I plan to travel with fellow co-residents and attendings to volunteer in a remote town in southwest Honduras (Pinares) where there is already an established clinic. We plan to bring medical supplies and provide healthcare to the underserved population in that town for 1 week.
Underserved population of Honduras, as they do not have easy access to regular healthcare and health supplies.
We expect to heavily impact the patient's that we treat in Southwest Honduras by provided much-needed healthcare and supplies. This impact will also be carried with us as move on from residency and plan to participate in global healthcare initiatives.
The people of Pinares, Honduras, were able to receive medical care by our team at the clinic run by the shoulder-to-shoulder foundation. We arrived at the clinic with many large bags of medicines, supplies, toothbrushes, soap, and other necessary supplies to help run the clinic. Each day of the week that we were there, half of our group evaluated and treated many patients at this clinic who were often lined up around the building. Half of the group traveled to a school in Pinares (each day a different school) to examine the children, provide eye exams and dental varnish, and interact with the children. That same group also did home-visits to some patients who have limited mobility and lived in a hard-to-access home (often required long dirt road drives and difficult hikes to reach their homes). This year we were also able to provide OB and more women's health care since we had an OB/GYN attending and resident with us.
Overall, our team worked very hard throughout the week while we slept in tents at a nearby school. But this work was incredibly fulfilling and we made some strong connections on this trip. We all plan to return next year!
Thank you Doximity for helping to cover my flight expenses, as it enabled me to participate in this unforgettable experience.
