The experiences I received from my trip to Panama with Jayhawk Health Initiative reached far beyond anything I could have ever learned in the classroom. In Panama I was able to observe and take part in all types of healthcare and at the same time learn about a system that is drastically different from that of the US. My first day in the community, I worked alongside other brigaders to assist an Emberá man to build a latrine outside of his house. This was the Public Health portion of the brigade and it was optional for students, but I found it immensely rewarding. By building this latrine I was able to take part in the ground roots project that will help the Emberá people maintain their health by eliminating the E.coli, from their feces, that infects their food and water supply.
In the following two days, I was able to take part in the clinic which we held in the nearby school. Here I was able to observe Panamanian doctors, sort medication with a pharmacist, observe dental extractions performed by a Panamanian dentist, and interact with the children in “charla.” The two stations that had the largest impact on me were shadowing and observing the doctors and dentist.
While shadowing the doctors, I saw a man with acute bronchitis and watched a doctor tell a new mother that her infant son was blind. The interactions between the doctors and patients were very different from those I have observed in the United States. All three doctors consulted patients in the same room, but at different tables. In a single meeting they would treat every family member. The lack of privacy with the patients surprised me because it contrasts greatly from the US system, but by the end of the trip I came to like it and understand its benefits. Benefits such as the patient never being alone with their diagnosis and it allowed for every family member to hear the information first hand from the doctor.
While observing the dentist I was able to watch many teeth extractions from people of all ages. From the dentist I learned the importance of education for both the parents and the children. For each child from whom the dentist pulled rotted teeth, she scolded the parents for not having their child brush his or her teeth. She made certain the parents understood that their child would not have to be going through the pain of the extraction if they had taught their children proper dental hygiene. I was impressed by her ability to console the children while get her point across with the parents. I had never considered going into dentistry before I observed her, and I have not changed my mind, but I definitely have a new found respect for the position.
All in all, my experience in Panama taught me about healthcare in all its forms and it is an experience I hope to repeat in my near future.
In the following two days, I was able to take part in the clinic which we held in the nearby school. Here I was able to observe Panamanian doctors, sort medication with a pharmacist, observe dental extractions performed by a Panamanian dentist, and interact with the children in “charla.” The two stations that had the largest impact on me were shadowing and observing the doctors and dentist.
While shadowing the doctors, I saw a man with acute bronchitis and watched a doctor tell a new mother that her infant son was blind. The interactions between the doctors and patients were very different from those I have observed in the United States. All three doctors consulted patients in the same room, but at different tables. In a single meeting they would treat every family member. The lack of privacy with the patients surprised me because it contrasts greatly from the US system, but by the end of the trip I came to like it and understand its benefits. Benefits such as the patient never being alone with their diagnosis and it allowed for every family member to hear the information first hand from the doctor.
While observing the dentist I was able to watch many teeth extractions from people of all ages. From the dentist I learned the importance of education for both the parents and the children. For each child from whom the dentist pulled rotted teeth, she scolded the parents for not having their child brush his or her teeth. She made certain the parents understood that their child would not have to be going through the pain of the extraction if they had taught their children proper dental hygiene. I was impressed by her ability to console the children while get her point across with the parents. I had never considered going into dentistry before I observed her, and I have not changed my mind, but I definitely have a new found respect for the position.
All in all, my experience in Panama taught me about healthcare in all its forms and it is an experience I hope to repeat in my near future.
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