn how to cook typical Mexican meals from my host mom, watch movies on the beach, visit a wildlife refuge, hike along some ancient trails, and listen to the stories of some amazing local people.

Every day I would go to a local clinic and work on discovering and reducing health disparities that I found to be present in the population, and every evening I would sit on the beach and watch the sun disappear below the rolling ocean waves. It was truly a setting and an experience that made me reflect and realize how lucky I am and how badly I want to improve the health and well-being of others in populations around the globe. I am so lucky to have had the chance to experience all that I did with my short time in this coastal town of Oaxaca, and I would not have had such a chance if it weren't for CFHI! I definitely recommend this program and this organization to anyone who is looking to experience something new and life changing in the realm of healthcare.

How can this program be improved?

The only thing for me that could have improved the experience deals with the language barrier I experienced. While I had previously taken Spanish courses and also took some classes while I was in Puerto, I found that I did not pick the language back up as quickly as I would have hoped. That being said, in my first week's clinical rotation I found that I was unable to speak with any of the staff besides the doctor. Although I tried to speak in Spanish, their inability to understand any English left me feeling inadequate and frustrated that I could not learn more from them and ask them the questions I wanted to. Luckily, after the first week, I was paired up with a student that spoke both English and Spanish fluently. She acted as my translator and this allowed me to learn a lot more during my time in Puerto. With that, my one suggestion would be to have the option of having a translator available to students who are uncomfortable with the language and need some extra help, even if it would just be available for a small portion of the time.

About Child Family Health International

Child Family Health International (CFHI) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that conducts socially responsible global health service-learning programs for medical, pre-medical, nursing, PA, MPH, and other health science students. CFHI's 35+ programs in 10...

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