During our White Coat Ceremony, my colleagues and I received a blank card on which to write some dreams we would like to see realized at the College of Medicine. One of mine was that UCF COM would establish an international clinic. Working with the people of Los Hijos de Hatillo in Jarabacoa was the beginning of making that dream come to be. I am forever grateful for the support that allowed me to begin working on that dream.
This experience was one of the first times when I cared for patients from beginning to end, and in Spanish no less. Aside from the rich educational experience, it was personally rewarding to work so closely with students, clinicians, and volunteers from USF and Jarabacoa. This experience refreshed my drive to learn and gave me new perspectives on my medical education.
Although we provided medical care to the people of Los Hijos, I realized that what their community most needed was food and emotional and social support. We are now working on establishing partnerships within the Dominican Republic to improve the long-term health and livelihood of that community. This was only possible because we had such encouragement from our supporters here in Florida. Although my first stay in Jarabacoa was brief, it has begun what I hope will be an involvement for many years to come. Thank you for making it possible for me to be a part of this incredible project.
Ruth Strakosha, M2