MEDICAL STUDENT CARAVAN, MARCH, 2016

Just thought I would give you a little report on the first ever, Med Student medical caravan, conducted for 4 days, March 14 through March 17, 2016.  Dra. Ana Vasquez, Dr. Pam Pyle, and Randy Duvall were leaders and organizers.  The group consisted of another Family practice physician, Dr. Dana Bradshaw, and Pediatrician, Dr. Jackie Cotten,

9 first and second year med students, 3 nurses and non medical people.
All in all it was a very positive experience for patients, med students, and participants alike!  
The patients were served very thoroughly and were very pleased with the specialist services.  

Many were seen by the gynecologist AND the pediatrician, or the pediatrician AND the general physician.

Nearly ALL were seen by the Oculista. 
Guadalupe, Para Medico, joined us and saw patients all week.  Patricia saw patients as needed most of the week, as did Gerardo.  They advised and consulted, as well, for the week. Carolyn Vogel, nurse in residence, was asked to see patients on the final day, when 150 patients had already checked in by 9 AM!  The patient count, as usual, went

up daily.
The students were assigned to a physician each day, and a job (labs, registration, triage, glasses, etc).  They then rotated through the jobs and doctors so that all got equal opportunity to learn and experience.  They were delighted to be shown various maladies, learn blood sugars and blood pressures, etc.   The students were fun, respectful, enthusiastic, and VERY positive about the conditions in Chiapas, the people and their plight, the clinic, and their experience this week. They also realized that had a long way to go to become physicians!
The glasses project (providing regular glasses along with readers) was hugely successful!  The young man who is involved with Lions Club has traveled with them numerous times to provide this service.  He brought a borrowed auto refractor, a small, simple machine to check eye measurements, which then were matched easily to already measured glasses.  

He brought more than 500 pairs of glasses and as many sunglasses.  We were able to give SO many people corrective lenses.  

Little boy, Oscar, with new glasses

This would be a project to think about as even an expansion to the clinic medical services.  I will contact Lions Club.  The refractors can be purchased for about $2500, but I think we could charge for the glasses and recoup that money easily.  The Lions Club has freely available, already sorted, marked and bagged glasses.  

3 albino children in one family.  They received much needed glasses and sunglasses 

The group brought a TON of medical supplies, 8 huge bags.  They, unfortunately, asked permission to bring the supplies through, and nearly lost all of it!  Ana had to offer herself up for jail in order to get most of it through....
The consultas took longer than normal, as the specialists provided exams, procedures, and a great deal of teaching, with each other and with the med students.  I think all benefitted from this, though the normal process was delayed and patients had to wait longer for their consults.  

Poor scabie baby

Valeria, a little girl with Down syndrome is a frequent visitor to the clinic.  She examines my ears!  She knows how to do it!

It took some organizing and discussion to come up with a good charting system.  A pre printed card was used in addition to the usual paper chart.  I liked the idea, though it did make extra work for providers to chart.  The information, however, was Inputted into the computer and placed on an Excel sheet , so that a lot of interesting statistics were made available. 
All in All, I would say that this would be definitely an experience to repeat. 
Carolina todavia en Chiapas.