This project involves participation in an international medical outreach mission to Guatemala organized by Central America Outreach & Endoscopy (CARE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving access to gastrointestinal and endoscopic care in underserved regions of Central America. The mission focuses on delivering diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic services in resource-limited settings while fostering sustainable partnerships with local healthcare providers.
During the trip planned for this upcoming June 2026, a multidisciplinary team of physicians, trainees, nurses, and support staff will provide comprehensive gastrointestinal evaluation and procedural care, including upper endoscopy and colonoscopy for patients with suspected GI bleeding, malignancy, chronic anemia, and other untreated digestive diseases. In addition to direct clinical care, the program emphasizes education, skills exchange, and system development aimed at strengthening local healthcare capacity.
As a trainee participant, my role will include assisting with patient evaluation, procedural care, peri-procedural management, and interdisciplinary collaboration under faculty supervision. The experience will also involve exposure to global health systems, cross-cultural communication, and delivery of high-value care in low-resource environments.
Please see the following link for further information! https://www.caendoscopy.org/
Our mission strives to serve the medically underserved populations of rural Guatemala, particularly communities of the Atitlán region where access to specialty care is scarce. Patients seen during this trip often present with advanced or untreated GI disease in addition to complications due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. We strive to prioritize care to these individuals who have minimal or no access to endoscopic care. Many of these patients travel long distances for care and rely entirely on visiting our medical teams for treatment.
This medical mission experience provides the opportunity for both short term and longitudinal impact. First and foremost, it provides essential diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures to patients who might otherwise have no access to GI speciality care. My interactions with the community in the clinic will allow me to further practice identifying and treating potentially life-threatening conditions such as GI bleeding and malignancy. The importance of reaching out and providing support to communities with limited access to care is something that I have experienced first-hand while volunteering at both health fairs in rural Pennsylvania and a medical mission in southern New Jersey. These endeavors allowed me to develop the necessary tools to foster an environment that is inclusive and respectful to a diverse spectrum of patients and colleagues.
This medical mission trip to Guatemala would further allow me to support long-term sustainable healthcare development through collaboration and education with local providers. Importantly, this trip will allow me to continue to foster my interest in global health and culturally responsive care.
One of the most meaningful parts of the trip was getting to know the community we served. We cared for patients from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom had traveled long distances (including across Lake Atitlán) for access to gastroenterology care. Despite often facing significant barriers to healthcare, they consistently demonstrated remarkable resilience, gratitude, and trust. Beyond providing medical care, the opportunity to listen to their stories, answer their questions, and help them better understand their conditions was incredibly rewarding. This experience not only reinforced the importance of compassionate, patient-centered care, but also strengthened my commitment to caring for underserved populations throughout my career. It also reminded me that medicine extends far beyond diagnosing disease with focus on providing care with humility and compassion. I hope to continue participating in global health initiatives and to bring the lessons I learned in Guatemala back to my practice in the United States.
