Guatemala – Pop Wuj
Senior/MS4 elective 2019

Having the opportunity to work at the Pop Wuj Medical Clinic as my final medical rotation has been a capstone experience in medical school. As a future emergency medicine physician, it is important to both think independently and communicate quickly and effectively. Pop Wuj Medical Clinic managed to sharpen my skills in both. The autonomy to care for my patients and the Spanish language skills that were provided to me are invaluable and will be something I use for the rest of my career.

The people of Guatemala are some of the most caring and welcoming people I have ever met. My host family was amazing. They had two children and two dogs, which livened up the home and enriched my study abroad experience, not to mention the fantastic meals that were cooked. All students were given three homecooked meals a day, which frees up time for both clinic and medical Spanish language classes. Clinic time was in the morning and personalized Spanish lessons were in the afternoon.

At the clinic, I had the opportunity to work with the Mayans, who are indigenous peoples of Guatemala and a chronically underserved patient population in the country. It felt fantastic being able to provide them care and help them live the healthiest life possible. We were able to get them on correct regimens and give them drugs at almost no cost. There are also opportunities to travel to neighboring schools for primary care clinic and to nutritional programs. On the weekends, I traveled to the famous Lake Atitlan and Antigua.

Guatemala is truly an incredible country. It has a diverse landscape, a rich history and very warm people. I will continue to improve my Spanish skills and cherish the memories and friends I have made there.

 
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