Promoting Health in Peru

I am a registered nurse and went to Peru with FIMRC in 2014. Our week consisted of visits to local hospitals, giving health information sessions at local orphanages, and hearing lectures at the local medical school. The hospital visits were observation only, which was unfortunate as myself and a fellow critical care RN would have been happy to use our skills and help out. We did enjoy preparing and giving presentations regarding health issues to local orphanages, however we wondered who chose the topics for us to teach about as they were simply assigned to us, and we would have preferred to have been involved in the assessment of the local community and identify their needs. We teamed with a local dentist to give fluoride treatments to children in a school type setting, which was an awesome experience. As a group we were able to give treatment to at least 150-200 kids. We also taught a first aid course, which we designed, to a group of local law enforcement, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Overall I found this program to be very geared towards pre-Med students who would probably benefit more from the observation aspect of the program and they very basic health promotion activities, however I do not feel that this program is designed to accommodate experienced healthcare professionals with more advanced clinical and public health skills.

The accommodations were great, we stayed with a local family and really got to learn the local culture from them. Their hospitality was amazing and they cooked us delicious Peruvian meals. The social aspect was also great, we often spent the evenings with our group checking out the local sights and exploring the town. For these reasons, I would very much recommend this trip to anyone looking to experience Peru.