Study Abroad with UNA
Destinations
The Experience of a Lifetime
This trip has been the experience of a lifetime. As I think back to my very first post when I said our hearts were full, I think I didn’t know just how much more our hearts could hold after 10 days in this beautiful country with such an amazing team/family. In this short period of time, I have experienced some of the saddest and happiest moments of my life. I could not imagine a better group of people to have shared this experience with. In our 3 clinics alone, we were able to see roughly around 700 patients. … // Read more
Antigua, Guatemala
We woke up early Friday morning, packed up our luggage and headed out for Guatemala City around 6:00am. After dropping off one of our instructors at the airport, we continued on to Antigua. We stopped at KFC in the city. Less than an hour later, we were greeted by the vibrant, cobblestone town of Antigua. It is surrounded by volcanoes. The colorful, old buildings are charming. It seemed to be a major tourist destination of Guatemala. The Convento Santa Catalina Hotel accommodated our two night stay. It was absolutely beautiful. The courtyard had a large fountain in the center, along with strings … // Read more
Goodbye, City of Refuge!
Today our team split up into four different groups and visited different private clinics. The groups went to an OB-GYN clinic, a general practice clinic, a pediatric clinic, and an orthopedics clinic. While we were all spread out today, it was great to be able to share our varying experiences with each other! This afternoon, we were treated to delicious snow cones from a local business. Later, we were invited to dinner by Dr. Barrientos at his home in Chiquimula. He and his family prepared a delicious meal for us while we enjoyed ourselves in his pool, basketball court, … // Read more
A Day in Guatemalan Hospitals
Today has been one of the hardest days of my life. This morning we went to the Hospital Nacional de Chiquimula. This is a public hospital with very limited resources and technology. We split up into groups and went to the emergency department, the intensive care unit, labor and delivery, and pediatrics. My group started out in the ICU, which was divided into the pediatric side and the adult side. Unfortunately, in the short time we were there we lost two little ones. An 8 year old, who suffered from pneumonia and went into septic shock, and a 5 … // Read more
The City of Refuge Clinic
I woke up & looked over the balcony to see people beginning to line up for the clinic. We saw 285 patients today. One lady walked FIVE hours with her two children to receive healthcare. Yesterday I saw an elderly man who walked four hours to get to the clinic. Yet the people are still waiting in line patiently to be cared for. I cannot help but constantly think about how much we take for granted in the United States. Our team consists of 23 members…it has been amazing being a part of a unified team. It gets so busy … // Read more
Clinica Número Uno
Today was our first clinic at the Iglesia Cristiana Odre Nuevo in Chiquimula. We were able to see about 150 patients throughout the day! Each person had their blood pressure, pulse, and temperature checked before being sent to a translator to talk about medical problems/complaints. From there, they would wait (in a very long line) to see one of our AMAZING healthcare providers to receive a diagnosis/order for meds. After this, they would bring their order to the pharmacy, where it would be filled and given to them with thorough instructions on proper administration. To see all of our team … // Read more
¡Bienvenidos!
On Friday we arrived in Guatemala City and were welcomed with such stunning views. I mean, how often do you get to get greeted by mountainous terrain and volcanoes? It was fascinating to see everything from an airplane as we were gradually dropping in altitude and preparing to land. Everything seemed so small and distant, yet within a matter of minutes we were on land in a foreign country surrounded by a vast number of unfamiliar faces and unknown places. What an exciting adventure to embark on! We went through customs then packed up our bags onto the top of our bus … // Read more
Packed and Guatemala Bound!
We are packed and ready to go! 19 suitcases have been filled to the brim with medical supplies, medicine, baby formula, shoes, clothes, and many other various items for the people of Guatemala! I am confident that I can speak for all of our team members when I say that our hearts are just as full as those 19 suitcases. Tomorrow is the big day, and I am so eager to use the nursing skills I have learned thus far to make a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate. Guatemala, here we come!
Temporary Change of Address
If you want to get the full benefit of a culture when studying abroad, then host families are definitely the way to go! I promise there is no better environment in which to get fully immersed in the many interesting aspects of a foreign country. My Cusqueña host family went above and beyond to make me feel at home. They used their best dishes, served generous portions, and provided an extra blanket. They tried their best to cater to my every need; I was even given a key to the house with no curfew. My host family gave me tips … // Read more
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