I will be traveling to Diriomo, Nicarugua to serve as part of a medical mission trip. The site I will be working at is called Los Rayos de Esperanza and it has a medical clinic on base where we will set up free clinics for the local community members to come and be seen. We will see patients for primary care visits along with urgent care if the needs arise. We will also be traveling around the area to provide home visits to those who are not able to come into the clinic. We will have the ability to take medications and equipment and do exams, prescribe medications and ensure follow up with Los Rayos full time clinic. We will work in collaboration with a full time physician that is employed at Los Rayos.
This trip and our medical service make a huge difference to those in the area as it allows more access to healthcare for people in this area who have very little access at baseline. It allows us to triage and see a larger population and help set the patients up for follow-up who need it.
The people that live in the area of Dioroma, Nicaragua will benefit from our trip. Most people in the area are aware of the clinic and are notified when trips like ours will be going so that the clinic will be open for free visits. We will see and serve patients anywhere from newborn to elderly. Often times other non-medical volunteers will set up a sports camp for the kids, so that parents are able to come and be seen without the need for child care. We can also see the children during breaks in their activities. This allows the whole family better access to care and resources. Even small efforts such as routine checkups, distributing medications or teaching about hygiene and nutrition can have meaningful impacts on these patients.
Nicaragua is often considered the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and the poorest in Central America. The average DCP per capita is only $2,600 making malnutrion and food insecurity a major problem in Nicaragua. This often leads to many preventable medical problems for which we can see and help treat.
We expect to travel with a team of about 20 volunteers. 10-12 will be medical volunteers and 8-10 will be general volunteers. Together we will have 5 total days of seeing patients. We will set up 3 days of clinics and 2 days will travel into the community to do home visits. Through these efforts our team will plan to see over 200 patients. These visits will include everything from routine exams and medications reviews, to more complex orders for imaging at hospitals, procedures such as joint injections and more. All of our work will be continued and follow-up done by the full clinic staff.
I am incredibly lucky in that this will be my second time going to Nicaragua to serve at this clinic. I first went the summer after I graduated PA school before I started my job. Going back now, 4 years later, I am a much more confident and experienced medical provider. I hope to be an even bigger asset to the patients there. I will carry forward what I learn on this trip to have a deeper understanding of global health challenges, further my own cultural awareness and come home with a new perspective of gratitude, resilience, and what truly matters.
During our medical mission trip to Nicaragua, our team provided care to more than 400 patients through a variety of outreach efforts. We served at the clinics home base, established temporary medical clinics in underserved communities, conducted home visits for patients unable to travel, and provided care to residents at a local nursing home. These experiences allowed us to reach individuals who otherwise had limited access to healthcare.
As a physician assistant, I was able to utilize my primary care knowledge and skills to evaluate, diagnose, and treat a wide range of acute and chronic medical conditions while working alongside an interdisciplinary team including medical students, nurses and a pharmacist. The experience strengthened my clinical decision-making, adaptability, and ability to provide compassionate care in resource-limited settings.
Beyond the medical care provided, we had the opportunity to build meaningful relationships within the community. Spending time with local children playing soccer and other games reminded us that caring for people extends beyond treating illness, it also involves building trust, fostering connection, and sharing joy.
This mission was an incredibly rewarding experience that reinforced my commitment to service, global health, and providing compassionate, patient-centered care to underserved populations. I am very thankful for Doximity for supporting our trip and efforts in Nicaragua.
