I just got back from spending ten weeks in Orizaba, Mexico through a summer study abroad program with Juniata College. I lived with a host family and spent the first four weeks taking a Spanish class and a Mexican history and culture class. Following my classes, I spent the remaining six weeks volunteering at the Orizaba delegation of the Mexican Red Cross. In Mexico and many places in the world, the Red Cross is the primary form of pre-hospital emergency care. I spent my first three weeks at the Red Cross taking a first responder class where I learned what to do when arriving at the scene of an accident. It was not a full EMT course, but I did also learn to give injections and IVs and how to clean profound wounds in addition to the first responder course. Following the three weeks of training, I began working in the emergency room at the Red Cross. I saw everything from simple blood pressure or blood sugar checks to knife fight victims. While I was not trained to suture, I assisted the doctors with the procedures by helping to maintain the victim in a conscious state, cleaning wounds, and helping with whatever was needed within my training.
It was a fantastic experience, and I would love to go back in future summers during college and medical school to continue to help provide patient care at the Red Cross in Orizaba. The only people who are paid at the Red Cross are the doctors and nurses- everyone else works strictly as volunteers. It was awesome that so many people volunteer their time and services to help those in need.
One thing that really upset me at the Red Cross was how tight the budget was. While patient care was never seriously compromised due to the budget, the Red Cross can not afford many items which we take for granted here. Disposable latex gloves are washed with clorox and resteralized instead of being thrown away. Cotton balls are too expensive, so sheets of cotton are bought instead, and the nurses and EMTs take the time to pick the cotton apart into cotton balls. Medical tape is much cheaper than band-aids, so normally medical tape is used in place of regular band-aids or butterfly band-aids. Because of this lack of supplies, I am going to write a letter to send to hospitals and doctors offices in my area asking for supplies to send back. The budget of the Red Cross is based entirely on donations, and with the Mexican economy currently poor, the Red Cross is expecting an even tighter budget for next year.
Overall, my experience in Mexico and at the Red Cross was invaluable, one that I will never forget. It reaffirmed my desire to pursue medicine, and it also allowed me to become fluent in Spanish at the same time. I hope to use my Spanish as a doctor to treat a wider range of patients in the United States. Also, I will continue to travel to poor Spanish speaking countries to provide medical care to those in need.
