Pre-Project Reflection
I cannot express how helpful these cultural immersion trips organized by Rural Health Scholars is to pre-health students that stress about strengthening their resume on a daily basis. Being pre-health is a demanding path for students and sometimes we can forget that we need to be well-rounded and that grade point average is not everything when you start to apply to your graduate program whether it be medicine, pharmacy, nursing, etc.
There are various options that the Rural Health Scholars organization offers students with the Fall Break Las Vegas trip being the most affordable at $200. Some of the other trips such as the Dominican Republic or Nicaragua can cost upwards of $1,500 because of travel and other expenses of leaving the country. I have already lived out of country for some time and seen how other countries function and are in need of better health, but Las Vegas was a different experience for me when I was able to go on the Spring Break trip earlier this year. Many among the homeless populations we worked with had very sad stories and experiences that I could not have even imagined before I had spoken with them. What a good opportunity it was for me to get out of my comfort zone and work with and converse with a completely different population than I would normally associate myself with. As a physician in my future career I could have to work with a huge variety of populations from anywhere in the world. The more peoples that I can become familiar with the better off I will be when I need to help them later.
These students that we are planning this trip for will all have similar experiences that will prepare them for their careers or they may even find out that a health career is not for them, and that is okay. I feel privileged to be a part of this leadership team and am excited to plan for and see how everything turns out during the trip in less than a month.
EDGE Project Journal
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October 16, 2016
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Today was the first day of the trip. We all met at the motor pool around 10:00 am to leave to go to St. George. Checking in gave us a bit of stress as we were not provided some of the contact information for some of the students. It did not help that two or three students decided to not go last minute without notifying us. We still departed at a good time and made it to St. George/Ivins to tour the site of the new Rocky Vista University medical school. Whitney Johnson gave us a quick tour and answered our questions. I was glad to see that many of the attending pre-med students had an interest in the school. After arriving in Las Vegas, checking in our hotel, and eating at In-N-Out Burger, we made it to our first service opportunity with an organization called Shade Tree. This organization is comparable to the women’s crisis center that we have here in Cedar City. It houses and provides for abused women and children that need help in their lives. I really enjoyed this experience because we were able to serve them dinner as well as go throughout the cafeteria and hear their stories and talk about them. It is very unfortunate that such good women have been treated so poorly. Many of them have great talents and deserve a better life. Shade tree is a great environment for them to do so. Afterwards, we went to dinner and were supposed to have a physician guest speaker, but they just kept cancelling on us. Other than a few mishaps, the first day was a success.
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October 17, 2016
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The first day worked out super well because we all went to the same place. Today was a day that required a bit more coordination and effort to assure that everyone had a spot in one of the vehicles. The earliest group went to shadow a physician that I set up with Dr. Nielson. I ended up going with another trip leader to the Salvation Army where we were able to take a full tour of the homeless shelter and other services that this organization provides for the homeless. It is really quite sad driving through the area because the sidewalks are filled with homeless lining up on both sides in close proximity to the shelter so they can get food and other necessities. After the tour we set up for health screenings. We did not get to screen as many people as planned because it was before lunch. Next year when we come, I will make sure that we only do screenings here after lunch because that is when we can see the most homeless come through the facility. After a quick lunch, we went to volunteer at a place called 3-Square. We spent a few hours here preparing lunches for K-12 students who cannot afford school lunch. It was cool to see the warehouse and the organization of the facility. I cannot remember the exact number, but they make very, very many meals every day. The last volunteer opportunity we had was at a place called Opportunity Village. Here, people with mental disabilities of all sorts and kinds are taken in for a day program that is highly organized and successful. After a tour of the place and meeting many of the clients, we assisted with set up and carrying out a Halloveen fundraising event. Many of us helped pass out candy to kids or helped with other set-ups. It is a huge event with many attractions. They say that on a normal Friday or Saturday in the season, they have thousands of people passing through at a time.
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October 18, 2016
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Today, to start off, my group went to a different Opportunity Village campus. Apparently they have four or five campuses and each one has a different role in the company. The campus we visited today houses the most clients at a time, which I think was over 200. We spent a good amount of time touring the facility, meeting the clients, and observing some of the healthcare practitioners there. We spent time with the clients doing paper mache and making dolls out of fabric to be placed in the Halloveen forest on the other campus. After visiting this campus, we went back to Shade Tree, the place we were the first day, and helped organize their donations in the basement. It was astounding to see how much stuff they had received for donations and it made me feel good that the women and children there were being provided for. We ended the trip with the finale of attending the Bodies Exhibit in Las Vegas. I have already been multiple times, but I love it more each time I go. It is very different being able to see the human body in this exhibit with all of the different models they have. It was truly amazing. We were able to all travel safely back home on time.
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Student Testimonials
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"This service trip enhanced my commitment and motivation for health care. Everyone should, at least once, go on a cultural immersion trip to see the need for health care in other places than your home town. Look for a trip that will put you out of your comfort zone."
-Adriana Christiensen
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"The cultural immersion trips that RHS offers provide students with the unique opportunity to experience working with diverse populations, whether it be in the poverty stricken country of Dominican Republic or just two hours away working with the homeless populations in Las Vegas. This past fall break I got to see healthcare from a perspective that you don't hear much about. For three days we worked shoulder to shoulder with non-profit organizations that specialize in assisting the homeless populations in Las Vegas. Through this experience I developed greater compassion and empathy for the people we assisted that will be of great assistance as I pursue a career in medicine. Volunteering at the women’s shelter was an eye opening experience for me. In talking with some of the women, I found out that their lives weren't always like this. Many of them had jobs and a nice place to call home but left all of that in an attempt to get away from abusive relationships. The shelter provided much needed assistance as they were trying to move on with their lives and protect their children. During the time at the shelter I was able to forget about me and really focus on getting to know them. It helped me to see that there is always another side to the story but most importantly it taught me that no matter how different we are there are always more similarities, we just need to take the time to find them."
-Seth Gergetz
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