Day 1:
The flights to Guatemala were easy and fairly quick. We took vans to the place where we're staying. We were greeted with a delicious homemade Guatemalan meal and loved every bite. Our houses are all open air with a courtyard in the middle. One of them even has a rooftop porch that we have spent a lot of time on. We took a walking tour and saw where we will be working for the next week.
Day 2:
Some of us went to Spanish language school and some went to Las Obras, the hospital where we will be spending most of our clinic time. We worked with pediatrics, young adults, and older adults. We learned a lot in Spanish school, whether we were complete beginners or more advanced. Stephanie gave us a presentation on care for pregnant women from prenatal to post-partum and did a fantastic job! We ended our night with an amazing organic meal at Sabe Rico.
Day 3:
Many of us began our day at Las Obras and got exposure to patient age groups that we weren't as familiar with. Deborah and Jess worked out of their comfort zones in pediatrics but ended up really enjoying the morning with some challenging, but sweet, patients. Taylor was also challenged in the young adults area but learned a lot and gained a new perspective. Many of us went to Ensenarme a Pescar, a school for children with disabilities, in a small town called Aletenango. Jaime provided information to mothers on tummy time, supine sleeping, and swaddling, and also brought donations of blankets and toys. Stephanie also shared her Capstone with handouts on red flags during pregnancy. The health fair also consisted of low back pain, hand washing, blood pressure, and nutrition stations. We had an overwhelming turnout and all had to be flexible with our originally intended plans, but everyone adjusted accordingly. It was a rewarding experience and we feel like we met many needs of the community.
Until next time,
UNC DPT
